Football United Myanmar

Context

Football United (FU) brought the sport for development and peace (S4DP) concept and practice to Myanmar in 2013 and has since then worked with various in-country partners across the country, introducing S4DP in four thematic areas: football for youth leadership and life skills development; social cohesion; resilience building; and psychological support.

The violent crackdown following the coup in 2021 caused people to flee to areas controlled by armed ethnic organisations. Kayin is one of the few states where people have been able to seek refuge, with many living in refugee camps on the Thai-Burmese border. Social, emotional, and basic needs are critical. Operating in the state since 2016, Football United provides staff and logistics to address many of these needs.

Project content

FU has developed special learning materials to help young people and communities to build up resilience, life skills and psychological support through specially designed football activities.

Objectives

• Engage the conflict-affected communities in specially designed playing opportunities and football-based behaviour-change mechanisms to improve resilience and reduce vulnerability;
• Build capacity and a flow-on effect in the broader conflict-affected communities, enabling them to recover from trauma and other stresses and faster develop more sustainable solutions to crises.

Project activities

• Situation analysis: roles, contributions of key stakeholders; sites in addition to the FU Peace Centre; SWOT;
• Develop tailor-made curriculums including virtual delivery mechanisms;
• Staff/volunteer induction course delivered either face-to-face or online depending on circumstances;
• Weekly football-based resilience activities;
• Fair play tournaments delivered quarterly, conditions permitting;
• Training of trainers: community members trained to develop future programmes.

Expected results

• Kayin state has more safe spaces for community members to play and heal;
• Participating youngsters and coaches experienced an increased sense of hope and healing, through positive changes in attitudes, beliefs, community solidarity actions. Quantitative result: at least 50% improvement compared to baseline figures;
• Mechanisms introduced for mutual support and continuing engagement of partners: Red Cross branch leaders, IDP camp and conflict-affected non-IDP community leaders to further develop football-based psychological support and resilience-building in their communities.