HARARE – Peace-based local NGO, 4-H Zimbabwe Foundation has been nominated for a prestigious international 2022 Peace and Sport Award for outstanding work while using sport to promote peace among youths from the country’s rival political parties.

Peace and Sport is an international, neutral and independent organisation based in Monaco, which promotes peace using the power of sport.

Founded in 2007 by Pentathlon Olympic Medallist and World Champion Joël Bouzou, the organisation is under the patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco.

The winning awards for 2022 will be announced at the Peace and Sport Forum, which will be held in the Principality of Monaco on 30 November.

The Peace and Sport International Forum is a major event on the international stage that brings together government representatives, international sports organisations, civil-society and the private sector involved in peace-through-sport actions.

This year, the main objectives of the event is to share knowledge, promote best practices, diversifying partnerships and develop concrete solutions for peace around the world.

Under the NGO category, which 4-H Zimbabwe has been nominated, the award is given to an organisation that intentionally uses sport to achieve development goals and create a culture of peace, through the transmission of specific values, attitudes and behaviours.

Other nominees in this category include Fundación Golees of Costa Rica which uses football as a human rights based approach working with women and Luta pela Paz from Brazil, which uses boxing for peace.

Following the nomination for the prestigious award, 4-H Zimbabwe Executive Director, John Muchenje said “We are honoured to have been nominated for this significant international award. Credit should however go to the various political parties and stakeholders that we have been working with to make the sporting activities that we have had possible. This is their Award…”

4-H Zimbabwe’s mission is to empower and capacitate youth to be responsible, caring and contributing leaders that effect positive change in the world around them.

The project, which is supported financial by the Government of Switzerland, aims to foster engagement and unite traditionally divergent community groups by organizing sport tournaments involving different communities, political parties, students’ unions, and security forces.

Under its modus operandi, 4-H Zimbabwe usually invites police officers to participate in the tournaments as players or referees, to smoothen the relations and improve the perception within communities.