UIPM and Peace for Sport Sign Memorandum of Understanding
February 6, 2013
The International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Peace and Sport.
Peace and Sport help to foster reconciliation and stabilise populations that have suffered with poverty and poor social cohesion through sport.
UIPM’s sports for all, Biathle (run-swim-run) makes UIPM particularly suited to the Peace and Sport organisation.
Biathle is an ideal sport to assist the battle for peace, as it requires no equipment at all, just some land to run on and water (which can be a lake, sea, river or swimming pool) to swim in.
UIPM President, Dr h.c. Klaus Schormann said: “Through this partnership with Peace and Sport, the UIPM reaffirms the social role of Modern Pentathlon and its determination to contribute actively to the development of the poorest communities in the world, promoting peace-education and a culture of peace.”
Joel Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, added: “As a former pentathlete myself, I am very honoured and proud of this new partnership between UIPM and Peace and Sport. I strongly believe in the positive values spread by the Modern Pentathlon and Biathle and am convinced that this partnership will facilitate the sharing of these values in the most vulnerable communities for the benefit of sustainable peace.”
This MOU also increases the relationship between UIPM & Peace and Sport, who have already conduced 2 successful ‘Biathle for Peace’ in Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, which assisted in the reconciliation of communities, and reintegrated youth at risk back into society. These events also marked the creation of the Modern Pentathlon Federations in both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi which has had wide spread positive ramifications in both countries.