Doha GOALS Forum Takes Center Stage in Los Angeles

Fourth Annual Global Sports Forum Teams Up with Special Olympics for 2015 Event

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May 27, 2015, 10:45 ET

DOHA, Qatar, May 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The fourth annual Doha GOALS Forum, the world's leading platform focusing on sports as a driver of social and economic change, will be held in Los Angeles from July 25-27, 2015 -- the first time the event has been held outside Qatar. This year, Doha GOALS Forum, produced by Richard Attias & Associates, will partner with Special Olympics for the three-day summit, which takes place during the week of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles.

H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Mubarak Al Thani, Executive Director, Doha GOALS Forum (pictured at last year's event) will bring the fourth annual Forum to Los Angeles from July 25-27, 2015 - the first time the event has been held outside Qatar. This year, Doha GOALS is partnering with Special Olympics to amplify its shared mission of using sport as a catalyst for societal change.

"Our partnership with Special Olympics is emblematic of how sports can be used as a catalyst to positively transform lives and communities," said H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Mubarak Al Thani, Executive Director of Doha GOALS. "The Special Olympics movement embraces people with intellectual disabilities, the most marginalized people in the world. Our partnership will go beyond a presence at the World Games, and will cover initiatives to last year-round to promote sport as a tool for creating a more inclusive society."

To amplify their shared mission of bringing communities together through sports, students from both Doha GOALS's Student Ambassadors Program and Special Olympics' social impact summit, GenUin, will actively participate in taskforces throughout the Forum. As a cornerstone of the Doha GOALS Forum, the Student Ambassadors Program will convene more than 1,200 students from around the world, comprising three generations of student ambassadors and alumni.

The growth and success of the student program and the increased focus of the Doha GOALS Forum on issues related to youth empowerment, emerging markets, creativity and innovation has placed the spotlight on all the incredible young men and women and their achievements. The program will build on The Pass the BATON Initiative, which launched last year, by offering pre-selected students the opportunity to work with knowledge partners and develop their implementation plans for their proposed projects. Executive Producer Richard Attias said: "Doha GOALS is a platform that brings together global decision-makers with a clear agenda to act, not just talk."

"We have spent more than four decades proving to the world that sport has the power to transform lives and communities," said Janet Froetscher, Chief Executive Officer, Special Olympics. "We are excited to partner with Doha GOALS Forum to create a platform that brings together global decision-makers with a clear agenda to act and make impact. The backdrop of our World Games offers the perfect opportunity for leaders to see first-hand the immediate and positive impact sport can have and the lasting legacy it can bring to creating an inclusive and respectful society."

Doha GOALS is a call to action for policymakers, NGOs, business leaders and athletes to present ideas for reform in sports, as well as ideas of how sports can be used to influence public policy. This year's Forum will debate topics such as:

The intersection of sports and Hollywood as a path for positive change
The U.S. as a global model for establishing athletic opportunities for women
Impact of athlete activism on the environment
Sports and Silicon Valley
Promoting inclusion in society through sports

Several initiatives that support the core mission have been established through Doha GOALS in the past 24 months, including a program that built sports fields in Gabon, Palestine and Afghanistan, a prosthetics program supported by Paralympic champions in southern Africa, and the creation of Global Watch, a movement to stamp out racism in sports, in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Sexwale Foundation.

To date, the Doha GOALS Forum has brought together more than 5,000 participants from 70 countries to discuss how sport can be used to solve some of the world's greatest social and economic challenges.

For media enquiries, contact Coraline Bardinat [email protected]
For all other enquiries, email [email protected]. www.dohagoals.com

About Doha GOALS Forum
Doha GOALS is the world's premier platform focusing on sport as a driver of social and economic change. Doha GOALS, the Gathering Of All Leaders in Sport, convenes each year to create partnerships and initiatives for global progress through sport. From July 25-27, 2015, the Doha GOALS Forum will partner with Special Olympics for the three-day summit in Los Angeles, the first Forum held outside Qatar. Four key themes thread through this fourth Doha GOALS Forum: building a movement through sport, the imperative for inclusion, sport's power to create bridges across divides in our societies, and sport as a catalyst for transformation and change. Join the conversation on: Twitter @dohagoals; Facebook.com/DohaGoals; Instagram @doha_goals; YouTube @dohagoals; #dohagoals.

About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. We empower people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries. With the support of more than 1.3 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and more than 81,000 games and competitions throughout the year. Special Olympics is supported by individuals, foundations and partners, including the Christmas Records Trust, the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics®, The Coca-Cola Company, The Walt Disney Company and ESPN, Lions Clubs International, Mattel, Microsoft, P&G, Bank of America, Essilor Vision Foundation, the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation, Finish Line, The Safeway Foundation, and Safilo Group. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org. Engage with us on: Twitter @specialolympics; fb.com/specialolympics; youtube.com/specialolympicshq, instagram.com/specialolympics and specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com

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