On Friday 24th of November the 3rd session of the CLIS training programme focused on “Refugee population pathways” and marked the end of the first half of the course.
The session was enriched by the intervention of Gerald Mballe, Special Olympics Advisor and advocate for Unified with Refugees programme, who highlighted the importance to act as role model to inspire other refugees and amplify their voice (Gerald himself received the “Integration of Refugees Through Sport Award -IRTS Role Model Award” in 2021).
How can we make change possible was the thread of the debate that followed, which was animated by accounts on the importance of the local community in the integration of refugees through sport. Programme Development Specialist Elin Hofman presented the innovative TeamUp initiative in the Netherlands, a collaborative effort among Save the Children, War Child and Unicef Netherlands that joined their expertise together in a programme for refugee children and youth.
With this inspiring stories, the CLIS programme will take a reflective pause to re-start on Friday 12th of January 2024 with a special session that will deepen the understanding of the “Multidimensional role of sport context in refugees’ inclusion, sense of community and belonging”.
