STORY: Somalia marks International Day of Sport

for Development and Peace

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LANGUAGE: ENGLISH NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 7 APRIL 2017, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST

1. Wide shot, participants at the Banaadir stadium in Mogadishu during

the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace celebrations
2. Close up shot, Somali national flag
3. Wide shot, participants marching
4. Med shot, Federal Government Ministers and Somalia National Sports
Federation officials at the celebrations
5. Med shot, various sports clubs marching
6. Wide shot, trophies
7. Med shot, Federal Government Ministers and Somalia National Sports
Federation officials
8. Close up shot, FIFA Fair Play banner
9. Med shot, band playing at the celebrations
10.Close up shot, a youth with Somali national flag
11.SOUNDBITE: (English) Iman Icar, Deputy Mayor of Banadir
Regional Administration in charge of Social Affairs
Sport is also important for the youth and this is testimony that sports is taking
place in Mogadishu, supporting peace, supporting development and
supporting the youth. When you tour the city at 5:00pm, you will discover that
the whole city has been turned into a soccer field.

12. Wide pan shot, participants at the International Day of Sport for
Development and Peace celebration
13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Iman Icar, Deputy Mayor of Banaadir Regional
Administration in charge of Social Affairs
I think it (sports) will definitely help return normalcy to the city. It will also be a
benefit to the community in countering violent extremism.

14. Wide shot, Shangaani sea side of Mogadishu

15. Med shot, youths at the Mogadishu One Stop Youth Centre in Shangaani
district
16. Wide shot, youths playing football at the One Stop Youth Centre
17. Med shot, youths watching
18. Close up shot, youths watching
19. Med shot, youths playing football
20. Med shot, youths cheering their team
21. Close up shot, youths watching
22. Wide shot, youths playing football
23. Close up shot, youths watching
24. Med shot, youths cheering
25. Med shot, Minister of Youth and Sports, Khadija Mohamed Diriye speaking
at the celebration
26. Wide shot, youths listening
27. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Khadija Mohamed Diriye, Somalia Minister of
Youth and Sports
This is the opportunity for the youth to take part in the stability and security of
the country, particularly the security and stability of Mogadishu. This is a very
historic day and I appreciate UN-Habitat and Banaadir Regional
Administration who have played a key role in this.

28. Wide shot, youths playing football

29. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Mohamed Abdisalan Jama, youth participant
Sport has a huge impact on peace. Everyone who takes part in this
celebration will impact on armed militia who will begin asking questions why
they are armed while their friends are playing football and celebrating. I
appeal to the youth to change their attitude and put a lot of emphasis on
sports and peace initiatives and at the same time, fundraise for drought
victims.

30. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Amran Mohamed Ali, youth participant

Without peace there is no sport. Peace promotes sport. Sport and peace
have something in common and go hand in hand and as such there is an
improvement in peace. Somalia is developing and sport is also developing.
Where there is no peace there is no life.

31. Wide shot, youths attending the international sports day celebrations

STORY

Somalia marks International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

Mogadishu, 7 April 2017 - Hundreds of Somali youth joined the rest of the
world in celebrating the International Day of Sport for Development and
Peace, in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Thursday.

Colorful celebrations organized by the Banadir Regional Administration and

the Ministry of Youth and Sports, were held in Mogadishus Banadir stadium
and attended by tens of youths, representatives of the international
community, members of the civil society and government officials.

Donning sports uniforms of their respective clubs and carrying banners, tens
of youths took part in a procession, aimed at publicizing the importance of the
day, which celebrates the power of sport in promoting peace and
development.

A few kilometers away, at Mogadishu One Stop Youth Centre, in the district of
Shangaani; cheered on by scores of youth, two teams, Shaqeyso 1 and
Shaqeyso 2, locked horns in a pulsating football match in the sweltering
afternoon heat. The event was organized in coordination with the Ministry of
Youth and Sports, Banadir Regional Administration, the local youth partner
BARYA and UN-Habitat. The Minister of Youth and Sports, Khadija Mohamed
Diriye, and the Deputy Mayor of Banadir Regional Administration in charge of
Social Affairs, Mr. Iman Icar, graced both events.

Speaking at the Stadium, Mr. Icar encouraged the youth to take up sports,
saying it not only had the power to unite and spur development, but also
promote peace and security.

Sport is important for the youth and this event is testimony that sport is taking
place in Mogadishu, supporting peace, supporting development and
supporting the youth. When you tour the city in the afternoon, you will
discover that the whole city has been turned into a soccer field, he noted.

The Deputy Mayor observed that the residents in the city and other parts of
the country would soon begin enjoying the benefits of sports - its ability to
foster peace and dissuade youth from violent extremism.

I think sports will definitely help return normalcy to the city. It will also be a
benefit to the community in countering violent extremism, he said.

In her remarks, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Khadija Mohamed Diriye,
emphasized the governments commitment to improving the lives of the youth,
through sports.

This is the opportunity for the youth to take part in the stability and security of
the country, particularly the security and stability of Mogadishu. This is a very
historic day and I appreciate UN-Habitat and the Banadir Regional
Administration who have played a key role in this, Ms. Khadija stated.

Most of the youths taking part in the festivities expressed their love for sports
and enumerated the positive benefits it can bring to the country.
Sport has a huge impact on peace. Everyone who takes part in this
celebration will impact on armed militia who will begin asking questions why
they are armed, while their friends are playing football and celebrating. I
appeal to the youth to change their attitude and put a lot of emphasis on
sports and peace initiatives and at the same time, fundraise for drought
victims, Mohamed Abdisalan Jama, a 22 year old resident of Shangaani
district said.

UN-Habitat National Youth Expert Ali Fidow, emphasized the significance of

cultivating access to adequate and safe public spaces for youth to play sports
stating that it is essential for healthy development of every young person. As
a public space for youth across the city to benefit from, the Mogadishu One
Stop Youth Centre is critical to ensuring a safe and generative space for
young people to develop their skills and to play sports. In coordination with the
Banadir Administration Sports Department we hold regular sessions for youth
to come and play football and to disengage from the difficulties of their daily
lives and to disengage from the violence that can often surround them.

His sentiments are echoed by Amran Mohamed Ali, another youth participant,
who urged fellow youth to take sports seriously.

Without peace there is no sport. Peace promotes sport. Sport and peace
have something in common and go hand in hand and as such there is an
improvement in peace, observed Ali.

In 2013, the United Nations declared April 6, the International Day of Sport for
Development and Peace, making it an annual event. The day aims to bring
goodwill and positive social outcomes through sporting achievements. It was
born out of the realization that sport has the immense potential to bridge
cultural understanding, improve education, health and economic and social
development.

END