‘Score the Goals’ Comic Book, Featuring Star Athletes on Journey to Fulfil

 

Millennium Development Goals, Launched at United Nations in Geneva

 

GENEVA, 24 January — Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, along with Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, Wilfried Lemke, today launched the new comic book Score the Goals: Teaming Up to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals, at the United Nations in Geneva.

Mr. Casillas’ first task as Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), following his appointment by Rebeca Grynspan, UNDP’s Associate Administrator, was to launch the brand new comic book, which features him, along with nine other star athletes.

“I am very honoured to be part of this comic book,” Casillas declared.  “It is a fantastic fun way to raise awareness and to educate children around the world about the Millennium Development Goals and about important life values such as tolerance, respect and team spirit.  As it says in the comic book, “Together we can make it happen!”.

The 32-page educational comic book features 10 football Goodwill Ambassadors, namely Emmanuel Adebayor, Roberto Baggio, Michael Ballack, Mr. Casillas, Didier Drogba, Luis Figo, Raúl, Ronaldo, Patrick Vieira, and Zinédine Zidane.  In the story, they become shipwrecked on an island on their way to play an all-star charity football game in support of the United Nations.  While on the island, the team has to tackle the eight Millennium Development Goals along their journey towards being rescued.

The project has been carried out in a “One UN” spirit and is the result of successful inter-agency collaboration between the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP), UNDP, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Department of Public Information, and the Stop Tuberculosis Partnership.

“This achievement shows great cooperation between UN agencies and is the delivery of the One UN message,” said Mr. Lemke.  “Too few people in the world know about the MDGs and it is important to keep raising awareness, especially amongst youth.  I hope children all over the world read and enjoy this comic book and take action towards contributing to achieving the Goals,” he added.

The comic book is primarily aimed as 8- to 12-year-old children and provides a fun interactive way to help them understand, familiarize and reflect about the eight Millennium Development Goals, as well as invites them to take action through several activities provided in the adjoining educational guide.

With only four years until the deadline to reach the Goals, the challenge remains to make children fully aware of them and of the important role they can play in achieving them.  Sport stars — and football players in particular — often act as role models and, as such, can be of great added value to the United Nations and its partners, when disseminating behaviour change messages.

Currently the comic book is available in English, French and Spanish and can be downloaded in pdf format at www.un.org/sport.  Other languages, including Arabic, Chinese and Russian, will be made available in the near future.

Print copies will be distributed worldwide by the above-mentioned United Nations entities via their networks of offices and partners.  A first batch of 10,000 has been printed at the United Nations Office in Geneva on recycled paper, using vegetable ink.

The wide dissemination, reproduction and use of the document are strongly encouraged.  All rights and permission requests to reprint, re-publish, translate or use in other media (including electronic) should be addressed to publications@un.org.

For more information, please contact Antoine Tardy, Advocacy and Communications Officer, United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace, tel.:  +41 (0) 22 917 47 12, e-mail:  atardy@unog.ch.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record