#MoreThanAGame is a global digital campaign, highlighting stories of professional athletes and young people whose lives have been changed through sport, and encouraging young people to take up sport and learn from its positive values.
While many may see sports simply as fun physical activities, they have long played an important role in promoting values like dedication, perseverance, discipline, and self-confidence. Since succeeding requires team effort, sport also fosters respect, belonging, inclusion, and social cohesion. Sports help young people be more resilient to negative influences and enhance their ability to mobilize their peers and uplift their community.
Additionally, the enjoyment of sports is a universal experience, crossing borders, generations, and diverse communities. This is perhaps most obvious during major sporting events, when entire countries set aside their internal differences to cheer for a common cause. As a result, sport-based programming helps engage and support young people who might otherwise be vulnerable to violent extremist recruitment.
To promote these ideas on a worldwide scale, and with the support of the Government of the Republic of Korea, the Government of Qatar, and the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund, the Global Sports Programme is proud to present its #MoreThanAGame initiative highlighting the important stories of professional athletes and young people whose lives have been changed through sport.
The #MoreThanAGame campaign is a key initiative of UNOCT’s Global Sports Programme and its co-implementing partners, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) in collaboration with Generation Amazing. The campaign aims to promote the potential of sport as a force for good by highlighting the stories of professional athletes and inspiring young people from around the globe during major sporting events
The Launch
The Campaign was launched with a roundtable discussion alongside the 2022 FIFA World Cup, featuring professional footballer and UNESCO Ambassador Dr. Nadia Nadim; Kelsey, an Irish FA Foundation sport programming beneficiary, Masareka, a former refugee and beneficiary from the Integrated Community Development Initiative (ICODI) in Uganda, and Dohr and Mahmoud, youth football coaches from Jewish and Arab communities.
- Click on the icons below to watch their video messages
- For more information: visit the #MoreThanAGame launch page
#MoreThanAGame Campaign Video
Campaign Assets
Sports aren't just enjoyable and healthy activities, with every stride, strike, and stroke, they teach us the values needed to be more resilient, more confident people and how to overcome the challenges we face in life. It’s an important point of connection across borders, across generations, and among diverse communities.
Sport is an important point of connection across borders, across generations, and among diverse communities. #MoreThanAGame is a global digital campaign to encourage young people to take up sport and learn from its positive values.
Click here to access all assets, including assets in Arabic, French, and Spanish
Join the Campaign
Sport is #MoreThanAGame! Its values and inclusivity teach, transform, and create resilient people and societies. Join us on social media using #MoreThanAGame and share how your own experience with sport has helped you address the challenges of your life off the pitch.
Podcast Series: The Power of the Pitch
The “Power of the Pitch” is a special podcast from the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Behavioural Insights Hub in Doha, Qatar, inspired by the work of the multi-year Global Programme on Security of Major Sporting Events, and Promotion of Sport and its Values as a Tool to Prevent Violent Extremism and delivered in partnership with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the International Center for Sport Security (ICSS).
For this 7-part series, we examine how Behavioural Insights are being applied to sports and when addressing violent extremism factors that may be conducive to terrorism. We introduce programmes aimed to prevent violent extremism through sports and its values, and share the personal stories from world-renowned athletes and advocates of female empowerment and inclusivity. We also discuss the powerful role of Sports Diplomacy and take a close look at the innovative policies and practices being used by governments and organizations to ensure that sport remains a safe pastime and profession for future generations. Our guests are behavioural and violent extremism experts, as well as sports professionals who share their experiences, knowledge and inspiration.
Listen and subscribe via Spotify and PodBean. New episodes are released periodically. Want to join the conversation? Connect with us via Twitter
Nadia Nadim
Nadia Nadim