NEW JOINT INITIATIVE TO PROTECT VULNERABLE REFUGEE YOUTH IN JORDAN
April 19, 2019
The Olympic Refuge Foundation has announced a new three-year partnership with Beyond Sport Global Awards Shortlisters Generations For Peace (GFP) to improve the overall status of vulnerable Syrian refugees and Jordanian youth from hosting communities in Amman, Irbid, Mafraq and Zarqa.
Working within GFP’s Nashatati (“My Activities”) and Maharati (“My Skills”) Programmes framework, this new initiative will increase equal access to sport-based activities for refugee and Jordanian youth in 108 schools and 76 youth centres across the four Jordanian governorates with the highest number of Syrian refugees.
The partnership includes a grant to help GFP sustainably engage at-risk female and male refugee and Jordanian youth through: a series of weekly GFP Clubs; a summer camp to expose them to a wide range of new sports; and the integration of a “Sport For Protection” component (developed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Terre des Hommes.
In each aspect of the programme, specific efforts will be taken to maximise inclusion of hard-to-reach youth, including those with disabilities.
The partners anticipate as many as 12,000 direct beneficiaries, including 216 teachers and 156 youth centre workers trained and mentored by GFP, in addition to 11,600 children and youth participating in activities. An additional 41,600 children and youth are expected to indirectly benefit.
Dr. Thomas Bach, IOC President and Chairman of the Olympic Refuge Foundation, stated, “The launching of the Olympic Refuge Foundation in 2017 originally aimed to support the protection, development and empowerment of children and youth in vulnerable situations through sport, and we are proud to be partnering with Generations For Peace to continue working toward that goal.”
GFP Founder and Chairman HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein said, “This collaboration will allow us to further use sport to increase vulnerable Syrian and Jordanian youth’s resilience to violence, foster their feelings of protection and belonging, support them in the process of empowerment, help them actively contribute to the betterment of Jordanian host communities, and strengthen their overall tolerance, acceptance and social cohesion between and among one another.”
The Olympic Refuge Foundation was jointly established by the IOC and UNHCR to bring sports to some of the world’s most disadvantaged children and youth. With its continued support, this programme will run until late 2021 and impact over 53,500 male and female Syrian refugee and Jordanian children, youth and adults.
Generations for Peace were Shortlisted for the 2018 Global Impact Award at the Beyond Sport Global Awards. To learn more about this year’s Awards - or to begin your application - head to beyondsport.org/awards.