The Global Refugee Forum 2023 is taking place at Palexpo in Geneva (Switzerland) from December 13-15.
Anastasia Sorokina, Chairperson of the FIDE Commission for Women’s Chess, and André Vögtlin, Chairman of FIDE Social Commission, participate in this event. It is the first time FIDE has taken part in the Global Refugee Forum.
On December 12, Anastasia Sorokina spoke on the topic “Protection, Gender, Sport” at the preliminary event, the Education Campus. As the founder of the Girls Chess Club in the Kakuma refugee camp, she has implemented the protection and safety in the special Saturday online course program and gave an impressive account of it.
Held every four years, the Forum is the world’s largest international gathering on refugees. It is designed to support the practical implementation of the objectives set out in the Global Compact on Refugees: Ease pressures on host countries, enhance refugee self-reliance, increase access to third-country solutions and improve conditions in countries of origin.
It enables states and stakeholders to announce concrete pledges and contributions, highlight progress made, share good practices and take stock of the challenges and opportunities ahead.
For FIDE and the two FIDE Commissions in particular, the Forum provides an opportunity to engage with many countries and sports partner organizations to work together for the common good.
FIDE can present a functioning chess project in the Kakuma/Kalobeyei refugee camp, which can be multiplied and scaled up in other camps if the financial resources from the UNHCR are made available.
Chess has a great future worldwide. The crises in spots are increasing and expanding, and society is struggling with many psychological challenges such as dementia, drug and internet addiction, autism, as well as the various issues of prisons and refugee camps. Here, chess offers very cost-effective and viable solutions.
