A New Chapter of Youth Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice through Sports
Vienna, 21 May 2019. TIJ joins hands with UNODC, Government of Thailand, and ‘Bounce Be Good’ or ‘BBG’ in charting a new chapter where sports are used for youth development and crime prevention.
During the side event on “Integrating Sport into Youth Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Strategies” at the 28th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) in Vienna, TIJ and its partners organized a discussion of experts from UNODC, Colombia, UK, Thailand, and youth athletes from BBG to share good practices of implementation of youth crime prevention through sport projects.
“Sport is a particularly effective means of addressing vulnerabilities and reducing opportunities for individuals’ involvement in violence,” Ms. Mira Kato, Director of Operations, UNODC said in the opening remarks, in which she also reflected on what Unodc is already doing on sport for youth crime prevention as part of the Doha Declaration Implementation Programme.
H.E. Ms. Morakot Sriswasdi, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Vienna highlighted that “sports-based learning programme can play a positive and constructive role in this regard. It could provide effective life skills such as problem-solving, relationship skills, and self-awareness to children and youth”. She said, “BBG not only brings out the untapped potential and passion in sport of underprivileged children and youth who had chosen the wrong path, but also incorporates sports as a tool of crime prevention and youth empowerment.”
The young athletes from the Bounce Be Good Club (BBG), the sport club established under the vision of HRH Princess Bhajarakitayabha, shared in the side event that the club like BBG really gave them the second chance to re-live their lives and stay away from the wrong path that they have taken before. The club also gives them the hope to dream to be someone who could contribute back to the community, such as being sport coach/ trainer or the educator.
“Let’s sport be a window of opportunity for all of us to rethink about the crime prevention and criminal justice to better address the needs and development of our children and youth. Let’s sport be the united force for us to give those who chosen the wrong path to re-play, rethink, rehabilitate, reintegrate, and eventually, re-live their lives.” Dr. Kittipong Kittayarak, TIJ’s Executive Director said in his closing remarks.
TIJ works to promote system-wide and multidisciplinary collaboration on crime prevention and criminal justice. Apart from the side event, TIJ works with its partners in proposing the draft resolution aiming to enlarge partnership to integrate sport into youth crime prevention and criminal justice strategies.
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