National Sportmanship Day Honorees

On March 1, the Institute for International Sport will celebrate the 20th anniversary of National Sportsmanship Day. Over the last six months, a team of Institute staffers and other consultants have done a fine job in selecting 20th anniversary honorees in the following categories:

• 20 Living Americans who have contributed to the practice of fair play.
• 20 Deceased Americans who contributed to the practice of fair play.
• 20 Organizations/initiatives that have contributed to the practice of fair play.

I hope you enjoy reading the list of distinguished honorees. View here.

United Nations Welcomes World Youth Peace Summit

On February 9, we will host a press conference and reception at the United Nations. A highlight of the day will be the announcement of Amir Dossal as our Special Envoy to the World Youth Peace Summit. The schedule is as follows:

• 11:00am press conference in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library at the United Nations. At the press conference, we will announce Amir's appointment, and other details of the World Youth Peace Summit, to the U.N. Press Corps.
• 6:00pm to 8:00pm – Reception in the Delegates Dining Room at the United Nations. Attending the reception will be a number of representatives of the United Nations Member States, as well as other supporters of the Institute for International Sport.

We are honored to welcome Amir to our team.

Press Release

UNITED NATIONS WELCOMES WORLD YOUTH PEACE SUMMIT

AT A RECEPTION AT THE UNITED NATIONS ON FEB 9TH 2011

AMIR DOSSAL NAMED SPECIAL ENVOY TO
WORLD YOUTH PEACE SUMMIT

Hartford, CT (February 4, 2011)--The World Youth Peace Summit will hold a special reception on Wednesday February 9th, 2011 at the United Nations in New York, NY. This event will introduce the World Youth Peace Summit to the United Nations community. The reception will be held at the United Nations Delegates Room from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Mr. Amir Dossal, the acclaimed former Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships and Founder and Chairman of the Global Partnerships Forum, will be introduced as the Special Envoy to the World Youth Peace Summit.

“We are so honored to have the support of the United Nations community and are particularly thankful to Mr. Amir Dossal for accepting our invitation to serve as Special Envoy to the Summit,” said Dan Doyle, the Founder and Executive Director of the World Youth Peace Summit. “The World Youth Peace Summit brings scholar-athletes and scholar-artists from all over the world to Connecticut, so it truly is a natural partnership and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to incorporate the mission of the United Nations with the Summit’s goals of promoting peace through athletics and the arts.”

Nobel Laureate and former United States Vice President Al Gore, General Colin Powell and acclaimed author of Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson, will speak at the World Youth Peace Summit, which comes to Connecticut in June and July, 2011. The schedule is as follows:
• June 26-July 1: Phase I of the World Youth Peace Summit will take place in the form of the World Scholar-Athlete Games. Approximately 2500 scholar-athletes and scholar-artists representing virtually every country in the world will convene at the University of Hartford and Greater Hartford for this acclaimed program, which began in 1993. Past speakers at the World Scholar-Athlete Games have included United States President Bill Clinton, Senator George Mitchell, and a host of other dignitaries representing many countries.
• July 1-July 4: The World Youth Peace Summit convenes: The 2500 scholar-athletes and scholar-artists will be joined by thousands of graduates of the World Scholar-Athlete Games, as well as others representing distinguished organizations such as the United Nations at the inaugural World Youth Peace Summit.

Peace Walks on a Global Scale

On May 21 and 22, the World Youth Peace Summit will administer Peace Walks in countries throughout the world. The Peace Walks will be organized by participants in the 2011 World Scholar-Athlete Games and World Youth Peace Summit. On May 21, Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu will serve as Grand Marshal of the Connecticut Peace Walk, which will take place in Hartford, Connecticut and is expected to draw thousands of walkers. Archbishop Tutu will also deliver a major address on May 20 in Hartford.

“The United Nations believes that getting the youth of the world together under the peace umbrella is truly a necessity in moving forward in today’s climate. We are thrilled to be a part of Dan Doyle’s Summit and optimistic that it will ignite athletes and artists from all over the world to go back to their home countries with a new vision of peace for their country. The program will also be an experience of a lifetime for the participants,” says Mr. Dossal.

About Amir Dossal

Amir Dossal is the Founder and Chairman of the Global Partnerships Forum, a new global initiative that aims to address economic and social challenges through innovative partnerships. In addition, Amir is Co-Initiator of the Pearl Initiative, to promote transparency and accountability in the Gulf Region, and Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (“ITU”) for Global Partnerships.

Until very recently, Amir was the United Nation’s Chief Liaison for Partnerships. In that capacity he developed strategic alliances with governments, corporations, foundations and philanthropists to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. One of Amir many responsibilities was his mandate as the UN's Representative for the partnership with media mogul Ted Turner's $1 billion donation, through the UN Foundation, supporting over 450 programs and projects for women and children’s health; population; climate change; and biodiversity. This partnership attracted social investments of over $560 million from other donors and partners, such as American Red Cross, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Coca-Cola, Rockefeller Foundation, Rotary International etc. In addition, Amir oversaw the management of the UN Democracy Fund, which he established in 2005, to strengthen institutions and enhance democratic governance in new or restored democracies.

Amir enjoys working globally across sectors, including Health, Education, Environment, Peace, Security and Human Rights. He has built strong links with governments, multilateral agencies, business group, foundations and networks, such as the Arab Foundations Forum, Business Council for International Understanding, Chambers of Commerce, China World Peace Foundation, Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, Commonwealth Business Council, European Foundation Centre, Foreign Policy Association, IDP Foundation, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, LTB Foundation, NEPAD Business Group, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, The Synergos Institute, United Nations Associations, US Council for International Business, US Department of State, and numerous others.

Amir has spearheaded the UN's engagement with leaders in the finance, technology and pharmaceutical sectors, including 3Com, BT, Cisco, Ericsson, Google, GSK, Merck, Microsoft, Nestle, Novartis, Pfizer, Standard Chartered Bank, Telefonica, Vodafone, and Walmart. He also works with high-profile personalities to support humanitarian causes, such as the Countess Sondes, Cherie Blair, Geena Davis, the Duchess of York, Petra Němcová, Julia Ormond, Joan Rivers, Russell Simmons, Joss Stone, Christy Turlington Burns, and others.

Amir is a Chartered Accountant (FCA) trained with Deloitte, Haskins & Sells, London in 1975. Prior to joining the United Nations, he worked in business for over 15 years. He has lived and worked in Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, and North America. Amir regularly undertakes speaking engagements, and serves on several non-profit boards. He is married to Tas, and they have one son, Zecki.

Alan Hassenfeld is Chair, Executive Committee, Hasbro, Inc. and Chair of the 2011 World Youth Peace Summit. Mr. Hassenfeld has been Chair of the Scholar-Athlete Games program since 1993 when he succeeded Senator Bill Bradley in this capacity. States Mr. Hassenfeld, “Amir Dossal is one of the most respected diplomats in the world and a dear personal friend. All of us associated with the World Youth Peace Summit are thrilled that he is joining our team.”

A Press Conference announcing Mr. Dossal’s appointment as Special Envoy to the World Youth Peace Summit will be held at 11:30am on Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium.

A reception to introduce the World Youth Peace Summit to the United Nations and to announce Mr. Dossal’s appointment as Special Envoy will be held on February 9, 2011 from 6pm – 8pm in the Delegates Dining Room

Testimonials

“Extraordinary! I wish there had been a Scholar-Athlete Games program during my youth.” --President Bill Clinton, in his 2006 keynote address at the World Scholar-Athlete Games

"Dan Doyle and his team are on a historic mission to world peace.”--General Colin Powell, Keynote Address, 2008 United States Scholar-Athlete Games

“I know of no organization that does more to help young children on a worldwide basis than the Institute for International Sport.”--Senator George Mitchell during his 2008 United States Scholar-Athlete Games Launch Address

“This inspired idea will have a tremendous impact on world peace for generations to come.”--Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel at an April 17, 2007 Press Conference to announce the creation of the World Youth Peace Summit

“The Institute for International Sport appears to me to be the finest sports education initiative in the world.”--Senator Bill Bradley, in his Keynote Address at the 1999 United States Scholar-Athlete Games.


For more information on the 2011 World Scholar-Athlete Games and World Youth Peace Summit please visit http://www.youthpeacesummit.orgor www.internationalsport.com/wsag.

# #

A Great Experience at Middlebury

From January 20-22, the Institute for International Sport collaborated with Middlebury College in the administration of a series of World Youth Peace Summit activities on the Middlebury campus. The program was aimed at fostering thoughtful discussion on the role of sport and the arts in the peace process. View the schedule of the highly successful events that took place.

Institute staffers Kim Kennedy and Heather Neuwirth are both '08 graduates of Middlebury – and two of the finest young professionals we have ever employed. In mid-October, Kim and Heather visited their alma mater to present the concept of the World Youth Peace Summit to the Middlebury Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Following that meeting, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, with the great help of Middlebury Athletic Director, Erin Quinn, and head women's tennis coach, Mike Morgan, developed the three-day program. I was present at the various sessions, and felt it was one of the most successful initiatives we have ever been part of. One of the many exciting results is that this concept can now be replicated on other college campuses.

Following the program, I remained on the Middlebury campus to work with students in Professor Jon Isham’s January term class entitled: “21^st Century Challenges.” The objective of Jon’s class was to develop a strategic plan for our forthcoming Center for Social Entrepreneurship. I was struck by Jon’s masterful teaching skills, and the brilliance and commitment of the young people in the class. All of us at the Institute for International Sport, including Alan Hassenfeld, look forward to reviewing the strategic plan, which I am confident will be superb.

Then, for the 12^th straight year, I addressed the Middlebury January term Sport and Society class, co-taught by Donald “Dee” Rowe, my former coach and lifelong hero (and Middlebury graduate) and Bill Beaney, Head Men’s Hockey Coach at Middlebury, and one of the Institute’s 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America. Working with the tremendous young people in that classroom was inspiring.

The trip ended with Dave Donahue, Special Assistant to Middlebury President Ron Liebowitz, and I meeting with Governor Peter Shumlin and his Chief of Staff, Bill Lofy. Governor Shumlin expressed strong interest in the future of the World Youth Peace Summit and Center for Social Entrepreneurship. He is eager for Middlebury College and The State of Vermont to play a key role.

Special thanks to Middlebury President Ron Liebowitz and his wife, Jessica, two terrific people. And, of course, to Dave Donahue, Jon Isham, Mike Morgan, Erin Quinn, Liz Robinson, Mike Schoenfeld, Georgia Wright-Simmons, the many students who helped make this happen – and so many other wonderful people I met over the period of my stay.

And finally, to Alex Wolff, senior staff writer at Sports Illustrated. Alex did a brilliant job moderating the opening panel on January 20.