2021–2023 · VATICAN CITY AND MILWAUKEE, USA
A global community bringing sport and faith-based organisations together to build bridges between faiths, cultures and communities, with the support of the Soloviev Foundation.
Sport and Faith starts from a simple idea: that sport and faith share the same values of discipline, respect and care for others. The initiative opened on 7 December 2021 with a virtual kick-off conference under the aegis of the Pontifical Council for Culture. A week later, in Vatican City, Save the Dream and the Sport at the Service of Humanity Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding, formally launching it.
Fifty experts from UNESCO, the ILO, UNOCT, UNITAR, Religions for Peace, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and many others took part in five thematic sessions, shaping a shared space of tools, case studies and good practices for sport, faith and civil society organisations. The project’s leaders, with Save the Dream Ambassadors David Trezeguet, Sheikh Fahad Al-Thani and Giusy Versace, were received by Pope Francis at a Papal Audience.
The Solow Art and Architecture Foundation, now the Soloviev Foundation, was the initiative’s first donor, moving the platform from concept to practice. On 6 April 2023, the pilot was launched at Marquette University in Milwaukee, a city with more than 1,000 places of worship. More than 30 local stakeholders came together to test the platform under a simple model: connect, share and scale what works.
Photo: Save the Dream Ambassadors and project leaders at the Papal Audience, Vatican City.
PROJECT FACTS
| Implementation period | 2021–2023 |
| Where | Vatican City; Milwaukee, USA |
| Focus | Sport and interfaith dialogue |
| Outputs | Virtual kick-off conference with 50 experts; Sport for Humanity coalition; Milwaukee pilot with 30+ local partners |
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