Taekwondo PEACE CORPS

Hope and Dreams to Youth of World

WT President Calls for Creation of ‘Sport Peace Corps’

Proposal Made at Inaugural International Sport Forum in Monte Carlo, Monaco

World Taekwondo (WT) President Chungwon Choue proposed the creation of the so-called “Sport Peace Corps” at an international forum on peace and sport in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on Dec. 6, 2007.

“Inspired by the ‘Taekwondo Peace Corps’ initiative, propose developing a ‘Sport Peace Corps’ program to expand the initiative globally in a larger scale and to involve other international organizations,” said WT President Choue.

He said, “the Sport Peace Corps entails provision of comprehensive sport-related assistance to the developing countries or the United Nations-assigned areas.” “The assistance includes coaching and training service to the local young athletes, supply of equipment and facilities, and finding the means and opportunity for the competent young people to participate in the international sport events.” “It requires a group of volunteers consisted of coaches, athletes, and teachers to be dispatched to serve the assigned community,” WT President Choue said.

He made the proposal at Session 4 of the inaugural International Peace and Sport Forum, which opened at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel on Dec. 5 for a three-day run. The sub-topic of Session 4 was “The Sport Movement: Legitimacy, Means and Sectors of Intervention.”

Under the patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of the Municipality of Monaco, the first edition of the international forum drew more than 150 people from around the world.

The International Peace and Sport Forum is a unique international gathering, which brings together heads of state and governments, sport governing bodies -- the International Olympic Committee, International Sports Federations, National Olympic Committees -- the World Olympians Association, strategic and financial partners, sport experts and non-governmental organizations.

Under the topic “Taekwondo’s Role as an Instrument of Peace,” WT President Choue said that “The Sport Peace Corps project aims at utilizing sport as part of education, training and youth program; giving hope and dreams to those who are deprived of the opportunity to learn and practice sports by providing equipment, skills for education and training, and coaches for any Olympic sport; encouraging balanced development of Olympic sport in different regions, correcting the uneven medal distribution in the past Olympic Games that benefitted a limited number of countries; and contributing to the promotion of friendship and understanding through sport and people-to-people interaction.” “Ultimately this project encourages participation of sport-loving people in the peace-building process.”

Choue’s proposal drew a keen and high interest among the participants in the forum.

The Sport Peace Corps concept was first raised by WT President Choue at an international workshop on sports and peace in Leuven, Belgium on Sept. 21, 2007. The workshop was jointly organized by Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, the International Peace Research Association and the Graduate School of Physical Education, Kyung Hee University in Korea. It was supported by WT and GCS International.

At the forum, WT President Choue said, “The weight of sport as a catalyst for peace and harmony can never be undermined. Sport has the power to bring people together, bridge differences, and promote communication and understanding.”

He said, “The Olympic ideal of developing sport is put as: to contribute to building a better and more peaceful world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play. The ideal has been the general guiding rule for the sport world for centuries.”

“Taekwondo is a philosophy of action that is based on several virtues such as self-reflection, self-discipline, confidence, respect for elders, patience, and the balances of body and mind. Practicing Taekwondo means making one’s mind peaceful, synchronizing mind with movements, and extending this harmony to one’s life and society. It is, thus, a way of life with lasting inner peace, different from physical fighting skills,” Choue said.

“Through its world competitions and events, Taekwondo also helps create the atmosphere of peace and harmony at the macro-level, facilitating friendship and a special bond among the participants from different parts of the world. Our championships and tournaments offer equal opportunities to the countries that tend to have negative reputation in the international politics, and provide equal opportunities without discrimination. Warm reception and openness to the internationally isolated countries with Taekwondo spirit and heart not only facilitate a special bond transcending the general preconception, but also exhibit effec- tive soft power to induce engagement.

“At the micro-level, sports breed peace by playing a significant social, cultural, educational and recreational role, through which they influence positively on multi-faceted dimensions of political, economic and social realities. Upholding the ideals of fraternity, non-violence, tolerance and fairness, the practice of sport can be a powerful tool to strengthen social cohesion and integration of the global community transcending the difference of race, nationality, geographical borders, ideology, or religion,” he said.

WT President Choue said, “Taekwondo is not merely a sport, but encompasses excellent cultural values and spirits that cannot be learned from the textbooks. Taekwondo training teaches the youth justice, morality, cooperation, and love for one another, and to accept the universal sport rules of fair play. Through such learning and mental and physical disciplining, our sport helps the young people become good global citizens. It could also effectively stop them from getting involved in the youth delinquency, drugs, alcohol, and violence.”

“Taekwondo is Korea’s gift to the world. The gift package not only has Taekwondo’s oriental spirit and philosophy, but also its contribution to the humanity as an instrument for peace and hope in different geographical, cultural, and social contexts. Working together with the global Olympic families, WT will continuously make concerted efforts to contribute in the endeavor to serve the mankind through sport,” WT President Choue said.