Olympic Refuge Foundation

“Promoting the inclusion of refugees in safe sport, whether at the elite or grassroots level, is not work done in isolation – we all have a spot on the roster. We can all do more to make sure displaced people are included.” ✨ Yesterday, we were proud to witness ORF Board Member and a member of the first Refugee Olympic Team, Yiech pur Biel deliver a powerful statement at the 56th session of the Human Rights Council alongside Chair of the ORF and IOC President, Thomas Bach. Pur opened his remarks by highlighting the upcoming participation of the Refugee Olympic Team in the Olympic Games Paris 2024. He emphasized the team’s role as a powerful symbol demonstrating the belonging athletes and displaced people around the world have found through sport. 🌍 Drawing attention to the spirit of Human Rights Council to foster inclusive dialogue, he said: “We urge you to take the opportunity to fully harness sport to support the inclusion of people affected by displacement”. We couldn’t agree more with Pur’s inspiring words and continue to champion inclusion through sports! 💪🤝 Read more on IOC’S participation in the UN Human Rights Council here: https://lnkd.in/e7u2762J #thrivethroughsport #OlympicRefuge 📸 Greg Martin

🌊 ORF Team swims in solidarity with migrants and refugees 🌊 The ORF team joined the waves of Yoga and Sport with Refugees and Yusra Mardini Foundation and swam 12 km from Lausanne, Switzerland to Evian, France. Among the swimmers were the head of ORF Jojo Ferris and three Olympic athletes: Anne-Sophie Thilo, OLY, Jamie Yeung, and sabine hazboun, OLY. 🏊♀️ This 12 km swim symbolizes the dangerous journey many migrants undertake between Türkiye and Lesvos in their search for safety. Approximately 190,000 people attempted to cross the Mediterranean in 2023, of which 2,500 have died or gone missing. We aim to raise awareness of a more dignified reception of refugees worldwide and shape a movement to ensure young people affected by displacement find belonging and safety, through sport. Join the waves and help us make a difference for refugees! 🌊

⌛ 🎉 Only one month to go! 🎉⌛ One month to go until the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Join us this summer to cheer for the Refugee Olympic Team, as they compete on the world stage! 🌍 📺 Where will you be watching from? 🔗Read more about the Refugee Olympic Team here: https://lnkd.in/dkBqh_qy #Paris2024 #olympicrefuge #Forthe100Million 

“We need to do more to give refugees access to sport at all levels. By welcoming them into our sporting communities, we give them a vital tool for hope, and motivate them to keep going.” Masomah ALI ZADA, our Chef de Mission, marked World Refugee Day by attending a handball session of the Terrains d'Avenir programme. “Playing handball with these women once again reminded me of the impact sport can have when you arrive in a new country as a refugee.” 🤝 This year, World Refugee Day focuses on solidarity and solutions for displaced people, Terrains d’Avenir is an approach that aims to welcome displaced people into the local sporting community, while providing a solution to support them in building their new lives. 🌍 “The goal is clear” in the words of our Senior Programmes Manager Jeroen Carrin “It’s to change the way sport is accessed and to create a lasting legacy of Terrains d’Avenir – not just here in Paris, but around the world.” Read full story here: https://lnkd.in/eqeT6JNv 📷 Photo credit: Josselin DEBRAUX #WorldRefugeeDay #OlympicRefuge #ThriveThroughSport #Forthe100million

🌍 The themes of this year’s upcoming World Refugee Day are solidarity and long-term solutions. ✨ Since its foundation in 2017, the Olympic Refuge Foundation has been dedicated to providing solutions to support young people affected by displacement through sport. 🏃♀️ Through our programmes, advocacy and partnerships, we are committed to building a global movement that helps refugees and displaced people to thrive.  As co-convenors of the Sport for Refugees Coalition alongside UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and Scort Foundation, we bring together over 140 organisations to enhance refugee protection, promote well-being and foster refugee inclusion through sport. 📖 Read the story here: https://lnkd.in/e7597jEE 📊 Check out our 2023 Annual Report: https://lnkd.in/etTWrui8   #WorldRefugeeDay #thrivethroughsport #solutions #OlympicRefuge

📖 This month, as a part of the "Game Changer Series" from the Sport for Refugees Coalition, we’re featuring the inspiring work of International Judo Federation (IJF) and their Judo for Peace program. 🥋 Judo for Peace promotes social inclusion and peaceful co-existence through judo and hopes to embody the true values of the sport: friendship 🤝, honour 🏅and respect🙏. IJF is a member of The Sport for Refugees Coalition (SfRC), co-convened by Olympic Refuge Foundation, Scort Foundation and the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The Game Changer Series is a monthly series of stories profiling the work of the members of the Sport for Refugees Coalition. Get in touch if you have a story to feature! Read this month's story here: https://lnkd.in/dbU_Gna4 #thrivethroughsport #SportForRefugees

🚴♀️The IOC Refugee Olympic Team cyclist Eyeru Gebru carried the Olympic torch yesterday in the historic town of Bayeux in Normandy, France! 🔥 Originally from Ethiopia, Eyeru began cycling at the age of 16 and trained at the @UCI World Cycling Centre before she was forced to seek refuge in France. With the support of the IOC Refugee Athlete Scholarship and the @French Olympic Committee, Eyeru is now headed to Olympic Games Paris 2024 the IOC Refugee Olympic Team Paris 2024. Speaking before the torch relay, Eyeru said “I never expected in my life that one day I will carry the Olympic torch. I thought it was too big for me and now I am going to carry the torch. It's unbelievable.” We are so proud of Eyeru! 💪 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/diibtrPK

🌟 Our friends at Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) recently launched the "Home Crowd" campaign, rallying support around the IOC Refugee Olympic Team ahead of Paris 2024! 🌍🌟 Through a powerful short film, Yusra Mardini’s reporting and dedicated live coverage - Eurosport is calling on sports fans to stand behind the refugee athletes and champion the unifying power of sport. 📽️ WBD has previously demonstrated their commitment to supporting displaced people through sport, by signing up to the Multistakeholder Pledge on Sport for Inclusion and Protection of Refugees at the Global Refugee Forum. The Sport Pledge was developed by a dedicated multistakeholder group and guided by the Olympic Refuge Foundation, UNHCR and the Scort Foundation as co-convenors of the Sport for Refugees Coalition. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/d74VcvwY #homecrowd #Paris2024 #thrivethroughsport

Watch where the Refugee Olympic Team is going. 🌟   We are continuing to collaborate with Nike, who are providing uniforms for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team and supporting the refugee community in Paris through our Terrains d'Avenir programme. This comprehensive sport for inclusion initiative in Ile-de France now includes female only sport sessions, empowering young women affected by displacement through sports. 💪✨   Read more on our collaboration here: https://lnkd.in/d4PmSjTy #olympicrefuge #Paris2024

This year the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week is #movement. Let’s talk about the connection between sport and mental health - brought to you in collaboration with the ORF Think Tank. 🏋️♂️🧠    Here are the facts:  ◾114 million individuals worldwide have been forcibly displaced     ◾ Various stressors significantly impact the mental health and well-being of displaced people.     ◾ Displaced populations face higher risks of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than host populations.    And here’s the game-changer: Sport and physical activity has the potential to significantly enhance mental health, psychosocial support and protection of displaced people.     Guided by the ORF Think Tank, we’re advocating for a collaborative effort between mental health and sports professionals. By ensuring refugees’ access to sport, we’re not just improving health outcomes but also fostering development, inclusion, and peace.  🕊   Shout out to Associate Professor Simon Rosenbaum from ORF Think Tank for his contributions!  Curious for more insights? Check out our full infographic here: https://lnkd.in/d8qaeXd5