For the first time, Liechtenstein hosted the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) biennial Diversity Conference “Inclusion of Child Migrants and Refugees in and through Sport” under the framework of its Presidency of the Committee of Ministers. One of the presidency priorities is the focus on children, youth and education.
“We aim at promoting a forward-looking and inclusive orientation for the Council of Europe. Sport not only brings people together, strengthens mental health but it also creates mutual understanding and appreciation. It is of paramount importance that we further these qualities and build on what we already have. It is an opportunity not to be missed, an opportunity with far greater returns on investment than many others, said Dominique Hasler, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport of the Principality of Liechtenstein, at the opening of the conference.
The aim of the conference was to assess the current state of play and propose a drive for change in the inclusion of child migrants and refugees in and through sport. The agenda included panels with experts looking into the current situation and the way forward, and in particular how the Council of Europe can play a meaningful role.
“Since its creation in 2007, EPAS has promoted dialogue and co-operation between public authorities and sport stakeholders to make sport more ethical, more inclusive and safer. This often means addressing sensitive and difficult issues, issues for which leadership is needed. The aim is to create inclusive and welcoming environments where child refugees and migrants can access the benefits of sport and experience positive integration into their new communities. This conference will enrich and inspire us all to go even further”, said Marja Ruotanen, Director General of Democracy and Human Dignity at the Council of Europe.
The agenda included speeches by Alexandre Husting, Chair of the EPAS Governing Board and three young refugees Khalida Popal, Cyrille Tchatchet and Gerald Mballe who shared their journeys on how sport played a major role in their lives and specifically in terms of their inclusion within their host countries. Khalida Popal, now living in Denmark, is the founder and director of Girl Power Organization and the Programme and Event Director of the Afghanistan Women's National Football Team. Cyrille Tchatchet is a Cameroon-born British weightlifter and Olympic athlete and Gerald Mballe migrated from Cameroon to Italy and is now an Adviser for Special Olympics Europe Eurasia.
“The promotion of the use of sport as a tool for inclusion is one of the activities of our Action Plan on the Protection of Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum. Based on my fact-finding missions, I observe the high vulnerability of children and their increased risk of being prone to psychological distress and of becoming victims of violence and discrimination. There is an urgent need for their participation in education and in the activities of the host society”, said the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees, Leyla Kayacik.
The conference, organised by the Council of Europe’s EPAS in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sport of the Principality of Liechtenstein, brought together national and international experts, policy makers and those working for NGOs and grassroots sport.
