With the participation of more than 50 organizations worldwide, “Save the Dream”, an initiative affiliated with the International Center for Sports Security, officially launched in Greece on Saturday, the House of Sport Volunteers, a flagship global initiative that connects skilled volunteers with receiving organizations, such as events’ organisers, sport organizations, NGOs, foundations, and other strategic partners from sport and beyond, was officially launched today, marking a significant milestone in promoting volunteering in sport.
Shaped across three years of research and testing implemented thanks to the support of the European Union, The House is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other United Nations frameworks like UNESCO Fit for Life.
This new digital platform comes as an important milestone in the field of promoting volunteer work in sports at a time when the efforts of the International Center for Sports Security through the “Save the Dream” initiative emphasize uph
olding values and devoting integrity in sports among youth and children around the world.
The launch took place through a virtual kick-off meeting, bringing together experts from a range of institutions, international organizations, NGOs, representatives from the world of sport, grassroots initiatives, and academia.
The high-level meeting witnessed discussions between senior officials of the European Union and the United Nations, representatives of member states and international organizations, decision-makers and prominent sports figures.
This ground-breaking initiative provides a platform that aims to support sport volunteerism and the promotion of its educational and societal values across communities, by connecting and supporting volunteers in sporting events of any size and sport-based projects, providing a global database of Sport Volunteers’ profiles, volunteering opportunities, and a unique offer of training, educational programmes, certification of skills and competencies.
Save the Dream CEO Mass
imiliano Montanari, said, “The House of Sport Volunteers represents a full recognition of the importance of volunteering as an essential element of sport, at all levels, and as a tool to empower youth, promote their mobility and future employability.
We feel proud of being one of the pioneers of this “LinkedIn” for sport volunteerism and for the benefits it will create to its users, particularly the organizations who will benefit from the support of our volunteers.” Currently, the open-ended group of the members of the House comprises a wide range of international organizations, international and continental sports federations and associations, Olympic committees and sports clubs, which include: Save the Dream, International Olympic Truce Centre, European Multiclub Sport Association, UN Institute for Training and Research, European Observatoire of Sport and Employment, Italian National Olympic Committee, World Boxing Council, World Ethnosport Confederation, Olympiacos F.C., HASK Mladost F.C., Dragones de Lav
apies F.C., Portuguese Swimming Federation, and the European School Sport Federation.
Among the members are Generation Amazing Foundation, garagErasmus Foundation, Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation, Somali Women Foundation, and the European Football for Development Network.
The House also brought together a number of academic institutions including the University of the District of Columbia, the Georgetown University in Qatar, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Universidad Pablo de Olavide de Sevilla, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Instituto Universitario de Lisboa, the University of Coimbra, University of Leeds, Universidad Andres Bello, George Washington University, Canterbury Christ Church University,and Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas
Source: Qatar News Agency