"Volunteerism isn’t just working for free – it is the shining eyes, the happy smiles,” said Ekaterina.

"We try to make the world a better place."

The 40-strong team off volunteers was being celebrated by Generations For Peace and Sochi 2014 for helping make this year’s event such a resounding success and to emphasise the crucial role volunteerism plays in both organisations’ missions to use sport as a tool for social development.

The camp’s latest high-profile guest speaker, Dmitry Vityutnev, Deputy Head of the Department of Youth Policy and Public Relations at the Russian Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy, gave an inspirational presentation on the power of the volunteer movement in Russia, and its potential for effecting positive social change.

His statistics were impressive - there are, for example, 400,000 young people registered as volunteers in Russia.

Prince Feisal Al-Hussein, Founder and Chairman of Generations For Peace, spoke of his admiration for the volunteers.

"We have all been hugely impressed by the commitment and dedication shown by the Sochi 2014 volunteers," he said.

"But more importantly, we have been touched by their warmth and generosity of spirit.

"It is an honour to be part of this pioneering movement in Russia and to help these volunteers hone their skills in preparation for the Winter Games in 2014.

"Generations For Peace relies on passionate, altruistic people who do not seek material rewards -people who share our belief that, in sport and in life, the values of respect, tolerance, understanding and teamwork are far more important than where you finish on the podium.

"Today’s events prove that we are surrounded by exactly those people."

Four members of the Russian delegation to Sochi Camp 2010 are also members of the Sochi 2014 volunteer team.

These well-educated, ambitious young people are drawn from all over Russia, from St Petersburg, to Kuzhener, to the Russia-Georgian border.

They hope to use the invaluable skills they have acquired from Generations For Peace both to strengthen the Sochi 2014 volunteer team, and to implement conflict transformation programmes in their home regions.

President and chief executive of Sochi 2014, Dmitry Chernyshenko, is extremely proud of what the hand-picked team of volunteers has already achieved.

"This camp has been an excellent opportunity both to demonstrate the skill and experience of the Sochi 2014 volunteer team, and to learn from an organisation that shares our wholehearted commitment to promoting volunteerism,” he said.

"All of the Sochi 2014 volunteers will come away richer for their experiences at this camp, and I am confident they will have made a positive impact on many of the delegates.

"Sochi Camp 2010 has provided us with further impetus to create a tangible legacy today."

Chief executive of Generations For Peace, Princess Sarah Al-Feisal, added: "Every delegate at this camp is a volunteer, and we must equip them with the skills they need to recruit more volunteers when they return home.

"Events like today’s, which clearly demonstrate what can be achieved by building a strong team of talented volunteers, will go a long way towards achieving that.

"Volunteerism is key to achieving our mission of using the power of sport to build sustainable peace in some of the world’s most troubled communities."

Sochi Camp 2010 is the seventh Generations For Peace camp since the first pilot camp in 2007, and the first ever camp in Europe.

There were 57 delegates from 11 countries, seven of them sending delegates for the very first time, taking part in an intensive 10-day peace through sport training programme involving academic conflict transformation techniques and practical sports coaching.


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