As football’s world governing body, FIFA commemorates this day and the power of football to contribute to human development and peace. On this occasion, FIFA President Blatter personally participated in the White Card initiative promoted by the non-profit organisation Peace and Sport. "I strongly believe in the power of football to build bridges and change lives," President Blatter said. "Our sport is a universal language that connects people from all nations and backgrounds. Football is played everywhere and can bring hope even in the most difficult settings such as Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan."
FIFA’s main initiatives in the field of development and peace include:
FIFA and the Nobel Peace Center in Norway recently launched the Handshake for Peace campaign, which combines the global reach and power of football with a simple handshake – a Handshake for Peace – that seeks to set an example of friendship, respect and peace to society. The handshake forms an integral part of FIFA events, giving a strong platform for this positive gesture of respect, friendship and fair play. Further details about the Handshake for Peace can be found here.
Football for Hope
FIFA launched Football for Hope in 2005 to build a better future through football. The initiative focuses on education, health, social integration, peace building, gender equality and youth leadership, offering funding, equipment and know-how to community organisations worldwide. Further information about Football for Hope can be found here.
FIFA’s Development work
We are spending more than ever on the game around the world, redistributing resources from the FIFA World Cup into development programmes everywhere to reduce the gap between the developed and less-developed footballing nations and to promote football’s values of fair play, education, health and discipline. FIFA has invested more than USD 2 billion in football development in its 209 member associations and the six confederations since 1999. Further details about FIFA's Development work can be found here.