Peace and its so many facets

Peace is generally the opposite of war. Peace can be a state of harmony or the absence of hostility. Peace can also describe a relationship between any people characterized by respect, justice, and goodwill. Therefore, the concept of peace has been linked to the wide idea of development, assuming that development is not the classical pursuit of wealth. Peaceful development can be a set of many different elements such as education, gender equality, infrastructure, human rights, and other issues.

Which activity could contribute to both the world peace and development? Which role sport could play in contribution to peace and development? In which way could CISM contribute to this effort around the world?

Let us see how CISM and the Brazilian Delegation have been answering these questions.
Created in 2003, the project called “Armed Forces in Sports” has been carried out, successfully, by the Brazilian Delegation to CISM. Supported by the partnership between Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Sport, actually, the project hosts 7.500 children coming from unprivileged communities. The full capacity of the project is 32.000 children.
In the extra classes’ period, children have the opportunity go to the barracks to practice sports with the objective to develop healthcare, education, and moral values such as discipline, friendship and so on.

It is without doubt one more facet of peace, and CISM in partnership with FIFA, recognizing this noble project, funded the “I FIFA/CISM Football Solidarity Cup”. During the hot December in Brazil, the event took place in 2 different cities: Brasilia, and Rio de Janeiro. It gathered together children between 7 and 17 years old, distributed in 20 teams.
During the closing ceremony which was held in the Brazilian Navy Military Base, children marched guided by the Brazilian Air Force Band. At that time, some of them was wearing their medals and carrying their trophies, but all was keeping in their mind new concepts fostered by the CISM motto: “Friendship through Sport”

A success calling for many more to come…

15 October, Taj Krishna Hotel, Hyderabad, India, preparatory meeting, around the table some of the most important authorities dealing with sport for peace in the world, after 2 hours of discussion and sure that the logistic arrangements was done in high quality, one question has not been answered: Are the military authorities ready to discuss the usage of sport as a tool to promote peace?

Mr. T.A.G. Sithole, IOC Director for International Cooperation and Development certainly did not expect such a mass participation and an active attitude of the CISM participants in the second CISM International Forum on Sport for Peace. Actually, a crowded meeting room could witness the important role which sport was playing the Peace Support Operations. In that perspective, the relevance of CISM was once again clearly demonstrated by all speakers.
200 persons, more than 100 CSIM member nations represented, national and international civilian and military authorities, national and international sports organizations, in an splendid conference room, 7 hours exchanging experiences and one unanimous statement: the sport is one of the most important and efficient element in rebuilding societies and building bridges, including sports in the Armed Forces.
Following the program on time, on the top table, during the opening ceremony, national and international authorities, side by side, one by one recognized the importance of this initiative in the framework of the 4^th Military World Games. The Honourable Minister of state for Defence Shri Palum Raju took the floor to welcome the participants of the forum and congratulate CSIM and IOC for the event, claiming that is a privileged for India to host the Games and also this unique moment to discuss how sport can contribute to peace.
Lt General ML Naidu, Vice Chief of Indian Army Staff, affirmed that peace is the most important message to be spread during the fourth edition of the Military World Games.

In a sequence, Brigadier General Dr. Gianni Gola, CISM President, took the floor to thank the International Olympic Committee for supporting the event, the Indian Olympic Association for the outstanding organization, the Indian Armed Forces for supporting the Forum, and the participants for believing and contribute to this project in CISM, Sport for Peace. He concluded saying that since 1948 CISM has been educating soldiers around the world under the motto: “Friendship through Sport”. However, it must be improved creating synergy with other international organizations such as partners for this related matter.

Following General Gola, Raja Randhir Singh, Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association, representing IOC, and as the organizer of the event, showed, retrospectively, how IOC has been approaching this issue. He showed previous resolutions and declarations result of other initiatives as Magglingen, which call the Armed Forces to use sport for promoting friendship and for building peace and security, and also Olympia, which urged CISM to discuss sport and peace during the Military World Games.

Mr. Sardar Mohd. Aslam Khan, IOA Vice President, closed the addresses during the opening ceremony, saying that, nowadays, peace is a necessity around the world and the opportunity to discuss sport for peace whit representatives of the Armed Forces is unique.
Symbolizing the atmosphere of peace and friendship observed during the games, and to highlight the objective of the forum, Mr Sithole, IOC Director, invited Mr. Syed Shahid Ali, IOC Member from Pakistan, to come to the foreground accompanied of two Ministers of Defence, present at the ceremony, Mr. Pallam Raju, Minister of State for Defence of India, and Mr. Marco Verzaschi, Defence Minister of Italy to exchange mementoes during the International Forum, Sport for Peace.

Concluding the opening ceremony, the authorities were invited to lit lamp, an Indian tradition, which means good luck for the Forum. After the journey, the audience was witness that it really works.





Download here the declaration :

• English version
• French version
• Spanish version
• Arabic version

Visit of the winners of the NATO Partnership Running Festival 2006

In the framework of the 2006 public diplomacy activity, NATO decided to initiate a project using a mass sporting event for image building and communication.
At the border area of Hungary and Serbia, NATO organized a running festival comprising half marathon, 3 km run, relay, male and female, and a run for disabled people. One of the goal of the event was to raise the importance of partnership, which NATO and CISM have been increasing step by step.
On 29 May, the winners of the NATO Partnership Running Festival visited the CISM Headquarters as a goodwill gesture. The winners of the different categories were from three countries:
Serbia: Relay Male, Dejan Popovic, Dragan Todorov, Aleksandar Nesevski.
Romania: Team Male, Botond Levente Rácz, Tamás Csutak, Hunor Tamás Csutak.
Hungary: László Sátor Secretary General of the Budapest Athletic Association. Individual Male, Dániel Soós. Individual Female, Andrea Szabó Handbike, Krisztina Dóra. Team Female, Gabriella Benkó, Rita Pásztor, Szilvia Rédli. Relay Female, Eszter Kiss, Tímea Molnár, Barbara Sík, Sándor Sarkadi accompanying Interpreter Mrs. Dóra Nándor Papp. Military and civilians, alike spent valuable time in the CISM General Secretariat where they were briefed about the CISM history, Sport for Peace, Solidarity, and 4th Military World Games.
During questions and answers session, visitors brought out that CISM must include sporting event for disabled people of the military in its calendar.