David Evangelista – Speaker at the 18th EFDN Conference
David Evangelista, President and Managing Director, Special Olympics Europe Eurasia , is a confirmed speaker at our 18th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference in Budapest from the 14th until the 16th of November 2022.
David Evangelista is an international relations and international development professional that is committed to empowering those most on the margins of the global community. He oversees the growth and development of the Special Olympics movement in 58 nations, and has extensive experience in inclusive development, government relations, sport, and industry engagement. He serves as a member of the Centre for Sports and Human Rights, serves as a member on the Multilateral Diplomacy Advisory Board of UNITAR, is a member of the Board of Directors of The Access Challenge, and is a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow of Lions Clubs International. An American national, David resides in Vigo, Spain with his wife and two children.
Mr. Evangelista will be discussing the following in his presentation at the conference: Through Special Olympics Unified Football, the movement is able to showcase how the sport of football serves as a powerful educational tool for the global community- in all sectors. As part of its commitment to social inclusion, millions of Special Olympics athletes have benefitted from football’s solidarity for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and millions more youth have benefitted from the educational value that stems from the pitch- in schools, in sports clubs, in local neighborhoods across Europe. From migration to gender equity to reconciliation to social inclusion to universal health access, football continues to serve as the world’s most dominant sports language for in making inclusive development a reality for all.
