24 March 2023, Madrid, Spain — Within the framework of the ‘Sport for One Humanity’ initiative, established by Turkish Airlines and supported by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), the representatives of selected civil society organizations working on grassroots sport-based projects participated in a five-day capacity building workshop.
The series of trainings focused on a diverse range of topics to bolster the organizations’ capacities and enhance their impact, including project design and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, communications and advocacy, as well as resource mobilization, partnerships, and fundraising.
Representing organizations based in Cameroon, India, Kenya, the Republic of North Macedonia, Mexico, the Philippines, Uganda, and Vietnam, the participants were selected from among 600 applications from 83 countries following an intensive competitive process. The recipients were announced during a Recognition Ceremony held on the sidelines of the 9th UNAOC Global Forum in Fez, Morocco in November of last year.
Guest Speakers
The workshop featured prominent experts as guest speakers on core topic areas. Ms. Marisol Casado, President of World Triathlon and member of the International Olympic Committee, Olympics channel Editor-in-Chief Ms. Mary Byrne, and Ms. Elena Montoro García, International Projects Manager at LaLiga Foundation, provided crucial insights on advancing the sport for development and peace agenda.
La Liga Foundation representative Ms. Elena Montoro Garcia noted, “Sport is a unique force to bring positive social change. The work of the LaLiga Foundation is based on this premise and around supporting international projects using sport to promote diversity and inclusion and generate a positive impact on society.”
On the third day, the High Representative for UNAOC, Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, visited the participants and thanked them for their commitment to tackle local issues in their communities through sport. “It is a pleasure to see how your initiatives help sport achieve its potential to promote development and peace objectives. Your resilience and determination to create positive social change through sports deserves more recognition and support,” he said.
Lessons Learned
During the workshop, participants learned to develop key performance indicators, design innovative data collection tools for project monitoring and evaluation, as well as identify potential donors and sustain mutually beneficial partnerships. They also explored how grassroots movements can tap into the potential of individual giving in fundraising, how to leverage international awareness days in advocacy campaigns, how to develop a successful fundraising plan, as well as online community building and effective storytelling to amplify their impact and visibility.
Stakeholder Visits
The participants also benefited from visits to important stakeholders, including the La Liga Foundation and the Global Sport Innovation Center. La Liga experts presented their good governance strategy and shared key insights on digital stakeholder engagement and content creation. At the Global Sport Innovation Center, participants explored how recent advances in technology and digital innovation can make sport more inclusive.
Comprehensive Support Programme
The training in Madrid, Spain is part of the comprehensive support program provided to recipients of the ‘Sport for One Humanity’ initiative. By supporting innovative sports-based interventions that foster a culture of peace, mutual understanding, and cooperation, ‘Sport for One Humanity’ affirms the need for intercultural dialogue and diversity in developing solutions to global challenges.
For more information on #Sport4OneHumanity, please visit www.sportforonehumanity.org.