The Youth Charter (www.YouthCharter.org), a leading international charity in sport-for-development and peace, has released a powerful new essay commemorating the fifth anniversary of the death of George Floyd, calling on global athletes and the wider sporting community to move beyond symbolic protest and toward unified action in support of disadvantaged youth worldwide.

Titled “From Taking the Knee to Taking a Stand”, the essay urges sportsmen and women who took the knee in solidarity over the past five years to now stand together as a team, championing lasting change through sport-based education, opportunity, and peacebuilding initiatives. 

“The protest was a moment. The movement must now be a mission,” said Prof. Geoff Thompson MBE, Founder and Executive Chair of the Youth Charter. “We are calling on the sporting world to unite with purpose and action—to invest in the lives and futures of young people who have been left behind for too long.” 

A New Direction for the Sport-for-Development Movement 

The press release accompanies the Youth Charter’s Global Call 2 Action, which outlines a clear roadmap for leveraging sport to address youth disaffection, poverty, violence, and inequality. The initiative calls for: 

• Greater investment in community sport infrastructure and youth leadership programmes 
• Stronger partnerships between sports bodies, governments, and civil society 
• Amplifying the voices of marginalised youth across global policy forums 
• Elevating sport’s role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 

A Legacy That Must Be Built 

The Youth Charter emphasises that the legacy of George Floyd and the athlete-led protests that followed must translate into systemic change. The call is not just to remember, but to reform. 

“Taking the knee showed courage. Now we need conviction—to stand, act, and lead as one global team for peace, opportunity, and equity,” said Loretta Green-Williams, Southern Africa Coordinator for the Youth Charter.