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MARTIN GRIFFITHS, THE FIRST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTE OF PEACE, EXPLAINS THE UNIQUE WAYS IN WHICH SPORT CAN BREAK DOWN BARRIERS AND PROMOTE PEACE BEYOND THE RINGS PEACEMAKING AND THE POWER OF SPORTSport is one of the most effective (and cost-effective) tools for promoting peace and sustainable development today. It transcends differences in religion, gender, race and nationality. A football alone can make 22 people work together, accepting the same rules and results. Similarly, mediation is about encouraging competing actors to follow the rules, while respecting the outcomes. Both sport and mediation break down barriers, encourage cooperation and, when done right, provide an inclusive, peaceful arena not linked to religion, politics or national self-interest. However, it is important to bear in mind that this was not always the case. Sport has been transformed in the modern era. What used to be the preserve of kings is now the privilege of all. The Olympic tradition has been extended to include society as a whole, and this has been achieved without reducing sporting standards. On the contrary, these standards, including our perception of what the human body can endure and accomplish, have been pushed in ways elite athletes of yesteryear would never have thought possible. Twentieth-century peacemaking was traditionally the preserve of diplomats. Agreements to end wars were historically signed in the chambers of European palaces. These agreements affected everyone, for good or ill. We can now be far more ambitious. Peace is no longer made in the halls of Geneva – agreements may be crafted there, but the public now has a right to say what kind of peace it wants. Throughout my life, I have been involved in many peace processes. A major takeaway from every single one is that solutions can come from the strangest of sources – including sport. Democratising peace not only can lead to demands for better peace, it can also yield ideas about how to get there. For example, going back in time to 1969, Pelé played a game in Nigeria which put the war in Biafra on halt for 48 hours. In 2005, another footballer, Didier Drogba, begged the warring factions in his native Côte d’Ivoire to lay down their arms. Drogba managed to reach out to those complicit or affected by the conflict. Using his status and popularity on both sides, he appealed to politicians, the warring factions and the Ivorian people to reignite the peace process. Drogba became a peace envoy and an effective mediator. As it turned out, he was as successful as any United Nations Special Representative could hope to be. Amazingly, the parties listened and a fragile peace was reached in 2007. To reduce tensions that year, the football team played a match in the rebel capital of Bouaké – the first time the two armies met peacefully. This is the power of sport in achieving widespread mobilisation in a country’s quest for peace. Sport’s achievements are seemingly endless, and continue to grow with new horizons leading each of us on. We all enjoy sport, even those watching from the sidelines. It’s a truly universal activity, uniting all of us with its discipline and achievements. Below A fan at the historic football match between Côte d’Ivoire and Madagascar in 2007Peacemaking cannot claim such success, but it can be inspiring in a similar vision. To make peace, we know now that we need the creative spirit of individuals and the public support of all. This is no different from the Olympic tradition. My dream is that sporting achievements will inspire those of us involved in stopping and preventing wars to go the extra mile, to do more and to bring the public along with us. As mediators, we hope to bring the roar of the crowd into those Geneva halls, where diplomats draft agreements and peace begins. ■Martin Griffiths is the founder of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva, which is the world’s largest private mediator in armed conflicts. He is also the first Executive Director of the European Institute of Peace. Before becoming a mediator he was a senior United Nations humanitarian official.26 OLYMPIC REVIEW COLUMN