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Arsenal at Vatican for global campaign

Vatican - Petr Cech Home or Away
Vatican - Petr Cech Home or Away

Arsenal has been invited to take part in the global launch of a campaign to bring faiths, sports and business together for “the service of humanity”.

The event is being opened by His Holiness Pope Francis.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach are in attendance along with international athletes and global business leaders including WPP Chief Executive Martin Sorrell.

Our own Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis has been invited to speak about the role a global club has in helping to change lives through football.

The invitation follows initiatives by the Arsenal Foundation and Arsenal in the Community to deliver ground-breaking programmes in London and around the world.

Ivan said: “It is a huge honour to have been asked to take part in this event which is designed to help galvanise sport to transform the lives of people who are disadvantaged.

"The work we do in this area is an important part of what we stand for as a club and we are constantly working to do more. We can reach people through the power of football and the Arsenal values and make a profound difference to people’s lives.”

The Conference is organized by the Pontifical Council for Culture under the leadership of Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi. It will explore the power of sport to inspire change and promote respect and tolerance, the importance of promoting diversity and social responsibility and how attendees can turn principles into action.

Further updates from the conference can be found at www.sportforhumanity.com and via Twitter by following @sport4humanity.