The Organisation of American States (OAS) will host an event on 12 May to promote sports diplomacy entitled 'Fencing as a Peace Bridge between the Americas and Europe'. This was reported in a note stating that the initiative will be held for the first time at the organisation's historic headquarters in Washington.
The event is co-organised by the Permanent Missions to the OAS of Panama, the United States and the Permanent Observer Mission of Italy, and will bring together representatives and athletes from the three countries to highlight the role of sport as an instrument of diplomacy and development.
The agenda includes a round table discussion on Olympic Values, followed by a series of friendly fencing matches, with the participation of the Italian National Sword Team and US athletes, Olympians and promising young athletes, integrating sport into the OAS activities in the context of the four pillars of the organisation: democracy, human rights, security and development.
The aim, the note continues, is to strengthen international cooperation between member and observer states, promote healthy lifestyles and improve the visibility of the Milan-Cortina 2026 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic events.
According to Italy's Permanent Observer to the OAS, Ambassador Roberto Nocella, "the initiative is fully in line with the priorities of Italian sports diplomacy" and will be "a content-rich and spectacular event". "We are honoured to collaborate with the United States and Panama," Nocella added, also thanking the Italian Fencing Federation, the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) and the Milan Cortina 2026 Foundation "for their active involvement and efforts to contribute to the success of the initiative."
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