FIVB FoundationVolleyball Foundation
International partners and youth leaders gathered in Amman to translate dialogue into practical action through sport
Just a few days ago, FIVB Volleyball Foundation-supported project, Generations For Peace (GFP), concluded the “Sport for Peacebuilding in Syria: From Dialogue to Action” conference, held from 14 to 15 January 2026 in Amman, Jordan, under the patronage of its Founder and Chairman HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein. The two-day conference marked an important step in advancing practical, coordinated approaches to peacebuilding and recovery in Syria through sport.
Hosted at GFP headquarters and organised in partnership with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), UNICEF, the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) and the Yusra Mardini Foundation, the conference brought together more than 150 participants, including representatives of international organisations, Syrian civil society, youth leaders and local NGOs.
The event focused on how sport can be used as a structured and effective tool to support community resilience, social cohesion, and recovery in conflict-affected contexts. Through interactive workshops and roundtables, participants explored policy development, partnership building, youth leadership, mental health and trauma-informed approaches, as well as sustainable funding for sport-based initiatives.
Workshops were led by specialised organisations including Generations For Peace, PACES, Right to Play, the Bunayan Centre and the Development for People and Nature Association (DPNA), and highlighted Syrian-led grassroots experiences grounded in community sport.
The conference concluded with the launch of the Amman Declaration, a practical roadmap for integrating sport into peacebuilding and recovery efforts in Syria. The declaration emphasises the central role of young people and the importance of cross-sector collaboration to ensure long-term impact.
Commenting on the conference, Lama Hattab, CEO of Generations For Peace, stressed that the event represented a significant shift from discussion to implementation, noting the power of sport to create safe spaces that support recovery, rebuild confidence and enable young people to play an active role in their communities.
OCA Director General Captain Husain Al Musallam stated:
“The Olympic Council of Asia highly values the efforts and initiatives of HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, OCA Executive Board Member and Chairman of the OCA Peace Through Sport Committee, in making this special conference a success through Generations For Peace”.
He added:
“Over two days, this conference successfully mobilised youth energy for the cause of peace, working in close coordination with various stakeholders in the sports sector to promote peace and development through sport in Syria”.
Mr Marc Rubin, UNICEF Representative in Jordan, highlighted the importance of safe, inclusive spaces for children and young people affected by conflict, noting that sport plays a critical role in translating evidence and policy into meaningful action on the ground.
Following the conference, Generations For Peace will deliver regional training sessions for partners in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, strengthening local capacity to design and implement safe, inclusive and trauma-informed sport programmes that contribute to resilience and social cohesion in conflict-affected settings.
This work is further strengthened through GFP’s partnerships with international organisations, including the FIVB Volleyball Foundation. In September 2025, the Foundation announced a new partnership with Generations For Peace to launch a Volleyball Programme in Zarqa, Jordan. The programme supports the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of young people (100 Syrian refugee youth (50 girls and 50 boys), aged 10–24) affected by displacement through inclusive, trauma-informed volleyball sessions.
