ICSS, Sorbonne University Organize First International Conference on Sport Volunteerism

Paris, December 04 (QNA) - The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), through its program "Save the Dream", and the Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University organized the EU-funded First International Conference on Sport Volunteerism (Paris 2019) at the Maison du Handball in Creteil in Paris, in the presence of an elite of specialists and representatives of international organizations. The conference was organized within the framework Empowering Youth Volunteers through Sport (EYVOL) project, a transnational and multi-sectoral initiative co-funded by the European Union. During the conference, Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University, presented the EYVOL Guide on Best Practices in Volunteering for Social Inclusion through Sport, based on an initial analysis of 83 case studies gathered across the world from key organizations working with sport volunteers. The guide is a collection of volunteer sport experiences for the empowerment of youth at grassroot, local, national, regional and international level. President of the International Centre for Sport Security Mohammed bin Hanzab said during the conference that time has come to form a global identity and draft a framework for sports volunteering mechanisms in the world to serve as a platform for shaping the identity of the sector in a way that enables young volunteers through an international umbrella for sports volunteering. He added that the International Centre for Sport Security put forward this file through EYVOL project which is funded by the European Union and supported by the United Nations, thus creating a good opportunity to form an international platform to discuss all issues related to volunteering in the field of sports. For his part, Executive Director of Save the Dream Massimiliano Montanari said: "We are keen to bring sport volunteerism to the next level. Through sport volunteering we are empowering youth and promoting the development of soft and employability skills." Meanwhile, Director of International Truce Centre Dr. Constantinos Filis said that volunteerism is fundamental for social cohesion; it is a way of life. It inspires and unites people under a common cause which must not be motivated by sordid gain." Laura Georges, the General Secretary of the French Football Federation, highlighted during her intervention that volunteers are key in the organization of a major sporting event. The EU-funded EYVOL project is supported by the United Nations through the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) through Save the Dream program is among the main partners of the projects along with several international organizations including the Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (CONI). The two-year project aims at developing a common framework for sports volunteerism under the supervision of the United Nation. It was officially announced in November 2018 at the UN headquarters in Geneva in the presence of HE the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. (QNA)