Commonwealth Youth Games athletes will encourage athletes to contribute to global development
The Bahamas 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games will encourage more young athletes than ever to give back to the global community, by teaching them how to harness sport as a tool for peace and development.
Participants of the Games, which are being held in The Bahamas this month, will take part in interactive sessions called Athlete Impact Labs which will showcase the ways sport can make a positive impact on communities across the Commonwealth.
Part of the official cultural and personal development programme, the Labs will help athletes explore ways to protect and promote human rights and make a positive impact across the Commonwealth, through sport.
The Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) Athlete Impact Labs will be run by youth leaders from across the Commonwealth who have expertise in the field of sport for development and peace. The ambitious project is a partnership between the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Royal Commonwealth Society, UNICEF and the Commonwealth Games Federation.
Head of Sport for Development and Peace at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Oliver Dudfield, said: “The involvement of a range of Commonwealth institutions and partners in the Athlete Impact Labs are another demonstration of the commitment across the Commonwealth to maximise the contribution that sport can make to sustainable development and building stronger and inclusive communities.
“By working with athletes on promoting the value of the Commonwealth’s diversity, the importance of protecting human rights and strategies to employ sport as a development tool, the labs will help these young athletes play their role in ensuring the positive impact of sport is realised in more communities across the globe.”
The Athlete Impact Labs will engage with athletes and officials from across the Commonwealth to debate, discuss and learn more about a range of topics including:
- the core values and principles of the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Youth Games
- where sport can make a contribution to global development and how young athletes can play an active role, on and off the field of play
- the rights and responsibilities of athletes, officials and others involved in sport
- the role of young people in governing and developing sport and the basic principles of good governance in sport.
