Universiade 2013 in Kazan volunteers take part in workshop in Strasbourg

A workshop called Sports Associations in Promoting Younger People’s Involvement in Intercultural Dialogue, sponsored by the Council of Europe European Youth Centre, has been held in Strasbourg, France.

The delegation of Tatarstan, led by the Universiade 2013 directorate department of volunteers Lilia Barieva, and the 2013 Games volunteer movement activists Dilbar Sadykova and Artur Khasanshin attended the seminar.

Over 35 representatives from 24 countries, including Albania, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Macedonia, Serbia, Norway, Lebanon, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands and Finland, attended the seminar.

The multinational team for four days devised joint plans of cooperation, tried to find solutions to problems youth and sports associations are facing, and focused on promoting intercultural dialogue. The Tatarstan delegation presented to the workshop the upcoming World Summer Universiade 2013, to be held in Kazan, and volunteer programmes implemented in Tatarstan. It took active part in the devising and approval of the final recommendations on issues related to sport’s social role and increasing the role younger people play in intercultural dialogue through sports, the Universiade 2013 web site reports.

The Tatarstan achieved cooperation agreements with the European representatives in terms of sports events for younger people, as well as exchange of experience with other participants. While summarising the results of the seminar, the Council of Europe Director of Youth and Sports Ralf Rene Weitgaertner noted the Universiade 2013 was a good example of promoting intercultural dialogue.