United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
Special Olympics and UNHCR Sign Global Agreement to Champion Inclusion for Refugees of All Abilities
New Memorandum of Understanding expands the Unified with Refugees project, harnessing the power of sport to promote opportunities for displaced communities and people with intellectual disabilities alike.
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World Refugee Day 2025: Polina Finds Meaning Through Sport in Romania
13-year-old Polina from Ukraine struggled with her new life when she first arrived in Romania but, with the support of teachers, friends and Special Olympics, she began to thrive. Polina now enjoys a full life of art and sport—even achieving bronze at the recent Special Olympics Romania National Games!
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Special Olympics Unified with Refugees initiative brings hope in Madrid
Special Olympics Unified with Refugees Senior Advisor Gerald Mballe travelled to Madrid, Spain, to visit a refugee reception center and a local school, and foster connections between refugees, people with intellectual disabilities and their host communities.
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Special Olympics Romania Embraces Inclusive Support for Ukrainian Refugees through Unified with Refugees Initiative
Representatives of Special Olympics Europe Eurasia, SO Romania, and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency held a collaborative meeting in Bucharest to explore ways to amplify support for refugees.
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Special Olympics España Spearheads ‘Unified with Refugees’ initiative in Europe Eurasia
Inclusivity takes center stage as football players from Special Olympics Andalucia participate in an exhibition match with refugees from the Seville Refugee Reception Center.
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A Refugee Camp Paves the Way for Inclusion: Special Olympics Tanzania’s Story
Members of a refugee camp share how Unified Schools have benefited the lives of people of all abilities in their community.
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Gerald Mballe Becomes First-Ever Advisor for Unified with Refugees Programme
Special Olympics Europe Eurasia is excited to announce that Special Olympics Italia Unified Partner, Gerald Mballe will join the regional team as the movement’s first-ever Advisor on the Special Olympics Unified with Refugees programme.
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Special Olympics and UN Refugee Agency Stand Unified With Refugees of All Abilities
Special Olympics and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, today signed a global Memorandum of Understanding to formalize a growing partnership benefiting refugees of all abilities.
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Celebrating United Nations Day
In 2020, the United Nations marks 75 years of working toward “peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet.” On United Nations Day, we celebrate the UN’s work with a look at some of the Special Olympics athlete leaders, from around the world, who have spoken before UN audiences throughout the years.
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Fit-5 Cards Promote Health for Athletes with Limited Access to Online Connectivity in the Africa Region
During a time social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Special Olympics has made a variety of online resources, such as virtual games, workouts and leadership opportunities, available to keep athletes healthy and engaged until in-person activities resume.
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