From ice hockey in Canada to cricket in India to football practically everywhere around the world, the universal love of sport brings people together like nothing else. As a vehicle for diplomacy, sports have the ability to transcend politics, break down language barriers and overcome cultural differences. And looking at the stories of football matches played between warring British and German troops during a Christmas ceasefire in World War I and, more recently, civil war factions in Ivory Coast agreeing to a truce to support the national football team after it qualified for the 2006 World Cup, sport can even help halt wars.
While EU countries are by no means facing war today, they are facing their own set of complex problems – the migrant crisis, tensions with Russia, stagnating economy and wavering unity. How can sports diplomacy play a role in helping to solve these issues?
On the 23th of November YPFP organized a conversation with Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport to discuss these issues and learn about how the EU uses sport as a tool for positive change. Commissioner Navracsics will also share the stage with Thierry Zintz, Professor of Sports Organisations Management at the Université catholique de Louvain.