strong message ahead of crucial FIA elections

London, England: In a crucial week for the future of motoring, HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, President of the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC) and Chairman of Jordan Motorsport, has delivered a clear message at a key sporting conference that sport can help to unify the world’s divided communities.

Speaking as a panel guest at the Global Sports Industry Congress in London ahead of flying to Paris for Friday’s FIA Presidential elections, HRH Prince Feisal said that sport can “unite people from across the divides”.

HRH Prince Feisal is running as a Vice President Sport (Middle East) in support of Ari Vatanen’s Presidential bid and has been vocal in calling for unity and fair representation across the motoring world.

Underlining his growing credibility across the sporting spectrum, he made his second high-profile appearance this month following a well-received speech delivered at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Congress in Copenhagen to reiterate his vision and belief of the more important role that sport should play.

“In many parts of the world, communities are divided within themselves and from each other,” he said. “In good times and bad, sport is the glue which binds communities together. Sport provides a sense of identity and of social cohesion.

  “As founder and Chairman of the global initiative Generations for Peace, I believe passionately in the power of sport to unite people, to create a common sense of purpose values. To create community where none existed previously and to recreate community when old values have been under threat.

“Our objective at Generations For Peace is to harness the power of sport in some of the world’s most disadvantaged and divided communities. We aim to empower youth from conflicted communities and use the power of sport to unite children and youth from across divides.

“In that way we can play a role in achieving sustainable peace and social cohesion and to enhance the lives of today's youngsters and those of future generations. And we do so by enabling members of those communities to learn a range of teaching, coaching and technical skills which will allow them to teach others the lessons of leadership, respect and tolerance, empowerment, teamwork and responsibility.”

The Global Sports Industry Congress brings together sports administrators, executives, investors, contractors, suppliers and other key market players for a broad discussion on the ‘business of sport’. Among those joining HRH Prince Feisal on the inspiring guest list are Sir Craig Reedie, Member, IOC; Member of the Board, London 2012 Organising Committee; Peter Kenyon, CEO, Chelsea Football Club, and Eduardo Paes, the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro which was last week confirmed as the host city for the 2016 Olympics.

HRH Prince Feisal will travel on to Paris in support of former World Rally Champion Vatanen, who is running against Jean Todt in Friday’s ballot to elect the most powerful position in motoring.