Sports4Peace Brings Healing and Hope to Ethiopia’s Youth

Between August 12 and 31, 2025, Ethiopia hosted a remarkable initiative aimed at rebuilding hope and unity through sports. The Sports4Peace activities, held in the cities of Mojo, Addis Ababa, and Adigrat, brought together 80 trained youth animators who later facilitated four vibrant game festivals involving more than 600 children, teenagers, and young people.

Organized by the Regional Sports4Peace Team of the Focolare Movement, the events were made possible through collaboration with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia, the local Focolare community, and the Diocese of Adigrat.

Ethiopia, still emerging from the shadows of the recent Tigray conflict, continues to face the painful aftermath of displacement, loss, and trauma. For many of the young participants, the Sports4Peace program provided a much-needed space for healing and rebuilding trust.

Unlike traditional sports that focus primarily on competition, Sports4Peace games emphasize collaboration, empathy, and unity. While some activities include a touch of competition, the ultimate goal is to foster teamwork, mutual understanding, and a sense of shared purpose. Through these specially designed games, participants learn to listen, cooperate, and work together — essential skills for peacebuilding in communities still healing from division.

During the closing ceremony in Adigrat, one teenager summed up the spirit of the event:

“This is exactly what we need as young people, especially after the recent conflict in Tigray. We are still living with trauma, but through these games, we can begin to overcome it.”

As laughter and energy filled the fields and playgrounds, Sports4Peace proved that sport can be a powerful tool not just for play, but for reconciliation, unity, and renewed hope among Ethiopia’s youth