Blind Solidarity

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Mali, Bamako
Start date 01/01/2025
End date 12/31/2025
Cost of the project €59,000
Foundation funding €40,000
Project identifier 2024000675
Partners Association Libre Vue
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

The political situation in Mali is highly unstable, and relations with France are particularly tense following the European country’s military withdrawal. This instability and widespread conflict contribute to high levels of internal displacement and poverty in one of the poorest countries in the world. In 2012, Libre Vue launched the Blind Solidarity project at the Institut des Jeunes Aveugles in Bamako (a school for 250 visually impaired children living in highly precarious conditions). The association built infrastructure including a special pitch suitable for blind football and started offering regular football coaching.

Project goals

The charity’s next steps as the project continues are to:

  • resurface the artificial pitch for blind football in order to improve playing conditions and enable Blind Solidarity to rent it out and therefore become more self-sufficient
  • step up educational measures on how to keep the pitch and its surroundings clean and in good condition
  • foster the long-term growth of blind football among girls
  • use social media to communicate more effectively throughout the country using social network

Project content

  • Resurface the artificial pitch for blind football
  • Hold regular discussions with the families of girls, in particular
  • Implement routine pitch-maintenance measures
  • Train the manager of the facilities

Partners

Sports centres for children, young people and their families

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Switzerland
Start date 01/01/2025
End date 12/31/2025
Cost of the project €7,694,307
Foundation funding €80,000
Project identifier 2024000282
Partners Fondation IdéeSport
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Children and young people today often suffer from a sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise, excessive use of social media, mental health problems, limited access to sports facilities and gender stereotypes. Participating in sport can help to address these issues and gives children a chance to meet new people, thereby supporting their healthy development and integration into the community.

Project goals

The IdéeSport Foundation uses sport to get young people moving, encourage them to lead a healthy lifestyle and prevent addiction. It aims to actively promote integration, particularly of disabled or migrant children and young people, by welcoming those from all social backgrounds, regardless of their gender, socio-economic status, ethnicity or sporting ability.

Project content

IdéeSport gives children and young people opportunities to meet, train and play in local public sports centres at weekends and during the holidays. The programmes are:

  • PeerPower, aimed at teenagers and young adults
  • MidnightSports, aimed at secondary school students
  • OpenSunday and ActiveWeek, aimed at primary school pupils
  • MiniMove, aimed at preschoolers and their parents

Partners

Female International Fent Esport

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Spain, Region of Catalonia (Provinces of Barcelona, Tarragona, Lleida and Girona)
Start date 06/01/2024
End date 07/13/2025
Cost of the project €103,558
Foundation funding €31,558
Project identifier 2024000224
Partners Federació Esportiva Catalana de Paralítics Cerebrals
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

The Catalan Sports Federation for Cerebral Palsy is responsible for developing sport for people with cerebral palsy throughout Catalonia. The Fent Esport women’s programme works with schools throughout the territory, explaining to girls with brain damage and their families that they too have the possibility to play sport and organising training and competitions for them, locally and internationally.

Project goals

  • Get more girls with brain damage playing indoor football, seven-a-side football and other sports to increase their social inclusion
  • Increase the number of participants in Catalonia, including as part of a regional competition that feeds into the national team, with the possibility of big events like the European championship and the World Cup
  • Increase awareness of brain damage and the realities of people with cerebral palsy

Project content

Fent Esport creates local groups that can train together, based on the geographic proximity of participants. For the first month, the groups will be supported by the federation, which organises the technical staff, venue and logistics. The groups will train together all season, in June they will then travel to Denmark for a weekend of matches and in July their Danish counterparts will come to Barcelona.

Partners

Football versus Discrimination

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Ireland
Start date 01/01/2025
End date 12/31/2026
Cost of the project €268,773,88
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2024001292
Partners Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI)
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Ireland has become an increasingly diverse community, with people of many ethnic backgrounds migrating and/or seeking asylum in Ireland. SARI proactively celebrates this but understands that it brings challenges. Over the past 12-16 months, Ireland has seen the rise of the far-right with an increase in anti-immigrant sentiment, protests and violent riots.
Sport can play a pivotal role in addressing these issues.

Project goals

The aim of the project is to break down barriers and further social inclusion by bringing people of different communities together through sport – and specifically football – to learn about, examine and challenge concepts such as discrimination and racism as well as learn about other cultures and Irish society. Specific goals are to:

  •  Increase mutual understanding between children & young people from diverse ethnic backgrounds
  • Help combat racism & all forms of discrimination
  • Promote the integration and inclusion of migrants & refugees into Irish schools & wider society
  • Facilitate participation of migrants in sport, volunteering and cultural activities
  • Promote gender equality in sport and society
  • Introduce children to the concept of Human Rights
  • Advocate for the inclusion of EDI education in the national curriculum

Project content

SARI coaches, both male and female from diverse ethnic backgrounds, visit schools across Ireland to deliver an Anti-discrimination workshop to students. This workshop addresses issues including racism, homophobia, sexism and disability.

Partners

We live together, learn and play

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Spain, Madrid
Start date 01/01/2025
End date 12/31/2025
Cost of the project €197,113
Foundation funding €20,000
Project identifier 2024000241
Partners Asociación Alacrán 1997
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Children and adolescents are increasingly vulnerable to anxiety, stress and isolation, which all have detrimental effects on their mental and physical health. Common symptoms include unhealthy eating, sleep and smartphone habits and a higher risk of abuse of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.

Project goals

  • Support the personal and social development of vulnerable children and adolescents through the acquisition of life skills and values
  • Create a protective and caring space for children and adolescents in a community environment where their rights are sure to be respected
  • Help the children and adolescents take a leading role in replicating the project and activities in their communities

Project content

Convivimos, Aprendemos y Jugamos is designed to lessen the vulnerability of children and adolescents in Madrid, promoting their personal and social development in a safe and caring space. Through football and other socio-educational activities, it promotes the acquisition of life skills and values and fosters improvements in coexistence within the surrounding community.

Partners

A Ball for All AFRICA

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Greece, Thessaloniki
Start date 02/01/2025
End date 03/31/2026
Cost of the project €100,000
Foundation funding €95,000
Project identifier 2024000311
Partners Orama Neon Youthorama
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

Youthorama was founded in Greece in 2003 as a meeting place for young people aged 13 to 30. Elias Mastoras, founder of Youthorama and International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) blind football chairman, created the world’s first mini football for blind children. It is available for donation only, not for sale. Youthorama believes that every blind or visually impaired child should have access to quality education and the right to play. With A Ball for All, the organisation set out to distribute these special balls to schools in all corners of the world, accompanied by an education programme approved by the Hellenic ministry of education.

Project goals

Overall goal

A Ball for All AFRICA aims to establish a network of schools in Africa and Greece that promote inclusive football values in support of SDG 10: Reduced inequalities.

Specific targets

  • A Ball for All education programme implemented in 50 inclusive schools and sports clubs in Africa and Greece
  • 1,000 pupils with and without visual impairments involved (mixed classes) in Africa and Greece
  • Feedback questionnaires completed by all 1,000 participants for quality control and research purposes
  • 50 sports teachers and volunteers using the online tools
  • 10,000 participants in featuring a mixed delegation at the open fan festival at the Club World Cup
  • 500 mini footballs donated in Greece and in areas of Africa where the UEFA foundation is not yet active

 

Project content

  • 50 football workshops in mainstream primary schools and inclusive sports clubs, focusing on personal development, empathy and inclusion
  • Donation of educational package featuring special mini footballs in Africa and to all African clubs involved in the Club World Cup
  • Educational experiential event at the Club World Cup
  • First-ever quality research measuring the change in inclusion achieved by the programme

Partners

Football for inclusion and equity for every child

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Armenia, Dilijan, Ijevan, Berd and Noyemberyan, Tavush province
Start date 01/01/2025
End date 12/31/2025
Cost of the project €133,900
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2024000377
Partners Bridge of Hope
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Infrastructure and equipment

Context

In Armenia’s Tavush province, in the northeast of the country, disabled children are excluded from sport, particularly from physical education at school and team sports like football, denying them opportunities for physical development, social interaction and confidence building. Football is often perceived as unsuitable for disabled children and many schools lack the infrastructure and trained educators needed to organise inclusive sports activities.

Girls face particular challenges. Societal norms and stereotypes discourage their participation in traditionally male-dominated sports such as football, and mixed-gender teams are rarely encouraged as a result of deeply rooted cultural prejudices.

These systemic barriers are compounded by a lack of awareness and advocacy about the transformative potential of inclusive sport, at individual, community and policy levels.

Project goals

Main goal

Foster a culture of equality and inclusion in Tavush province using football to ensure that every child – regardless of ability, gender or circumstance – can participate and thrive

Specific objectives

  • Upskill physical education teachers and equip them to effectively support and coach children of diverse abilities and backgrounds
  • Consolidate and expand inclusive football opportunities in 32 rural communities by strengthening existing teams, establishing new ones and making sports facilities more accessible to ensure equal opportunities for disabled and non-disabled children
  • Bring about systemic change by advocating for inclusive sports policies and legislation, engaging key stakeholders, media outlets and government bodies to promote a supportive legal framework and raise public awareness of inclusive football’s transformative impact

Project content

  • Teacher training: Weekly training sessions from January to May and September to November to equip educators with the skills to facilitate inclusive and safe physical education classes
  • Individual education plans: Collaboration with teachers to integrate inclusive practices into children’s individual education plans, ensuring tailored physical activities for all students
  • Infrastructure improvements: From January to March, 16 school football fields will be equipped to meet accessibility standards and provide a safe environment for inclusive sport
  • Football training sessions: Starting in April, fortnightly training sessions for 480 children will focus on fundamental skills, teamwork and physical fitness
  • Regional and provincial tournaments: Inclusive tournaments in April/May and October/November promoting teamwork and social inclusion
  • Advocacy: Workshops and meetings with policymakers from March to November to support legislative reforms for inclusive sport
  • Social media campaigns: Monthly campaigns bringing positive impact stories and project achievements to a wider audience and promoting inclusive values

Partners

Promoting Inclusive Education through Accessible Sports

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Kosovo, Prizren, Pejë and Mitrovicë
Start date 02/17/2025
End date 02/16/2026
Cost of the project €158,761
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 2024000431
Partners Save the Children
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Kosovo is the poorest country in the western Balkans, according to the World Bank. Around 100,000 people are disabled, including 38,000 children who are not in school.

Educational disparities are particularly severe among Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, 45% of whose children do not attend school.

There is a significant lack of investment in inclusive school infrastructure, especially sports halls. Most schools lack accessible facilities and adaptive equipment, further marginalising disabled children and limiting their opportunities.

Project goals

Main goal

Create inclusive physical education environments in three schools.

Specific objectives

  • Give access to inclusive education and accessible sport facilities to the children most impacted by inequality and discrimination
  • Support teaching staff with inclusive tools and a guide to inclusive sports activities, to provide personalised instruction that is tailored to each child’s abilities and needs
  • Organise awareness-raising campaigns and peer-to-peer engagement as a result of which children and communities experience increased inclusion and reduced stigma

Project content

  • Adaptive devices and equipment for three schools to create accessible education and sports activities
  • A guide and training on inclusive sports practices, education and participation for up to 100 teachers
  • Child-friendly awareness raising campaigns, including a promotional video and social media content, and recreational initiatives to promote inclusion and reduce stigma for the children most impacted by inequalities and discrimination

Partners

Preserving children’s well-being in displacement camps in Yemen through play and sport

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Yemen
Start date 11/02/2023
End date 10/31/2024
Cost of the project €96,840
Foundation funding €50,000
Project identifier 20230339
Partners Medair
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

After nine years of conflict, more than 60% of its population depends on vital humanitarian aid. People are forced to flee, sometimes far from friends and family. As many as 4.4 million people, including 1.8 million children, live in displacement camps all over the country. Life in these camps is marked by extreme distress and precariousness, which has a negative impact on well-being and mental health, especially of children who are the most vulnerable.

Project goals

Improving and preserving the well-being and mental health of children living in two displacement camps, through sport and play activities.

Project content

  • Improving playing areas for children aged 0 to 6. We run sessions focused on mother-child interactions through activities, and develop positive parenting and stress management to provide caregivers with the tools and knowledge to stimulate early child development.
  • Establishing and running sports and recreational activities for children aged 7 to 13 to promote psychosocial well-being, a sense of security, and social cohesion.
  • Handing the management of the places and activities over to trained community leaders and facilitators to enable play areas to continue after the project ends.

Partners

Inclusive Goal

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Argentina, Buenos Aires
Start date 02/01/2024
End date 02/01/2025
Cost of the project €126,000
Foundation funding €60,000
Project identifier 20231168
Partners Asociacion Civil Andar
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development

Context

People with disabilities are excluded from our society and need to have access to normalised spaces. Social barriers segregate them and deprive them of the opportunity to develop in the various spheres of social life. This impacts their development and imposes limits on their opportunities to carry out a life plan freely and independently.

Project goals

  • Eliminate cultural barriers to access sports development
  • Build role models that promote gender equality and equal access regardless of gender
  • Promote empowerment by practising decision-making and its consequences through play

Project content

We at Andar FC Academy believe that one of the best ways to positively impact the lives of children is through play, thereby developing the values and life skills that enable them to cope with the challenges of their environment Our approach through sport contributes to children’s inclusion, promotes the respect of their rights and gender equality, prevents situations of violence and encourages development of life skills, which will have a positive impact on their sports and socioemotional development. No child or adolescent should be left behind, regardless of ability, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, language, culture or religion, so all of our activities are tailored to meet their specific learning and skill needs.

Partner

Sport in the Village

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Zimbabwe, Harare
Start date 02/19/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €160,000
Foundation funding €110,000
Project identifier 20230180
Partners Fondation Khuon
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development

Context

For more than 20 years, St Marcellin Children’s Village in Harare has been home to 66 children aged between three months and 18 years old. The orphanage also houses a preschool and a primary school for boys and girls living in the surrounding area. The 16 classes can accommodate up to 300 pupils in total. However, the only place to play sport is an undeveloped patch of dirt. Proper sports facilities are crucial to the children’s development.

Project goals

  • To give all children access to sport at school
  • For each of the 300 pupils to attend two to three supervised sports sessions each week
  • To make the sports facilities available for children from the orphanage and the surrounding area to use outside school hours
  • To offer a space where members of the community can relax and interact

Project content

The team will build a fully equipped 30m x 15m multi-sport pitch and will develop the outside space into a grass sports field measuring 70m x 50m.

These facilities will be built in a sustainable way and will be accessible to disabled children. They will be managed and maintained jointly by the two schools.

Partner

Sport for Development

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Türkiye
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €250,000
Foundation funding €200,000
Project identifier 20230844
Partners Bonyan Organization for Youth and Development
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Syrian refugees and their host communities both face hurdles when it comes to playing sport in Türkiye. Limited resources, cultural differences and language barriers hinder access to activities, which has knock-on effects on people’s physical and mental well-being.

Project goals

Sport for Development seeks to create inclusive sports programmes that cater to refugee and host communities in Sanlıurfa and Adıyaman. By creating opportunities for refugee and local children to play sport together in a safe and supporting environment, we aim to foster mutual understanding and social integration, and promote inclusivity and gender equality. We will combine sport with specialised mental health and psychosocial support activities to empower these vulnerable children physically and mentally, equipping them with essential life skills, building resilience, and creating a sense of well-being and belonging in their communities. By doing so, we hope to be a catalyst for positive change, promoting the fundamental rights and holistic development of vulnerable children, irrespective of their background or nationality.

Project content

  • To increase girls' participation in sport
    • Girl-only programmes
    • Targeted campaigns
    • Gender-neutral sports activities
    • School partnerships
    • Involvement of parents and families
    • Accessible sports facilities
    • Collaboration with women's organisations
    • Scholarships and incentives
  • To incorporate environmental awareness in sport
    • Green sports equipment
    • Recycling bins and waste management
    • Upcycling initiatives
    • Awareness campaigns
    • Environmentally friendly sports events
    • Community clean-ups
  • To use football as a tool for mental health and psychosocial support
    • Football for stress reduction
    • Team-building activities
    • Mental health awareness sessions
    • Peer support networks
    • Therapeutic football sessions
    • Sport as a coping mechanism
    • Celebrating successes
    • Referrals for professional support
  • E-football league
    • Organisation of league matches
    • Monitoring and registration of results
    • Play-offs and finals
    • Prizes and awards
    • Feedback and evaluation

Partner

Amigos for Children – Visiting sick children in hospital

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Budapest, Szombathely, Szeged, Pécs, Debrecen, Miskolc (Hungary)
Start date 01/12/2022
End date 11/01/2025
Cost of the project €19,949
Foundation funding €19,949
Project identifier 20230356
Partners Amigos for Children Foundation
Categories Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Children undergoing long hospital treatments are everyday heroes. We believe that visiting them, being their trustworthy partners, friends, role models and teachers is an honour and a great service that benefits all parties involved. Amigos gain the power of social responsibility, doing something worthwhile and being a part of a precious community. Children make new friends and role models, have fun and gain knowledge, while parents and healthcare professionals receive support.

Project goals

Last year, as part of our UEFA Foundation project, our volunteers developed a football-themed English learning workbook, so this year we would like to implement it to our hospital sessions.

For 2024, we set the following goals:

  • Just through hospital visits, we can reach about 1,000 children who will be motivated by sport and making new Amigos friends.
  • Reaching a child in a hospital hopefully means reaching their parents with the message (another approx. 1,500 people reached) and their families (on average, children in Hungary have 1.6 siblings, so another 1,600 children reached).
  • Our volunteer base has about 60 new volunteers.
  • We promote a healthy lifestyle and the mental well-being of our volunteers, i.e. more than 200 university students.

Project content

With our nine years of experience, our aim is to go back to fully offline activities, as that is the greatest joy for children and Amigos too. In the spring of 2024, we launched our operation in Miskolc, Hungary: a great milestone as we will reach our sixth and final children’s oncology centre in Hungary. In 2023, we reached over 1,000 children through hospital visits, and we are planning to match that target this year. We are strengthening our social base and volunteer community.

Partner

A ball for all Europe

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Greece, Thessaloniki
Start date 12/01/2023
End date 01/31/2025
Cost of the project €80,000
Foundation funding €75,000
Project identifier 20230363
Partners Orama Neon Youthorama
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Personal development

Context

It is always a challenge to include ,children in mainstream physical education in schools and clubs. In schools, there is typically just one teacher per class and partially sighted pupils cannot participate at the same level as their classmates.

Approved by the Hellenic Ministry of Education, A Ball for all Europe is our answer to that problem: an inclusive football education programme that meets many of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10).

Project goals

  • To create new inclusive educational tools, in particular innovative mini footballs for blind and partially sighted players, for use in schools and clubs
  • To produce a documentary about Paralympic blind football in Greece and Europe

Project content

Free mini footballs for blind and partially sighted players will be provided to all types of school, mainstream and specialised, catering to all ages. Crucially, our unique footballs are not for sale, they are donations designed to support the creation of a more inclusive education system and society. We will establish a network of schools that promote inclusive football values to reduce inequalities and increase inclusion.

Partner

Sport for Equal Opportunities in Armenia

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Armenia, Tavush Province
Start date 01/01/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €166,900
Foundation funding €117,000
Project identifier 20230247
Partners Bridge of Hope NGO
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Gender Equality - Personal development

Context

Perceptions of and attitudes towards disabled children in Armenia significantly hinder their inclusion in communities and their ability to achieve basic goals. Negative attitudes involve stereotypes and the belief that, due to their impairments, disabled children are unable to participate in the community and in education on an equal basis with their peers. Such attitudes often lead to social distancing and exclusion from social networks.

The problem is particularly acute in remote regions such as Tavush, where communities often view disabled children as incapable, sick and a burden to their families. These negative perceptions hinder their opportunities for development and social inclusion.

Approximately 58% of disabled children in Armenia live in extreme poverty and inhospitable environments with limited access to education, sport and social and cultural interactions.

Sport for Equal Opportunities in Armenia strives to break down barriers and create opportunities for all children to enjoy their rights to participate in education and sport and to live independently in their communities, regardless of ability, disability, gender or circumstance.

Project goals

  • Establish inclusive football teams in 16 mainstream schools in Tavush to empower 240 disabled and socially disadvantaged children by fostering self-confidence, self-esteem, friendship and personal growth
  • Enhance the knowledge and skills of 32 physical education teachers and coaches, enabling them to effectively facilitate inclusive sports activities in their schools
  • Organise two large football tournaments for inclusive football teams to showcase the abilities and achievements of children with and without disabilities
  • Strengthen local collaboration and networking to promote wider awareness raising and advocate for policy change in support of inclusive sport, particularly inclusive football

Project content

  • Training for 32 teachers and football coaches in 16 schools, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to facilitate inclusive football sessions, focusing on inclusive coaching techniques, adapted strategies and how to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all participants.
  • Renovating 16 school football fields to create safe and accessible spaces for inclusive football activities, upgrading infrastructure, providing equipment and ensuring the fields are accessible to disabled people.
  • Selection and training of 240 children of a mix of genders, with and without disabilities, based on individual preferences rather than sporting ability. Training sessions will focus on skills development, teamwork and fostering a sense of belonging.
  • Organisation of 48 football matches and two tournaments for inclusive football teams from different schools across Tavush. These events will not only provide opportunities for skills development and friendly competition but also promote social inclusion and challenge stereotypes associated with disabilities.
  • Advocacy and awareness raising campaigns to raise the profile of inclusive sport policies and practices, engaging with local communities, schools and other stakeholders to promote the benefits of inclusive sport, highlight success stories and advocate for policy changes that support inclusive practices in sport and education.
  • Closing national conference in Ijevan, the administrative centre of Tavush Province, bringing together key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (MESCS) and the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) to showcase the achievements and impact of the project, share best practices and lessons learned, and facilitate discussions on the future of inclusive sport and education in Armenia.

Partner

Peace Field Project

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Belgium, Mesen
Start date 01/04/2024
End date 12/31/2024
Cost of the project €100,000
Foundation funding €100,000
Project identifier 20230280
Partners Children's Football Alliance
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Young refugees, migrants, physically or developmentally disabled and poverty-stricken teenagers from war-torn communities have few opportunities to take ownership of peacebuilding projects. Low self-esteem, a lack of aspiration, mistrust and antisocial behaviour continue to fuel discord and disparity amongst cross-border communities. The situation remains hostile thanks to intergenerational relationships that often nurture resentment, making these young people easy targets for paramilitary recruitment.

Project goals

  • Help young people to develop their organisational, communication and intervention skills as well as teaching them about multiculturalism, conflict resolution and mindfulness
  • Establish annual events celebrating peace through football on ‘peace pitches’ twinned with the Flanders Peace Field.
  • Demonstrate the power of play
  • Advocate for equality, diversity and social inclusion.
  • Raise awareness of health and well-being, including mental health
  • Foster empathy and compassion among the participants
  • Nurture the peacemakers of tomorrow

Project content

The Peace Field Project (PFP) is a pedagogical programme designed to foster peace through play. The open online educational resources, toolkits and webinars prepare all participants for the week-long Global Peace Games, which feature mixed-gender and mixed-ability sports, excursions, art and music activities as well as workshops on conflict resolution, multiculturalism, deradicalisation and humanities. Peace education through play will harness the power of sport to create the peacemakers of the future.

Partners