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Weah and Jabeur take top prizes at Peace and Sport International Forum

by: Luke Entwistle
01/12/2022

Liberian president and former Ballon d’Or winner George Weah and international tennis player Ons Jabeur were recognised for their work following a packed day of intense debate with stars of sport.

The 13th edition of the Peace and Sport International Forum began with hours of intense debate on a wide range of current and topical sporting issues. Maher Nasser, Director of the United Nations’ Communications Department, hosted a conversation with L’Équipe General Manager Laurent Prud’Homme and AS Monaco CEO Jean-Emmanuel De Witt about how football can help towards sustainable development goals.

De Witt evoked the power of football to “federate communities”. The comments come amidst a backdrop of heightened discussion about the morality of the sport and the interest of those at the top of the game, with Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup contested on various ethical and environmental levels. Former Chelsea and Ivory Coast great Didier Drogba, who is now vice-president of Peace and Sport, contributed to the forum via video link from Doha. Mutaz Barshim, a Qatari Olympic Champion also participated in the discussions from Doha and spoke about the potential legacy of the ongoing tournament.

Discussions from the role of sport in conflict prevention to its role in promoting gender equality continued into the evening ahead of the awarding of numerous accolades at the Fairmont Monte-Carlo.

Weah was awarded the Peace and Sport Special Prize by Prince Albert II for his commitment to democracy and reconciliation in his native Liberia. Jabeur, a female Tunisian tennis player was awarded the Peace Champion of the Year Prize, following in the footsteps of sportspeople such as Rudy Gobert, Lionel Messi and Blaise Matuidi.

The Special Jury Prize went to the International Cycling Union, who enable female Afghan cyclists to practise their sport outside of their country. Elsewhere, the April6 Initiative of the Year went to Alfredo Harp Helu Foundation for Sport, the CSR Initiative of the Year went to Les Eaux Minérales d’Oulmès and the NGO of the Year was awarded to 4-H Zimbabwe Foundation, who work towards uniting opposing communities through the organisation of sports tournaments. Finally, the Institution of the Year was awarded to Birmingham City Council for their role in strengthening ties between communities through this year’s Commonwealth Games.

Speaking at the event, the president and founder of Peace and Sport Joël Bouzou said, “I am delighted that so many high-level personalities have come together after two years of the pandemic to reaffirm that sports offers solutions to the resurgence of conflict, division and hate speech.” The former Olympic pentathlete added, “I would like to thank the actors of the peace through sport movement for their valuable contributions and these rich moments of sharing and learning.”

 

Photo by Peace and Sport

 

Dancing into December

by: Stephanie Horsman
30/11/2022

For dance lovers, December will be like having Christmas come early, with a full schedule of performances sure to delight young and old whatever their creative tastes. 

The winter season of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo begins with the 2022 Monaco Dance Forum, a yearly event that entices troupes from around the world to come and perform in the Principality in addition to offering dance enthusiasts a number of workshops, talks, screenings and master classes led by choreographers whose works feature in the line-up.  

It kicks off on 10th December with a Monaco Dance Forum event by Gauthier Dance and Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart’s presentation of 7 Sins. Aszure Barton, Hofesh Shechter, Marco Goecke, Marcos Morau, Sasha Waltz, Sharon Eyal, and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui turn pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth into a magnificent tableau for all to enjoy at the Salle Garnier of the Grimaldi Forum.  

On 12th December, Indian Kuchipudi dancer Shantala Shivalingappa, accompanied by an orchestra of musicians, hits the stage with her show Swayambhu, taking audiences on a trip to her native land..   

The Kors’ia company will perform Igra on 14th December at the Grimaldi Forum. Mattia Russo and Antonio De Rosa have imagined a disconcerting ballet that echoes the haunting Games by Nijinsky.  

This is followed on 16th December with La Veronal’s return to the Principality with their follow-up to the successful Sienna, a performance titled Sonoma. Called a cross between visual poetry and primitive howling, this performance is a whole-body experience, with drumbeats reconnecting audiences with their most basic origins.   

The Compagnie des Ballets de Monte-Carlo will perform Noces by Jean-Christophe Maillot presented together with Opus 40 on 17th and 18th December. 

A screening of the 1961 Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins version of West Side Story will also be screened on 18th December as part of a collaboration with the Audiovisual Institute of Monaco.  

To end the year in style, the Ballets de Monte-Carlo will perform Jean-Christophe Maillot’s rendition of Faust, the classic tale of the man who sells his soul to the devil in return for worldly pleasure and unlimited knowledge. With scenographer Rolph Sachs, costume designer Philippe Guillotel and supported by the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, the 50 dancers of the Company will offer the public a final farewell to 2022 from 27th to 31st December. It is not to be missed.  

More information and ticket reservations, please visit www.balletsdemontecarlo.com.  

 

 

Photo source: Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo/Facebook

Condamine Market hosts Corsica

by: Elsa Carpenter
28/11/2022

Head to the popular Condamine Market this coming Saturday for a day celebrating the best of Corsican cuisine and culture. 

From 8am on Saturday 3rd December, the Condamine Market at the foot of Le Rocher will be dedicating a whole day to products – from cheese and olive oil to specialist meats and wine – from the Ile de Beauté.  

Musical performances and activities for the whole family will accompany a menu of tastings and gourmet treats.  

Entry is free.  

 

 

Photo source: Erik Dungan for Unsplash

Photos: Gilbert wins in final pro race at Beking

by: Luke Entwistle
28/11/2022

Philippe Gilbert’s glittering professional cycling career ended in fairytale fashion on the streets of Monte-Carlo, as he won the second edition of Beking on Sunday amidst a fun family atmosphere. 

A career spanning 19 years, which has included winning titles such as the UCI World Tour and classic races such as the Paris-Roubaix, came to an end on Sunday, but was marked with one more final triumph.

Having won the team time trial in the morning, Belgian cyclist Gilbert then won the headline event, the criterium, in the afternoon after making the break on the final lap of 40 around the iconic streets of Monte-Carlo.

“I’m really happy to have won the two events today. The team time-trial this morning by one second and then this afternoon with all the pros. It was a different win because, with the quality of the riders that we have in Monaco, it’s not easy,” said Gilbert.

As a Monaco resident, it was the perfect place to write the final chapter of Gilbert’s professional career.

“It’s nice to end my career like this. I’ve been living in Monaco for 13 years now, so finishing here is really nice,” he said.

Whilst the Beking event adds an element of competition to the off-season, its raison d’être is to inspire the next generation of cyclists and hundreds participated in the children’s race, with many of the professionals own children taking part.

“It’s a special event in that I can bring my wife and kids along and it’s an event that is entirely built around bikes and kids,” INEOS cyclist Luke Rowe told Monaco Life. “That’s great. We’re doing more and more in bringing bikes and safety to Monaco. Onwards and upwards!”

For the professionals, it is also an opportunity to ascertain their level ahead of the beginning of the season.

“In the middle of the winter, it’s nice to be able to test your legs and see exactly where you’re at with an important year coming up and just to gauge your form. The line-up is incredible. It really is the crème de la crème of professional cycling at the moment,” added Rowe.

Indeed the vast majority of the cyclists are from the local area, with the Principality acting as a hub for the elite of the sport. Monaco’s Victor Langellotti spoke about what makes the area so attractive to his fellow professionals.

“It’s a paradise for cyclists. The weather, the training ground is excellent, there are ascents, there is the flat. There is everything you need in order to train well,” he told Monaco Life.

Despite the Côte d’Azur’s overwhelming popularity with cyclists, the sport has yet to flourish in the area, a fact that Beking is attempting to rectify.

“It’s a nice project. For the second edition, it’s better,” said Gilbert. “I’m sure every year it will have more success and I hope to come back in 10 years and there will be 1000s of people. Cycling is not famous here in the south of France so we have to make it famous. We’re on the right path. The dream is to have one of these kids riding today turning professional in 10 or 15 years. That would be the best message.”

It is an event that adds a sprinkle of competition for professionals in the off-season, that raises the profile of the sport on the Côte, and inspires the next generation of riders. The second edition of Beking was a confirmation of the event’s and the sport’s positive trajectory in the Principality.

 

Photo gallery by Monaco Life.

 

Ducruet, Frolla and Coulthard join fight for an end to violence against women

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/11/2022

With the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women coming up this Friday, three Monaco associations and three familiar faces are planning an event to show men and boys how they can make a real difference in helping end violence towards women.

Since 2008, the United Nations has championed the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women as a way to increase public awareness on the issues surrounding women’s safety, as well as to enlighten people to what an insidious problem it is.

2022 has been a complex year for women’s rights. Although a prominent topic in the news, steps backward have been taken, not least the shock United States’ Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, which gave American women the right to choose in case of pregnancy.

In Monaco, the good fight continues, and three local organisations – Fight Aids Monaco and SheCanHeCan with the support of the Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights – are taking advantage of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women to inspire male allies.

These groups believe men and boys are the “central actors” in ending violence against women, and will set up a stand in the Fontvieille Shopping Centre on Thursday 24th November. From here, they will ask men of all ages to come and be photographed with powerful anti-aggression messages. These messages will be posted on the associations’ social media accounts as well as on Clear Channel all day on Friday 25th November.

Ambassadors Louis Ducruet, Pierre Frolla and David Coulthard are hoping to collect over 200 portraits of men and boys who are willing to show that they stand against violence towards women.

Each man photographed will choose the message he wants to convey, from “A real man doesn’t hit a woman” to “I say NO to violence against women”. The participants will also be invited to take a Pledge for Equality.

“This initiative, launched in 2019, aims to encourage the local population to act daily to make equality a reality,” said the SheCanHeCan association via a communiqué.

For further information, please visit www.shecanhecan.org.

 

 

Photo source: Ashkan Forouzani for Unsplash

Waste Reduction Week: What’s on in Monaco?

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/11/2022

The European Waste Reduction Week is underway for the fourth consecutive year and Monaco is a keen participant, with numerous awareness-raising activities and events organised to encourage residents in the Principality to waste less and reuse more.

Waste Reduction Week is a Europe-wide event aimed at getting people to think harder about the three Rs: reducing, reusing and recycling. Monaco will champion the event up until 27th November and this year has set the theme of “Circular and Sustainable Textiles”.

The textile industry has a big impact on the environment, from the production and distribution phases all the way through to after-use, where many pieces end up in landfills. The Monegasque government is therefore asking people to consider what to do with clothes, shoes, towels, bedding and other textile products before mindlessly dumping them in the bin.

To help, they have set up a series of terrific events to discover sustainable solutions that are both informational and fun.

The creative ways the government and other associations in the Principality are getting involved range wildly from a treasure hunt to “Textiles in Bloom”, a weeklong programme by the Department of Urban Development that uses an original process for reusing used textiles and transforming them into a personalised and reusable tote bag.

Other events include sewing workshops, a charity work clothes collection for people trying to re-enter the job market, a raffle (for every three clothing items donated, a ticket to win prizes is offered), and the community creation of an XXL textile fresco made from used clothes, bed and table linen, and scraps of fabric.

There are so many more incredible ways to be a part of this year’s European Waste Reduction Week – far too many to be listed. The complete schedule can be found here.

Get inspired and get involved, Monaco!

 

 

Photo source: Lucas Hoang for Unsplash