When Eunice Kennedy Shriver hosted the first ever summer camp for people with intellectual disabilities in her backyard, it would have been hard to imagine that 50 years down the line, Special Olympics would be taking the lead to discuss an urgent issue in today’s society, the marginalisation of those already on the margins, namely, refugees with intellectual disabilities.
Refugee engagement work in the Europe Eurasia region has been pivotal in 2017 and proved to be an eye-opening experience on how untapped this issue is in our world today. To address the need, Special Olympics brought together industry leaders and experts to discuss ways to change the reality.
Following the discussions, all participants were encouraged to make commitments to make a difference. Proud partners AIPS, SIGA, Lions Clubs International and Olympic Channel were just a few of those who pledged to lead the way as a driving force for awareness across Europe through sports journalism and global networking.