PARIS, France (November 13, 2018) – The Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation (THF) was the sole sports project selected along with 120 other projects and initiatives from around the world among 850 applicants to showcase at the first ever Paris Peace Forum (PPF) held on November 11-13, 2018 in Paris. A new annual global platform dedicated to governance, international cooperation and peace, the PPF aims to strengthen and improve international cooperation by gathering all actors of global governance, from states and international organisations to civil society and by featuring projects and initiatives designed to improve global governance in five key areas: peace and security, environment, development, new technologies and inclusive economy.
The first Paris Peace Forum was attended by 65 Heads of State and Government and 10 international organizations leaders, and more than 10’000 visitors from all horizons such as local governments, NGOs and foundations, companies, experts, journalists, trade unions, religious groups and citizens to exchange and discuss concrete global governance solutions to ensure durable peace. THF delegates on site included THF Executive Director Mr. Roger Piarulli, World Taekwondo Council Member Ms. Nadin Dawani and THF Consultant Mr. Massimiliano Di Cola.
THF was selected as one of the 120 governance projects and initiatives to be presented in the peace and security village of the Forum with a dedicated presentation booth allowing fruitful networking opportunities, notably visited by high-level personalities, global governance stakeholders, and media.
THF was also showcased on November 12 as a featured project in the panel discussion on peace-building and reconciliation, and the golden alliance of sports and diplomacy. Recognizing that sport provides invaluable resources for inclusion, reconciliation, and peace-building, the panel focussed on how to best tap sport’s potential to foster peace. With M. Di Cola as THF delegate, other panelists included French professional football player Youri Jorkaeff, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Delivery and Legacy of Qatar 2022 HE. Hassan El Thawadi, and the Head of Sport and Development of the Commonwealth Secretariat Oliver Dudfield.
Presenting its initiative as ‘Peace through Taekwondo’ and focusing its presentation on the power of taekwondo to catalyse peace, THF’s participation in the PPF, which aims at becoming the new Davos for Peace and Governance, was fully aligned with the vision of THF’s Chairman, Dr. Chungwon Choue, that ‘peace is better than triumph’. It is with such invitation that Dr. Choue has continuously invited global sports leaders to collaborate with World Taekwondo and THF in offering sports for refugees and displaced youth.
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Header image courtesy of Paris Peace Forum, credited to Stephane Sby Balmy
