Johann O. Koss President

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Johann O. Koss President CEO, Right To
PlayArab Child Health ConferenceMarch 26th,
2008
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Vision and Mission

• To create a healthier and safer world
• through the power of sport and play

Right To Play is an international organization
that uses sport and play programs to improve
health, life skills, and foster peace for
children and communities in the most
disadvantaged areas of the world.
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Todays Agenda

• The contribution that sport for development can
  make to healthier children
• A concrete local example of good work
• What key influencers can do to make a difference

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Where We Work
23 Countries Azerbaijan, Benin, Chad, China,
Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Jordan, Liberia,
Lebanon, Mali, Mozambique, Pakistan, occupied
Palestinian territory, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Sri
Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, UAE,
and Zambia
7 National Offices Canada, China, Holland,
Norway, Switzerland UAE, UK, USA
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The Value of Sport for Development

• Sport activities offer an avenue to social
  belonging, friendship, cooperation and working
  together toward a common goal
• Strong social networks, playing and living in
  harmony with others creates healthy childhood
  development

• Sport and play can enhance self-esteem and
  promote care and respect for ones own body
• Physical activity and sport increasingly
  recognized as effective preventive medicine for
  combating obesity and chronic disease.
• If we can instill a love and habit of physical
  activity in children, they will carry this with
  them for the rest of their lives

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HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, attended a
Right To Play festival in Ghana where 10,000
children participated in games and more that
3,000 newborns were vaccinated
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We have to place the sport pyramid on its base
and to end the situation where it stands on its
head. Sport s here start at clubs while it
should start at schools.
HH Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum
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HRH Princess Haya Special Initiative Project

• Wrote a Physical Education curriculum and Manual
• Trained teachers in Physical Education activities
• Organized Play Days and introduced different
  sporting activities
• Established a Sport for Development Committee
  which consisted of representatives from the
  Ministry of Education, Dubai Education Zone and
  Right To Play

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Role of Key Influencers

• Founded in 2004 with four governments, the Sport
  for Development International Working Group now
  consists of representatives from 53 national
  governments, including the Governments of Jordan,
  Lebanon and Palestinian Authority.
• Established a Sport for Development Committee
  which consisted of representatives from the
  Ministry of Education, Dubai Education Zone and
  Right To Play
• Policy recommendations to be presented August 7th
  in advance of Beijing Olympic Games

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Physical activity, well-designed sport activities
offer a path to physical, social and emotional
health
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Thank You