To commemorate the “Global Peace Games”, the international Non Governmental Organization Right To Play (RTP) yesterday announced that they would be organizing a three-day “Football For Peace and Development” gala in all of its four project locations in Sierra Leone.
“This will cost us a little over Le10 million”, said Dr Prince Cummings, the Country Manager of RTP.
The RTP boss told journalists at their Lumley headquarters in Freetown that the events would kick off simultaneously in Freetown, Makeni, Kono and Bo on Thursday and would end on Saturday, October 27.
He revealed that in Freetown the games would take place at the Grey Bush playing field, in Makeni at the Pastoral Centre, in Bo at the New Barracks Police Field and in Kono at the Koidu Community Playing Ground.
The RTP boss said, “the games are tailored to teach holistic child development and promote health-based programmes about HIV and AIDS issues.”
He said the games would involve four schools in each region which would encompass children in both primary and secondary schools.
Dr Cummings stressed that, “we in Right To Play both nationally and internationally believe that sport, in its broad and inclusive meaning, is recognized by many development experts as an effective tool in the pursuit of development, education, health and peace.”
He added that, “Sport for Development and Peace” evolved out of the growing recognition that strengthening the right of children to play enhances their healthy development and builds stronger communities.
The Programme Manager of Right To Play, Moses J. Johnson, pointed out that the Global Peace Games “are held each year in the fall, on or around the United Nations International Day of Peace on September 21”.
He stated that in Sierra Leone since the Presidential and Parliamentary electoral process, and tensions between July and September in the country, there was the need to postpone the celebration.
“The current need for these games in our communities cannot be over emphasized, with all our experience of violence in our country,” he pointed out.
The RTP’s Programmes Manager announced that all participants in the events would sign the manifesto that was drafted for UNESCO by Nobel Peace Laureates.