Eighteen young people from the Holy Land, belonging to the Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities, will come together in San Marino under the banner of sport and dialogue. From 23 to 28 August, the Republic will host “A Football for Peace” (Un Calcio per la Pace), an initiative organized by UPF Universal Peace Federation San Marino in collaboration with UPF Israel.
The project aims to use football as common ground for young people with different religious and cultural identities, alternating training sessions and matches with cultural activities, moments of exchange and meetings with San Marino’s institutions.
The event is supported by the Secretariats of State for Sport, Foreign Affairs and Tourism, along with the San Marino Football Federation (FSGC). Among the main events, on 24 August the young participants will visit the Casa del Calcio for a meeting with the FSGC followed by a training session, while 25 August will see an institutional reception at the Parva Domus. Throughout their stay, there will also be opportunities to meet with young people from San Marino.
“Football, with its ability to unite and to speak a universal language, becomes on this occasion an instrument of dialogue and hope,” said the Secretary of State for Sport, Rossano Fabbri. “Welcoming Israeli and Palestinian young people to San Marino gives concrete meaning to the value of sport as a bridge between cultures and a vehicle for peace.”
For the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Luca Beccari, the initiative sends a message that goes beyond sport: “Diplomacy is not only exercised in institutional settings, but also through simple, universal gestures like play.” San Marino, he added, wishes to reaffirm its vocation as a “bridge between cultures and generations.”
The Secretary of State for Tourism, Federico Pedini Amati, also emphasized the value of hospitality: “Tourism is not just about discovering places, but also an occasion for dialogue and growth.” The goal, he stressed, is to show a Republic capable of hosting and nurturing experiences that bring peoples and generations closer together.
“A Football for Peace” will thus accompany the eighteen young people for six days, making sport the starting point for building mutual understanding, relationships and opportunities for exchange.
