ENGSO

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Kosovo Olympic Committee for hosting the seventh edition of the European Sport Platform. Your hospitality 🤝 and the outstanding event held in Pristina, Kosovo 🇽🇰 , have left a lasting impression. We also thank all speakers and participants for their valuable 🏆 contributions to advancing the grassroots sport movement across Europe. Read the recap 👏🏿 https://lnkd.in/eeQgUMci #ESP2024

Abusive behavior toward women in sport is a significant issue, affecting athletes at all levels, from grassroots to elite competition. ⛔️ The forms of abuse can range from verbal and emotional abuse to physical and sexual harassment or assault, and systemic discrimination. 🔎 #OrangeTheWorld

Representing ENGSO and ENGSO Youth, EY Policy and Project manager Tiago Guilherme participated in the 10th United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Global Forum which took place in Cascais, Portugal 🇵🇹 . The event addressed crucial topics such as gender equality, social inclusion, the right to education, the promotion of peace and particularly, a long standing mission of ENGSO/ENGSO Youth: how sports practice can serve as an effective means to integrate people with disabilities and those in vulnerable situations. Earlier this year, ENGSO signed 🤝 a strategic partnership with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) to further bolster the #OneHumanity campaign through the power of sports. In a joint effort to advance the #OneHumanity campaign, ENGSO and UNAOC are collaborating to advocate for solidarity, compassion, and unity in sports. Recognising that sports have the unique ability to transcend barriers and bring people together, both organisations are committed to harnessing this potential to promote social inclusion, intercultural dialogue, and peace-building efforts worldwide.

ENGSO Secretary General Sara Massini and ENGSO Youth Delegate Valentine Wolfgang had the privilege of meeting 🤝 with the French Minister of Sports, Youth and Community life Mr. Gil Avérous to showcase the ongoing efforts of the organisation, highlight current projects, and discuss planned initiatives aimed at advancing grassroots sport across Europe. Following this important meeting, they attended the European Commission #BeActive Awards Ceremony 🏆 , which celebrated outstanding initiatives in sport across four categories: Education, Workplace, Local Hero, and Across Generations. Congratulations to all the well-deserving winners!  

We're here to orange the world 🌏. The UN 16 Days of Activism campaign kicks off today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. The campaign 🧡 calls on people to wear the colour orange and take action to end violence against women and girls. #OrangeTheWorld

#ESP2024 💬 Day three, November 23, 2024, included workshops on the lasting legacy of major sporting events, human rights and equality, and the role of cities in inspiring healthier and active communities. 🔸 Lukas Vorel, ACES Europe, highlighted the European Capital of Sport award and its significant impact on the host city's population. 🔸 Gerard Esteva Viladecans, President of Unió de Federacions Esportives de Catalunya, Besim Aliti, Secretary General of the Kosovo Olympic Committee, and Petra Gantnerova from the Slovak Olympic Sport Committee discussed the lasting legacy of major sporting events on grassroots sports and society. 🔸 The third workshop, which focused on equality and human rights, featured a diverse panel of speakers, including Hugh Torrance, LEAP Sport Scotland, Vanja Smokvina, University of Rijeka, Sam de Vor, NOC*NSF, Dr Daniela Heerdt, Centre for Sports and Human Rights, Armenda Filipaj, UN Women Programme Support Officer, and Ines Azaieza, Supporter Project. The final session of the day, focused on building a strong grassroots sports movement to sustain active participation and foster healthier, more connected lives through physical activity. 🔸 Anna Ottosson Blixth, CEO of the Swedish Sports Confederation in the Jämtland Härjedalen region, presented the frameworks and strategies that support the growth and empowerment of grassroots sports, offering a successful example from Sweden. 🔸 Lorik Cana, Founder and Chairman of the Lorik Cana 5 Foundation, shared insights from his work in establishing sports foundations in Albania and Kosovo, highlighting the positive impact these initiatives have had on local children and communities. 📣 As a tradition, the event concluded with a ceremony that passed the ENGSO flag from Pristina to Oslo and Barcelona. 🔸 Gerard Esteva, President of the Catalan Sports Federations Union (UFEC), welcomed everyone to Barcelona, Spain, the next host of the European Sport Platform. 🔸 ENGSO ExCom member Magnus Sverdrup invited everyone to the ENGSO General Asembly 2025 which will be held on June 13-15, 2025, in Oslo, Norway.

💬 Continuing the insightful conversation on values, day two began with a session on the EU enlargement process and the role sport carries in this process. Mimika Dobroshi, representing Kosovo Erasmus+ Office Head, and Edith Zuschmann, President, CEO, and Co-Founder of 261 Fearless, took the stage to discuss Erasmus+ opportunities and finding new ways to financially support and maintain organisations. 🤝 Rune Arctander, Head of International Development at the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports, opened the session by emphasising the role of sport as the world's largest human rights movement. He also shared an exemplary case study from Norway, showcasing best practices in this arena. 🥇 The workshops that followed discussed trending issues, including integrity in sports, the prevention of match-fixing within European sports, and the safeguarding of young people's mental health. 🏆 Lisa Wainwright MBE (She/Her), representing the Sport and Recreation Alliance’s Sports Betting Group, Evangelos Alexandrakis from the Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions, and Karen Moorhouse of the International Tennis Integrity Agency, delivered insights into match-fixing and its impact across all levels of sport, from elite to grassroots. 🍃 In the second workshop, Erik van Haaren, Vice-Chair of ENGSO Youth and representative of NOC*NSF, highlighted the significance of protecting the mental health of young athletes, stressing its essential role in fostering a safe and supportive sporting environment. 💬 Earlier that day, the ENGSO ExCom confirmed Sarah Townsend as a new Vice Chair of the Equality Within Sport (EWS) Committee.

ENGSO President Stefan Bergh officially opened the 2024 European Sport Platform (ESP), extending heartfelt thanks to the hosts, the Kosovo Olympic Committee, and its President, Mr. Ismet Krasniqi, and Mr. Iber Alaj, Director of the Department of Sport in the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Sports (Kosovo). He expressed appreciation for their warm welcome and the valuable opportunity to bring together ENGSO members and the European grassroots sport community in Pristina, Kosovo 🇽🇰. 💬 In his opening address, Mr. Bergh highlighted the event's deeper significance, stating: “Sport possesses an extraordinary power to unite communities, foster connections, and uphold values that nurture peace, solidarity, and friendship. This year’s European Sport Platform, hosted by our ENGSO member, the Kosovo Olympic Committee, in Pristina, serves as a true bridge-building opportunity for everyone committed to strengthening grassroots sports across Europe. I am grateful to our hosts and the wider European sports community for making this inspiring gathering possible.” 🏆 Marking the occasion, the ENGSO President also congratulated the Kosovo Olympic Committee on their 10th anniversary, commending a decade of impactful efforts to advance regional development and unify communities through the transformative power of sport. 💬 Mr. Ismet Krasniqi and Mr. Iber Alaj underscored the universal nature of sport, describing it as a language that transcends differences, unites people across borders, and bridges cultures. The event was officially opened with the declaration: “We will make Europe stronger and more united through the language of sport.” #ESP2024

Is sport a value for society? 💬 #ESP2024 Sports as Value final conference 🔸 Building peaceful and more connected communities in a historically fragmented region using grassroots sport as a tool The event started with a conference built around the Erasmus+ funded project Sports as Value, that offered research 🔎 and insightful discussions about Balkan grassroots sport and the importance of integrating European values within it with a goal of building more peaceful societies in a historically fragmented region. The team behind the project presented 💬 key learnings and outputs of this two-year long initiative that united national Olympic Committees and Universities from Balkan countries with EU sport organisations. The project’s research highlighted that Balkan countries (Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro) face funding challenges, such as not providing enough financial resources, when it comes to supporting grassroots sport in the region. The programme includes two main sessions: 🔸 Presentation of the research by University of Pristina; 🔸 Showcasing of a good practices on implementation of values in sport from Portugal. Organisations involved in the projects: 🔷ENGSO as coordinator; 🔷 Italy: Organizzazione per L’educazione allo Sport (OPES) 🔷 Kosovo: Kosovo Olympic Committee (NOC KOSOVO) 🔷 Kosovo: Universiteti i Prishtines (UNI PRISTINA) 🔷 Bosnia and Herzegovina: Udrezenje Gradana Olimpijski Komitet Bosne i Hercegovine Sarajevo (NOC BiH) 🔷Montenegro: Crnogorski Olimpijski Komitet (NOC MONTENEGRO) 🔷 Albania: Komiteti Olimpik Kombetar Shqiptar (NOC ALBANIA) 🔷Malta: The European Athlete as Student (EAS) 🔷 Portugal: Portuguese Sports Confederation (PSC) Learn more about the project 🔎 https://lnkd.in/djqeeRrY

“If you are not investing in grassroots sport, you have less people doing and being engaged with sport.” #ESP2024 Sports as Value conference 💬 Is sport a value for our society? The European Sport Platform 2024 began today, on November 21, 2024, with a conference built around the Erasmus+ funded project Sports as Value. Day one is offering critical discussions 🎙️ on European values, integrity, human rights, safeguarding, and more. The team behind the project Sports as Value is presenting key learnings and outputs of this two-year initiative that united 🤝 national Olympic Committees from Balkan countries (Kosovo, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro) with EU sport organisations (ENGSO, OPES Italia, Portuguese Sports Confederation and EAS - European Athlete as Student). You can learn more about the project here 🔎 https://lnkd.in/djqeeRrY ESP 2024 is hosted by the Kosovo Olympic Committee in Pristina, Kosovo.