WPSSD was formed in response to the invasion of Ukraine. An event is to be held from the 21st September onwards to bring awareness to the U.N designated World Day of Peace. Our aim is to empower children and young people through sport using the values of peace, friendship and reconciliation to show solidarity and support for those suffering due to war and all manner of conflicts. WPSSD was originally designed with schools in mind, to challenge and resolve the reasons for conflict and bring about change for peace. However, we discovered very early on schools working on sport projects caught the attention of sports clubs, therefore, we expanded the project to include them, their academies and communities.

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We have backing from the education sector with the Association of School & College Leaders, the Youth Sports Trust, EU Code Week, the British Computing Society and others to be announced soon. We aim to empower young people to use sport and physical activity to reaffirm international values of peace and friendship. The schools and other youth organisations taking part are asked to wear an item of blue or yellow clothing for the day, pupils donate £1.00 ( or local equivalent currency) to take part in school-based sporting or Esport and coding activities.

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World Peace School Sports Day is evolving; becoming a driving force and so far we have the following commitments:

 

• Foreign dignitaries & spokespersons have been invited to attend or be live-streamed at an event at The Bridge of Peace at Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland on 20th Sept where children from Ireland, U.K, Ukraine, and Canada (so far) will read messages of peace and friendship to each other. Ballina is the home of the first female President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, and County Mayo is the ancestral home of President Joe Biden.
   

• Schools and youth organisations all over the world will take part in sporting and other activities on the U.N designated World Day of Peace, which also includes activities to tackle the issues of diversity and inclusivity for those whose lives have been affected because of gender, sexuality, disability, race, ignorance and hatred.
   

• WPSSD is a partner of The International Festival of Peace, being held in Toronto from 21st - 25th September which will include the live-streamed messages of peace and support between schools in Ireland - Ukraine - U.K. & Canada (so far).
   

• We are proud to be partnered with Ostrovia, a Ukrainian Educational NGO, whose U.N honoured CEO, Zoya Lytvyn, and her team are based in Kyiv. 
   

• WPSSD has an appointment at The Vatican on the 29th and 30th September when the CEO, Mike Molloy ( former aide to Prime Ministers Tony Blair & Gordon Brown), will sign a document for Peace in the presence of His Holiness, Pope Francis. Of course, we’re reaching out to the other major religions as well but any assistance is most welcome. Derek and Mike are also invited in person to New York w/c 19th September by UN Dep Sec Gen to join the Sec Gen and African Leaders plus Google CEO etc
  in a Summit.