HRH PRINCE FEISAL OF JORDAN THANKS ISF

AT GENERATIONS FOR PEACE CAMP LAUNCH

 

HRH Prince Feisal - “Generations For Peace is making a real difference and that is due in no small part to the ISF”

 

Amman, (Jordan); 1st June 2009: Softball has received a further boost for its campaign for Olympic reinstatement with a message of thanks from Generations For Peace founder and chairman HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan at the start of the latest Peace Camp in Amman.

 

Starting today, top softball coaches are training leaders of youth from 19 conflict zones around the world on how to use softball to bring peace to their troubled communities at the fourth Peace Camp – the only international federation to attend every Camp since Generations For Peace began in 2007.

 

HRH Prince Feisal, who recently gave a keynote speech in Switzerland to the International Olympic Committee’s International Forum on Sport, Peace and Development, stated that softball is playing a valuable role in helping promote peace among young people.

 

Also the President of the Jordan Olympic Committee, HRH Prince Feisal said, “Generations For Peace is starting to make a real difference now and that is due in no small part to the generosity and commitment shown the by the ISF, and the appeal the sport has over more mainstream sports such as soccer, basketball, and volleyball.

 

“Generations For Peace has changed the lives of 33,000 children across the world already and will continue to grow as more programmes are put in place by Peace Pioneers.  I have heard of numerous examples of softball capturing the imagination of young people who might not otherwise engage in sports and the ISF deserves a lot of credit for the support it gives our pioneers in conflict zones as well as during the Peace Camps.”

 

The ISF has sent equipment to Amman to help train the 73 camp attendees as well as supporting regional programmes, underlining softball’s vital role in social development across the globe.

 

International Softball Federation President Don Porter added, “When we were first invited to work with Generations For Peace three years ago, it was a no-brainer for us.  Softball has always had a focus on young people and undertakes a huge range of initiatives in trouble spots and we are honored to remain involved with this fantastic initiative.”

 

Generations For Peace brings together like-minded individuals and partners who believe that commonalities outweigh differences and that planting the seeds of peace is a shared responsibility for all.

 

Following the Generations For Peace Pioneer Certification Programme delivered during camps, the delegates undertake a cascade programme that has resulted in growing numbers of Generations For Peace programmes being initiated around the world.

 

The 10-day Generations For Peace training camp is helping train new coaches for these troubled areas, who in turn will promote softball and other sports to young people in a bid to help use sport to end conflicts.

 

The ISF is committed to growing the sport worldwide in a bid to target new players at every level, with particular focus on women and youth.

 

Softball’s exemplary anti-doping record in top level competition is further reason why softball is becoming so popular throughout the world.

 

 

Softball was first featured in the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 and last year’s competition in Beijing was very successful with a total attendance close to 180,000 and a continuation of the sport’s excellent record of no positive doping tests in women’s international softball since testing began in 1982.

 

A final decision on which sports will be added to the current roster of 26 at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games will be made at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen in October this year.

 

Further information is available in the OTHER DOCUMENTS section of www.BackSoftball.com.

 

For more information please contact ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@internationalsoftball.com, +1 813 864 0100 or +1 813 453 8762 or David Alexander at David.Alexander@Calacus.com or +44 7802 412424.