Deputy General Manager and Director of Human Resources at Katara Saif Saad Al Dosari (right), Director of Unesco Office in Doha Salah Khaled (second right), Generation Amazing Executive Director Nasser Al Khori (left) and Executive Director of Save the Dream Massimiliano Montanari (back) during the event. Pic: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula
Doha: The “Fit for Life in Emergencies: Building Resilient and Inclusive Communities” exhibition, which aims to increase participation and investments in sports to drive social transformations, opened at the Cultural Village Foundation—Katara yesterday.
The photo exhibition, which parades 46 iconic photos of various sporting moments across the world, is organised by the Unesco Regional Office in Doha for the Gulf States and Yemen in partnership with the Generation Amazing Foundation, Save the Dream/ICSS, and Katara.
In attendance at the opening ceremony were Deputy General Manager and Director of Human Resources at Katara, Saif Saad Al Dosari; Representative to the Gulf States and Yemen and Director of Unesco Office in Doha, Salah Khaled; Generation Amazing Executive Director Nasser Al Khori; Executive Director of Save the Dream Massimiliano Montanari; and other dignitaries.
To be held until February 28, the exhibition explores the transformative power of sports within vulnerable populations globally, showcasing how sport serves as a vital tool for resilience and healing.
It presents compelling stories of recovery from trauma caused by wars, natural disasters, forced displacement, discrimination, and exclusion. Featuring case studies from 22 countries, it highlights how sport is being utilised for peacebuilding, mental health support, gender equity, disability inclusion, social cohesion, and youth engagement.
Speaking to The Peninsula, the Director of Unesco Office in Doha noted that the role of sports has proven to be really critical in the psychological support and trauma healing of young people in emergencies, be they post-conflict, post-disaster, or in a humanitarian context in general.
“And Unesco together with our partners here, Generation Amazing and ICSS, are working on having this experience replicated whenever possible and everywhere possible so that it becomes really like a tool to guide the policy and decision-makers to apply it on the ground whenever possible,” Khaled said.
“Sport is more than just a game; it is a lifeline. When communities face crises—whether due to conflict, natural disasters, displacement, or exclusion—sport has proven to be a vital tool for resilience, healing, and inclusion. The Fit for Life Flagship initiative underscores this reality, advocating for greater investment in sport as a vehicle for peace, inclusion, and human dignity,” he added.
Unesco’s Fit for Life sport initiative aims to increase participation and investments in sports to drive social transformations.
The initiative advocates for increased investment in sport as a means of promoting peace, inclusion, and human dignity in emergency settings. It emphasizes the role of sport in fostering social cohesion, mental well-being, and sustainable recovery in communities affected by conflict, displacement, and natural disasters.
Curated by the Unesco Regional Office in Doha, Generation Amazing, and the International Center for Sport Security (ICSS), the exhibition emphasises how sport can drive social transformation and build more resilient, inclusive communities in times of crisis.
