UIAA signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Peace and Sport

The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the SportAccord meeting in London on April 5 by UIAA Vice President, Jordi Colomer, and Peace and Sport (P&S) founder and president, Joel Bouzou.

"The UIAA has a firm belief that mountains are areas of peace and respect for nature. The practice of mountaineering starts from this belief and this message goes from the mountains to the rest of the world," said Colomer.

"The values associated with climbing and mountaineering positively forge ethics, such as solidarity, trust in others, concern for the environment, reaching for excellence and going beyond one’s limits. These values can profoundly change the personality of young people who have grown up without guidelines in life. I am convinced that climbing has the power to open new horizons for them," said Bouzou.

"Is there a more highly symbolic place than a mountain summit to launch a message of peace, friendship and brotherhood to the world? For all these reasons, I am delighted about this partnership with the UIAA and thank them for their commitment to promote peace alongside Peace and Sport," he added.

P&S enters partnerships with international sports federations like the UIAA to develop sports activities with the goal of promoting dialogue, social reintegration of youth and sustainable peace.

The Monaco-based organization, founded in 2007, has entered partnerships with about 30 international sports federations besides the UIAA.

The goals of P&S are in line with those of the UIAA’s Global Youth Summit (GYS). The GYS is a series of youth camps held in different parts of the world each year that bring together young people from a variety of countries to promote peace and cooperation and protection of the environment.