ALLMEP member organization Budo For Peace took home the Regional NGO of the Year award at the 2018 Peace and Sport awards ceremony. This prestigious award recognizes the NGO’s social-harmony, education, and empowerment work based on martial arts principles.
The ceremony took place on the Greek Island of Rhodes, where three hundred and fifty people from across the region watched as 8 awards were conferred. As part of the Peace and Sport Regional Forum, the awards were given to organizations, both international and regional, for their efforts to create positive social change through sports.
Peace and Sport is a global initiative that focuses their work on conflict-ridden regions in which traditional means of restoring peace have failed.
At the ceremony, Peace and Sport President and Founder Joël Bouzou stated, “This evening celebrates all those who have contributed to the peace movement through sport. We have rewarded several outstanding winners here tonight, but we are also grateful to all those who have made a commitment. It is a collective effort, and together we must move forward and achieve our goals.”
Budo For Peace was awarded the prestigious Regional NGO of the Year for their work in Martial Arts trainings for children in the region. The organization brings together young people to connect and find common ground through the discipline and principles exemplified by the sport.
The organization teaches students through a methodology developed by Israeli and Palestinian instructors. Their aim is to create social-harmony and develop empowerment between their students.
Specifically, the award recognized the organization’s fourth Martial Arts for Peace International Seminar which brought together participants from countries including Jordan, Egypt, Israel, and Iran. Participants at the seminar spent a week learning and training together while serving as models for connection and social harmony to hundreds of youth from the region.
On receiving the award, Budo for Peace founder Danny Hakim stated:
We are thrilled to receive this recognition and honor bestowed upon us, and committed to continuing our journey toward social harmony, empowerment and education of future generations – so as to help inspire the best leaders of our tomorrow!
Don’t miss the organization’s feature on the Netflix series Fightworld:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faMfaNDWHe8
Read more about the award ceremony here:
