On behalf of the entire Generations For Peace family, I would like to express our most heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr Aden Hagi Yeberow Wiish, President of the Somali Olympic Committee. Our thoughts are also with loved ones of Mr Said Mohamad Nur, President of the Somali Football Federation, and the other victims of this suicide attack today in Mogadishu.

Since the earliest days of our organisation, Mr Yeberow was a trusted and valued partner of Generations For Peace; his drive, his vision, and his passion for peace will be sorely missed. He will be remembered through the work we have done together and continue to do every day in Somalia.

Under his leadership, the Somali Olympic Committee took the rare step of establishing its own Sport for Peace and Development Commission; it was through this Commission that Generations For Peace was able to begin recruiting delegates from across Somalia — from Mogadishu, Puntland and Somaliland. The Somali Olympic Committee’s work enabled Generations For Peace to bring together people with diverse cultures, histories and aspirations, and unite them towards a common goal of peace.

Since 2009, when Generations For Peace started working with the Somali Olympic Committee, 35 Pioneers have worked tirelessly to bridge conflict divides across the country. Their peace through sport activities have touched the lives of almost 3,500 children and young people. In October 2011, Generations For Peace opened our first satellite office in Puntland, Somalia, and from there our impact has multiplied.

Mr Yeberow’s life is testament to the good that can be achieved through the power of sport. His tragic death illustrates why we must continue our work to help instil tolerance, understanding and reconciliation in divided communities in Somalia and across the world.

Notes to Editor:

Generations For Peace is the international non-governmental organisation founded by HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan in 2007 and dedicated to the innovative and sustainable use of sport for peace building and development. It now supports Delegates and certified Generations For Peace Pioneers in communities facing a variety of forms of conflict in 48 countries and territories.

578 Delegates have already been trained through the Generations For Peace 10-day camps in Amman (Jordan), Abu Dhabi (UAE) and Sochi (Russia). Cascading their learning and experience on to over 4,800 second and third generation Delegates and Pioneers, their Generations For Peace programmes have now touched the lives of 75,000 children.

The Generations For Peace Institute was established in 2010 as the research arm of Generations For Peace. Working in partnership with Georgetown University and the University of Oxford, the Institute is leading and supporting collaborative multi-disciplinary research, and sharing knowledge and best practices across the whole sport for peace and development community.

Generations For Peace is one of only two peace through sport organizations officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee: the other is Right To Play.