Latin America Fosters Inclusion Through Sports

CAF—development bank of Latin America—organized a debate entitled “Sport as a key investment for the inclusion of people with disabilities,” which consolidated international alliances and reinforced its leadership in developing a pilot program with a new methodology for people with disabilities, within the framework of the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games.

“As a development bank, we have to invest in sports, because we know that these investments are serving their purpose. CAF is interested in investing in sports and we are ready for it, but our navigation map is the Sustainable Development Goals. Anything apart from that objective is very difficult to justify,” Asinelli said.

Muller-Wirth, Executive Director for Sport at UNESCO, recalled that sport is not only fun, but good for health and positive for development. “We must consolidate operational data to demonstrate that the proposals will be effective in terms of return on investment. Sports for us are not just words; they are as important as culture or education. It helps people realize their full potential. This is all related to development,” he said.

???? .@OutcomesChih, Director of Innovation and Social Investment at @traversepeople, provides a step-by-step account on how sport can become a type of social investment. “Banks like CAF play a pivotal role for the development agenda of sport.” ?? https://t.co/F7pigfptKE #LaVozDeLatam pic.twitter.com/QFuKnjIWk5

— CAF (@AgendaCAF) September 20, 2022

Among a series of personal testimonies and recommendations from experts, Paralympic athlete Brian Sheridan noted: “You tell our stories and add value to what we do, but where is the real funding for sports for the inclusion of people with disabilities?”.

Juan Pablo Salazar, Inclusion Coordinator at CAF, said that we need to explain the causality of sport in terms of inclusion, and to that end, we need to forge alliances, not only between Latin American stakeholders but globally.

In addition, Juan Carlos Garrido, weightlifter of the Chilean Olympic Committee, said that “Paralympic sport is improving more and more, and showing that businesses can invest in us and that we will pay off. Someone with a disability is no longer ‘that poor guy,’ but someone who can achieve anything he sets his mind to in life.” Garrido also believes investment is needed in more sports venues, and to encourage more people with disabilities to play sports.

????????? ¡De #Rwanda a #Colombia!, sport saves lives regardless of differences. Paralympic athletes are the very evidence in this panel about sport as social inclusion.

Join the broadcast here! ?? https://t.co/F7pigfptKE #LaVozDeLatam pic.twitter.com/FGyRITlD8t

— CAF (@AgendaCAF) September 20, 2022

The panel discussion was moderated by Juan Pablo Salazar, Inclusion Coordinator at CAF, and Christian Asinelli, CAF’s Corporate Vice President of Strategic Programming; Gianna Cunazza, executive director of the Pan American and Parapan American Games Santiago 2023; Philipp Muller-Wirth, Executive Director for Sport at UNESCO; Chelsey Gotell, member of the Board of Directors of the International Olympic Committee; and Oliver Dudfield, Associate Director Olympism 365 at the International Olympic Committee.

This meeting is part of a series of events on CAF’s 10th anniversary as a Permanent Observer to the United Nations. Through the event, CAF intends to raise the voice of Latin America and the Caribbean to enhance the role of the region as a key stakeholder in the discussion of the main challenges and opportunities in the most important multilateral forum in the world.

Join the second day’s broadcast at #LaVozDeLatam!