SESRIC participated in the 6^th Youth Advocacy Forum (YAF), held on 21-23 November 2025 at the Turkish Green Crescent Society (YEŞİLAY) Headquarters and Riva National Sport Teams Camp and Education Centre in Istanbul, Türkiye. The Forum under the theme “Building Safe, Just, and Peaceful Societies through Sport” was organised by the Turkish Green Crescent Society, in collaboration by the United Nations Office of Drug and Crimes (UNODC) and supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Federation of Green Crescent (IFGC), as well as the Ministry of Youth and Sport of the Republic of Türkiye.

The Forum featured a plenary session day of symposium as the opening ceremony and 2-day training programmes on life skills and team-building workshops. It was attended by 30 youth delegates with diverse backgrounds and professional experiences in sports, health as well as youth-related social works from 18 countries all over the globe, including 10 OIC Member Countries, namely Afghanistan, Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Palestine, Türkiye and Yemen.

Being held onsite for the first time, the 6^th YAF was opened with the series of welcoming remarks given by Mr. Doruk MALHAN, the Deputy President of the Turkish Green Crescent Society, Mrs. Georgia DIMITROPOULOU, the Officer Representative of UNODC, Dr. Tasnim ATATRAH, the Country Representative of WHO Türkiye, and H.E. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Safa KOÇOGLU, the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport of the Republic of Türkiye, where they all addressed the importance of sport and values-based education to prevent violence, promote healthy lifestyles, and empower youth as agents of change.

The opening programme of the Forum also covered the following presentation sessions:

• “Introduction to Sport against Crime: Outreach, Resilience, Empowerment of at-risk youth” (SC: ORE) Project”, Mrs. Xenia KOURGOUZOVA, Senior Education Manager - OVEP Programme, IOC;
• “Youth and Sports: Building the Future”, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arif ÇETIN, School of Sport Sciences, Marmara University; and
• “How Sport Changes Individuals: Empirical Experience Sharing”, Mr. Mehmet Kani POLAT, Chair of World Taekwondo Athletes Committee and Turkish Taekwondo National Team Captain.

The Forum provided the participants the opportunity for networking with high-level representatives, international organizations, government institutions, academics, professional athletes and global experts in youth advocacy and addiction prevention. The following training programmes and workshops served as group discussion platforms on youth empowerment, mental health, and crime prevention coupled with sport-based activities to develop life skills such as teamwork, leadership, and effective communication. Connecting like-minded young leaders from around the world and exchange ideas.

For more information, please visit: https://youthadvocacyforum.com

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