We report the speech by Simona Cruciani, Programme Coordinator of the UN Office for the Prevention of Genocide, delivered on 6 March 2025 at the Gariwo meeting in Palazzo Marino dedicated to the Righteous in Sport.
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Good evening everyone,
It is truly an honour for me to be here with all of you and to participate in this important event. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Mayor Giuseppe Sala, Elena Buscemi, President of the City Council, the entire Gariwo team, Gabriele Nissim, Martina Landi, Francesco Cataluccio, Benedetta Macripò, Joshua Evangelista, and everyone else involved in organising this meeting and for graciously inviting my office to the event. I would also like to acknowledge the entire sports community present here today. In times like these, when challenges seem overwhelming, collaboration and solidarity are more vital than ever.
To begin with, I would like to provide you with a brief overview of the work my office undertakes.
The Office of Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide was established in 2004, with the aim of strengthening the United Nations' capacity to prevent the horrific crime of genocide. This initiative followed the devastating genocides in Rwanda in 1994, against the Tutsi population, and in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1995. Our office operates primarily with an early warning mandate, monitoring and analysing situations of potential genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. We keep the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council informed and provide recommendations for preventive measures. In addition, we are tasked with disseminating vital information on these atrocities, promoting awareness, and advocating for preventive action across the global community.
To identify situations at risk of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, the office utilises the Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes. This tool outlines various risk factors and indicators for these crimes, including eight general indicators and two specific ones for each type of crime.
For instance, the presence of severe human rights violations in an environment marked by armed conflict, along with rising inter-religious or inter-ethnic tensions, should raise significant alarms. The Framework is a publicly available document, approved by the UN General Assembly, and is also used by UN Member States, civil society organisations, and experts worldwide.
In addition to monitoring risks, my office is responsible for building the capacity of all stakeholders involved in prevention efforts, including UN Member States, civil society, academia, and the media. We also disseminate information to raise awareness and foster a deeper understanding of these crimes and their prevention.
Furthermore, my Office serves as a focal point at the UN for addressing and combating hate speech.
As part of the Framework of Analysis I mentioned earlier, hate speech and incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence are recognised not only as risk indicators but also as potential triggers for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. History has in fact repeatedly demonstrated how such hateful, discriminatory, and violent rhetoric has played a crucial role in enabling horrific atrocities—whether in the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, Srebrenica, or more recent tragedies, such as the crimes committed against the Rohingya people in Myanmar in 2017.
Hate speech is like a virus, spreading through our societies and creating deep divisions. Its consequences—discrimination, hostility, and violence—are contagious and often difficult to reverse. Sadly, no society is immune. Furthermore, with the rise of social media, hate speech has gained even more power. After all, who is not present today on these digital platforms?
For this reason, hate speech currently poses an even greater danger. It seeps into both new and traditional media, reaching every corner of our society.
In response to the growing threat of hate speech, in 2019, UN Secretary-General António Guterres made combating hate speech a top priority for the United Nations. He launched an Action Plan, which my office is responsible for implementing globally, in collaboration with UN Member States, regional bodies, civil society, and in full alignment with international human rights law—particularly the right to freedom of opinion and expression. The most effective way to fight hate speech is not through censorship but by promoting free speech. The solution lies in encouraging more discourse, not less.
The success of this Action Plan depends above all on educating future generations to embrace diversity and solidarity, while working directly with communities. It is at the community level where the effects of hate speech—prejudice, discrimination, division, and violence—are most acutely felt.
This is why sport plays such a vital role in counteracting hate speech. As stated by the UN Secretary-General, sport accelerates peace and development, unites people, and has the power to resolve conflicts, even at local level.
In my travels around the world, including in some of the most impoverished and conflict-ridden regions, I have consistently encountered children and young people who, despite their hardships, find ways to play—whether by crafting balls out of rags, playing football without shoes, or skipping with makeshift ropes. These moments prove that sport reaches everyone, even those in the most difficult circumstances and remote locations.
For this reason, the role of sport and athletes in preventing hate speech and violence is crucial.
Since the 8th century BC, when the ancient Greeks established the Olympic Truce to halt conflicts in favour of safe and peaceful games, sport has served as a unifying force for humanity. Because sport transcends boundaries, and its values are universal.
From schoolyards to global arenas, whether in summer or winter, in cities or mountains, sport teaches us that diversity is a resource, not a drawback. The myriad ways in which it is practiced reflect our varied cultures, social interactions, skills, and creativity. Sport embodies the diversity of humanity.
Thus, sport speaks to billions of people, in different ways, yet always with the same universal message. The values and emotions it conveys can positively impact the communities in which it is practiced or admired. Hence, when hate speech arises during a sporting event or in a stadium, it resonates with greater intensity because such hate directly undermines universal human rights and human dignity. That is why, when a sports team takes a stand against hatred, it has a unique opportunity to influence its fans and draw on the universal values of sport—respect for diversity, fairness, and honesty. This creates a powerful ‘wall effect’, enabling society to respond in a unified, cohesive manner against prejudice and discrimination.
This is the essence of community-oriented sport, which we saw in action when, for example, in 2018, sports teams in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, united in response to the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history; and again in 2022, when they stood against the racially motivated shooting in Buffalo, New York.
It was the tragedies in Pittsburgh and Buffalo that inspired the establishment of the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, held in Pittsburgh in September 2021. This summit aimed to promote cross-border and cross-disciplinary solutions to hate, with the goal of ensuring that such tragic events in these cities—and elsewhere—never happen again.
Through collaboration between our office and various civil society sectors in Pittsburgh and Buffalo, including the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Buffalo Bills, the Game Plan was developed. This document highlights the specific role athletes and sports teams can play in combating hate speech.
The Game Plan outlines six main recommendations for the sports sector to advance the fight against hate speech:
- Open and honest discussions about hate speech with athletes, staff, the public, and those targeted by it.
- Promotion of positive messages, practices, and policies.
- Organisation of awareness campaigns within supporter communities to educate on diversity and intervene before hateful messages lead to violence or hate crimes.
- Recognising, reporting, and rewarding stories of athletes and sports figures who combat hate speech.
- Strengthening the capacity of all stakeholders to identify and address hate speech.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As many of you know, I am passionate about storytelling, particularly positive stories that demonstrate, in simple and direct ways, how each of us, in our own small way, can contribute to a better world. These stories embody the concept of Righteousness, introduced by the GARIWO Foundation in 2012, and which we commemorate today, and on 6 March of every year.
The Righteous are those who pay attention to the world around them, who do not remain indifferent but take time to listen to the voices of the marginalised and the oppressed; to them they offer a helping hand and a shoulder to lean on in the most difficult of times.
The Righteous are those who defend human dignity, even at great risk for their own safety and that of their loved ones, to protect universal and inalienable human rights.
There are many examples of Righteous individuals, including in sport. In the United States, athletes have knelt before the start or end of games to protest against the systemic racism that pervades society. Globally, many athletes establish foundations or donate large sums of money to support humanitarian causes. Acts of altruism cannot however be automatically expected from those with wealth and fame, which is why athletes who champion social causes truly deserve our admiration. These athletes often serve as powerful role models, using their influence to inspire others and make a meaningful impact on society.
I am also incredibly proud to be here today with Nadia Adim, the AC Milan footballer and striker, who, for me, stands as a powerful symbol in the fight against structural gender discrimination. Dear Nadia, your life exemplifies courage, reminding us all of the importance of never giving up, even in the face of the most difficult situations, such as the ongoing oppression of women in Afghanistan under the de facto government of that country.
I am equally honoured to be with Simone Barlaam, Paralympic swimming champion, whose story—along with that of countless other Paralympic and disabled athletes—teaches us that courage and determination help us overcome barriers of difference and indifference, which all too often take the form of discrimination.
The stories of Nadia, Simone, and so many others inspire us to persevere in the face of hardship and injustice. They show us that each of us, in our own small way, can become a Righteous Person and contribute to doing good, simply by leading a life of integrity and thereby setting an example for others.
Let us also remember that when we talk about setting an example, we are often referring to younger generations, who actively engage in and follow sports. These are the individuals who will one day lead our institutions, both national and global.
For this reason, remembering the Righteous in sport remains essential. We must continue to teach, especially young people, that doing good is not extraordinary—it is part of our daily lives. Being Righteous should be the rule, not the exception. We can all be Righteous and contribute to a better world, if we choose to.
I would like to just end with a story that has deeply moved me recently. In January, I attended a conference on hate speech in Tirana, where I learned about the remarkable history of Albania. It is the only European country where the Holocaust never occurred, and where the Jewish population had actually increased by the end of World War II. During the war, Albania became a safe haven for Jews, offering salvation to many. Society, through its institutions and individuals, created a protective shield against deportations, saving countless lives.
This history underscores the importance of courage in action, of standing against the status quo. Sometimes, small, seemingly insignificant gestures save lives and change the course of history. And there is no better example of this than teamwork in sport, where unity becomes strength.
Dear guests,
In recognition of sport’s universal values as a unifying force, ten years ago, the United Nations General Assembly established the International Day of Sport for Peace and Development, which we celebrate every year on 6 April, exactly one month after the European Day of the Righteous, which we are commemorating today.
I hope, with all my heart, that we will gather again soon to celebrate the European Day of the Righteous, because acts of kindness know no borders.
I also want to highlight that today marks the beginning of a significant journey toward the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, which will take place in exactly one year's time. We have 365 days to unite, strengthening our collaboration between my Office, Gariwo, and the Municipality of Milan. Together, we will continue to work tirelessly on issues close to our hearts, such as combating hate speech and leveraging sport as a powerful ally in the ongoing battle to defend human dignity.
I would like to conclude with a quote from another Righteous individual, Nelson Mandela, whose struggle against racial discrimination dismantled the walls of apartheid in South Africa: "Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to unite people like nothing else. It speaks to young people in a language they understand. It can create hope where before there was only despair".
Mandela, as we know from the film Invictus, recognised the power of sport as a binding force for peace. He had the visionary idea of using rugby, his country’s national sport, to unite divided racial groups after years of discord and discrimination.
It is in pursuit of Mandela’s dream and the dreams of so many other Righteous individuals that we are gathered here today, so that our words and efforts can contribute to a slightly better world each day.
Thank you for your attention.
