Football for Unity 2.0

Location and general information

En cours
Location Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Spain
Start date 09/01/2023
End date 08/31/2025
Cost of the project €833,223,98
Foundation funding €83,322,39
Project identifier 20232024
Partners European Commission (DG HOME); Common Goal
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Strengthening partnerships

Context

EC-UEFA Arrangement for Cooperation

The EC-UEFA Arrangement for Cooperation that was signed in October 2022 by UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and Margaritis Schinas, vice-president of the European Commission and the commissioner for Promoting our European Way of Life, follows two other cooperation agreements signed in 2014 and 2018. This third EC-UEFA Arrangement for Cooperation refers specifically to Football for Unity as an example of how the agreement can be successfully implemented by the two parties.

Football for Unity 1.0

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first UEFA European Football Championship, the European Commission's DG HOME, UEFA, the UEFA Foundation for Children and Common Goal joined forces through the EU's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) to implement the Football for Unity project during UEFA EURO 2020. In response to its success, the European Commission, UEFA, the UEFA Foundation for Children and Common Goal have decided to expand their collaboration, with Football for Unity 2.0 including activities outside the framework of the European Football Championship.

 

Project goals

A multi-stakeholder collaboration spearheaded by the UEFA Foundation for Children and Common Goal will foster pan-European exchange and networking, cross-sectoral collaboration, capacity development and peer-to-peer learning with a view to raising awareness, inspiring desired behaviour and leading thinking on how sport can enable and accelerate the empowerment of young refugees/migrants and vulnerable young people in host communities in Europe.

Football for Unity 2.0 seeks to fundamentally transform the way sports clubs, grassroots organisations and national football associations work with young refugees and migrants. The project will offer a systemic approach to the scaling-up and dissemination of impact-proven, innovative sport‑based social inclusion practices, working with 190 coaches, educators and youth/social workers at organisational, local, regional, national and European level.

Those actors, in turn, will seek to engage with 2,900 of the hardest-to-reach young Europeans, refugees and migrants through structured sport-based integration initiatives and non-formal education programmes. That strengthening of cooperation, capacity and professionalism at transnational level will help sports clubs, national football associations and grassroots organisations to foster social inclusion and equal opportunities, especially by setting quality standards for innovative practices.

A consortium of 14 project partners in 11 EU Member States (Austria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Romania, Spain, Latvia, the Netherlands and Italy) will establish expertise and a common understanding in the areas of social inclusion/integration, anti-racism and the tackling of discrimination through sport. Each of those partners has great experience because of many years of successful work at local and regional level, ensuring sustainability, ownership and societal transformation both on and off the pitch.

Football for Unity 2.0 will be guided by the following objectives over the two-year project period:

  1. Tackle racial discrimination against young migrants and refugees in European football – on the field, on the side lines, in the stands and across our communities
    1. Development and launch of an online curriculum for Switch the Pitch in German and English
    2. Use of the Switch the Pitch online platform and in-person workshops for 40 coaches working with three to six local football teams in Germany and 20 coaches working with four organisations in four other EU Member States (Austria, Latvia, Italy and Spain) to increase their knowledge and awareness of inclusive coaching and the fight against discrimination and xenophobia in football
    3. Training for four European grassroots football organisations, a number of NGOs and the national football associations of four EU Member States (Austria, Latvia, Italy and Spain) to increase their knowledge of Common Goal’s anti-racism methodology and prepare them for pan-European dissemination
    4. Three training sessions for 30 fan group leaders (e.g. Football Supporters Europe) and 100 fan zone volunteers (in Berlin) to increase their awareness of diversity, equality and inclusion and give them practical tools to address discrimination at fan events.
  2. Improve the safety, protection and well-being of young migrants/refugees and young people in host communities, helping them to cope with crises and supporting their recovery
    1. Implementation of sport-based integration sessions (using methodologies such as football3) in seven EU Member States (Austria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Greece, Romania and Spain) in order to build trust, dialogue and understanding between young migrants/refugees and young people in host communities, seeking to foster sensitivity to the needs of other people (respect, empathy, cooperation, equality, etc.)
    2. Implementation of a ‘train the trainer’ programme, helping 130 coaches, teachers and young leaders to deliver training independently and pass knowledge and skills on to young refugees/migrants and young people in host communities in two EU Member States (Poland and the Czech Republic)
  3. Make the European public aware of the diversity that exists within Europe and the contribution that successful integration makes to the well-being, prosperity and cohesion of European societies
    1. Raising awareness of issues surrounding the integration of refugees and migrants across Europe and promoting a positive image of migration

In addition, UEFA, as a formal supporter of this project, will promote knowledge generated by the project within the wider football ecosystem in the hope that European football will continue to increase its inclusion of and support for refugees and migrants.

Project content

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Football for Unity 2.0 will enable the implementation of (i) Switch the Pitch and (ii) Team Up for Solidarity.

Switch the Pitch

Our Switch the Pitch curriculum unites the football community behind anti-racism education and action; it aims to create a more inclusive and anti-racist environment for coaches and players of all ages. Its comprehensive action-oriented approach to educating players and coaches across the youth game is a revolutionary way of combating racism in the sport. One of the central components of Switch the Pitch, an ‘inclusive coach’ training programme, revolves around six topics – empathy, safety, vulnerability, appreciation, awareness and authenticity. For every topic, expert trainers explain three essential skills in a video, giving coaches tools that can immediately be incorporated into their training plans. In addition, an anti-racism curriculum consisting of 36 team activities enables youth coaches to engage their teams in a series of on-field team challenges that are designed to educate, activate and facilitate conversations around key topics such as racial identity, allyship, activism and leadership. We are launching a full European pilot for Switch the Pitch, and Germany – the host of EURO 2024 – has been chosen owing to the potential to activate Switch the Pitch as part of that tournament. In addition, a European scaling plan for Switch the Pitch will be developed and implemented.

Switch the Pitch Europe

We believe that the Switch the Pitch methodology should be utilised across Europe. As part of the Football for Unity 2.0 programme, we will therefore host a cohort of European grassroots organisations and national football associations to develop a European scaling strategy for Switch the Pitch. That cohort (comprising organisations from Italy, Austria, Latvia and Spain) will participate in two three-day events (one in the summer of 2024 and one in early 2025), which will be hosted by a German football club (Fortuna Düsseldorf). At the first of those workshops, they will receive training on the Switch the Pitch methodology, and our curriculum experts will help them to develop an implementation plan for Switch the Pitch in their community. Over a period of six to eight months, each cohort member will implement its version of Switch the Pitch in its community, and there will be regular online check-ins and further learning opportunities across this period. The cohort will then reconvene at the second workshop in early 2025 to discuss their experiences with implementing Switch the Pitch and develop a sustainable scaling plan for the methodology.

Expert partners: RheinFlanke (Germany), Fare (pan-European) and Breaking Grounds (Austria)

Implementation partners: Latvian Football Federation (Latvia), Balon Mundial (Italy), Dragones de Lavapiés (Spain) and Breaking Grounds (Austria)

Team Up for Solidarity

Team Up for Solidarity involves active collaboration with local organisations, using sport as an impactful, cost-effective, and low-threshold methodology in a structured and systemic way. Our project creates inclusive spaces that improve the safety, protection and well-being of young migrants and refugees across Europe, facilitate emotional and social stabilisation, foster the acquisition of new skills and abilities, strengthen resilience and create short to long-term opportunities in the areas of health, education and training. Sport-based integration/inclusion methodologies create a dynamic informal learning environment for young people, reinforcing formal educational curricula. They promote confidence, trust and safety, enabling players to put values they learn into action and become engaged in their communities. Engaging with those methodologies encourages informed decision-making and stimulates interest in how social challenges can be overcome. An emphasis on dialogue and conflict resolution enables players to grasp the power of consensual decision-making, allowing them to bridge cultural differences in a social environment marked by a constant inflow and outflow of community members. Furthermore, individuals who have been involved in sport-based integration/inclusion programmes also show greater dedication and responsibility and are more accountable to themselves and their communities.

Implementation partners: Trenuj Bycie Dobrym (Poland), Fundación Fútbol Más (Spain), Breaking Grounds (Austria), INEX – Sdruženi Dobrovolných Aktivit, Z.S. (Czech Republic), Oltalom Sport Association (Hungary), Organization Earth (Greece) and Romanian Football Federation (Romania)

 

Leveraging EURO 2024 to increase visibility and impact

Leveraging UEFA’s strong footprint across the continent in order to maximise visibility and impact, EURO 2024 will (i) harness football’s potential as a catalyst with a view to improving the social, mental, emotional and physical well-being of young refugees and migrants, and (ii) generate awareness and knowledge of sport’s potential to be an effective driver of integration, gender equality, anti-racism, fairness, respect, inclusion and youth empowerment.

EURO 2024 will provide an opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds across the EU to come together and celebrate their love of the sport, promoting understanding and respect between cultures. Additionally, the project will also provide a platform for players, officials and clubs to speak out against racism and discrimination, which will help to raise awareness of the issue and encourage others to act.

EURO 2024 will serve as a platform to make European citizens aware of how sport can enable young migrants/refugees and young people from host communities to acquire transferable skills, supporting their integration into society and strengthening their ability to make conscious decisions about their livelihoods. The tournament will have a profound impact on global and European audiences through its visibility and the media, allowing us to target the European public, policy-makers, media representatives and stakeholders in the fields of sport, education, gender equality, youth empowerment and social inclusion/integration. By mobilising global and European influencers, relevant agencies, and local or thematic influencers, the objectives of the programme will be communicated widely across Europe and around the world.

Partners

Kick for Trade Festival

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Basra, Iraq
Start date 12/01/2022
End date 06/30/2023
Cost of the project €110’814
Foundation funding €110’814
Project identifier 20220939
Partners Palestine: Sports for Life
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Iraqi children have limited opportunities to take part in projects that support individual development and foster employability. This hinders them from becoming successful and engaged individuals and citizens. 

Project goals

  • Increase employment rates among young people in Basra. 
  • Promote young people’s life skills, personal development, employment opportunities and entrepreneurship 
  • Increase the leadership skills of young leaders 
  • Improve the coaching skills of coaches 
  • Provide an inclusive environment and access to sports for ethnic minorities 

Project content

The Kick for Trade Festival is an expression of the successes of the K4T programme and has sport at its heart. 

The K4T project applies a unique approach to tackling youth unemployment by engaging young people through football. Sport acts as an entry point, offering a safe space for learning and personal development, leading on to further engagement in vocational programmes and entrepreneurship opportunities. Young people are linked to potential investors and employers from the Iraqi private sector through entrepreneurial and employability activities using Kick for Trade teams and tools.  

Football3 and the Kick for Trade curriculum sessions include adapted-rules football matches that enable the youngsters to develop and implement transferable skills that are relevant for employment, such as teamwork, leadership, communication, self-discipline and resilience. The sessions are for children and young people from ethnic minorities and from marginalised rural areas and disadvantaged districts of Basra. 

Partners

Facing crisis through football in Colombia & Venezuela

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Colombia (Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Vichada) and Venezuela (Caracas)
Start date 01/31/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €212,864
Foundation funding €99,864
Project identifier 20220558
Partners Inter Campus
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Colombia and Venezuela are experiencing unprecedented economic crises, affecting in particular the most vulnerable: children, women and minorities. Thousands of young people and their families are facing food shortages, resulting in limited physical development and possibly also irreversible mental damage. This economic and social crisis is linked to acute political disorder, giving rise to insecurity, violence and corruption.

Project goals

The objective is to support children’s physical, mental and social health, providing them with cultural elements and a psychological structure to face threats prevalent in their communities.

Two main priorities have been identified:

1. Bridging a nutritional gap affecting children’s development

2. Countering a wave of violence caused by the socio-economic crisis, mainly as a result of drug production, distribution and consumption

Project content

There are three approaches:

1. Teach local coaches how to teach children team values: respect for the coaches, rules and referees; seeing opponents not as enemies but as partners; cooperating with other children; learning to make the most of their time in training and school activities; growing their skills and gaining self-confidence; getting stronger against adversities by learning how to deal with winning and losing; and how to fulfil their dreams by working hard; training even in bad weather; and learning how to overcome stress or aggressive instincts in a positive way.

2. Promote integration among people with different languages, cultures, and religions; reducing violence; gender equality and confidence-building.

3. The mere presence of the Inter brand will attract attention from volunteers, sponsors, local authorities, other social offices or NGOs and inspire them to help.

The project will last 24 months, based on weekly training sessions and periodical weekend matches, and involve 530 vulnerable children from 6 to 13 years old living in 11 different rural and urban contexts in Colombia and Venezuela.

The training will be run by local educators applying an innovative socio-sports methodology according to local needs. Weekly nutritional support will be given, by providing healthy, good-quality food normally not available to these children.

Local partners, the Fundación Crecer Jugando in Colombia and the Fundación Magallanes in Venezuela, will select and run the activities.

Twelve coaches will take part in a working group and learn to use the scientific tools used to asses children’s personality, as well as basic sports-related skills on social, emotional, cognitive issues.

Partners

Festival 23

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Sydney, Australia
Start date 01/15/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €600,000
Foundation funding €80,000
Project identifier 20220520
Partners University of New South Wales, Football United programme
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Football United is a member of the Common Goal movement that unites 200 grassroots organisations that use football to promote social change, in areas such as gender equity, climate action, social inclusion and poverty reduction. An essential part of these organisations’ sustainability efforts is training and empowering youth to become leaders in the football for good (F4G) space, providing organisational sustainability, enabling the global movement to further develop and improving the impact of the F4G sector. F4G festivals enable such training opportunities.

Project goals

Festival 23 will build youth leader capacity to create positive social change in 25 communities throughout Australia with immediate practical engagement during the festival. Training from global experts will focus on the UN’s Global Goals to enhance the capacity of F4G organisations to achieve the objectives in health; education; access to sport; personal development; integration of minorities; and the protection of children’s rights.

Project content

Festival 23 will provide the social legacy for the upcoming 2023 Women’s World Cup. F4G festivals have been a way to build youth leadership capacity at every FIFA World Cup since 2006. Evaluations indicate participants increased their capacity to take on leadership roles in their respective communities after the event.

Festival 23 will bring up to 120 youth leaders from around the world together for ten days of capacity-building through F4G themed training alongside community engagement mechanisms and activities. Festival 23 is therefore a catalyst for progressive leadership development in F4G organisations, leveraging the immense power of mass football events.

1. Four days of capacity-building workshops by global experts in F4G, Global Goals themes relating to climate action, gender empowerment, health, education, employability, advocacy

2. Application of training as youth leaders will engage with 25 diverse, low socio-economic communities in football gala days

3. Fair-play tournament between teams comprising the youth leaders and Common Goal footballers

4. Increased engagement and application of acquired competencies in the participants’ home countries following Festival 23

Partners

Sports for Resilience and Empowerment Project, phase 2

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Acholi neighbourhood, Kinuuma Masindi district, Kampala city, Uganda
Start date 12/01/2022
End date 12/01/2024
Cost of the project €350000
Foundation funding €200000
Project identifier 20220122
Partners The Aliguma Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The Aliguma Foundation is a charitable organisation that helps marginalised communities access the basic requirements of life. The organisation aims to improve the living standards of mothers and children. The foundation currently operates in Acholi, a slum neighbourhood on the outskirts of Kampala, mostly inhabited by refugees from northern Uganda.

Project goals

1. Identify and develop the career goals of individuals through sport

2. Enhance education and literacy among children to promote holistic development

3. Provide decent housing and a safe environment in which women from deprived backgrounds can raise their children

4. Create income-generating alternatives for mothers who are suffering severe hardships

5. Consolidate the progress made by the project by using sport and businesses as catalysts to allow 1,500 women and 5,000 children and young people to move out of social and economic exclusion

6. Extend the Sports for Resilience and Empowerment Project to refugee communities in the West Nile region and parts of western Uganda by organising football tournaments for refugee and host communities

7. Establish a football tournament for primary schools as a means to campaign for the protection of children, and girls in particular

8. Use football matches as a vehicle to offer more educational scholarships

9. Continue the construction of the Sports and Empowerment Centre, including two football pitches, volleyball and basketball courts and dormitories at the Women and Child Empowerment Centre in Masindi

10. Establish a practical skills unit at the Sports and Empowerment Centre in Masindi

 

Project content

- Girl child campaign in schools and communities

- Slum Soccer tournament

- UEFA Foundation ball project in schools

- Education

- Infrastructure development

- Income-generating activities at the empowerment centre

Partners

Girls Community League

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Tacloban City, Leyte (Philippines)
Start date 02/01/2023
End date 02/29/2024
Cost of the project €110,280
Foundation funding €35,104
Project identifier 20221010
Partners FundLife International
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Gender Equality - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Some 4.8 million children drop out from school every year in the Philippines. The main reason is poverty: children are forced to abandon school in order to work. The poverty rate in the Leyte region is almost 48% – the highest in the country after Mindanao. The COVID-19 pandemic had a catastrophic impact as schools were closed for over 700 consecutive days and disadvantaged children were not afforded online education opportunities. In December 2021, Typhoon Rai further aggravated access to education. The return to full teaching provision was only completed in autumn 2022.

The Girls Community League (GCL) is an add-on to our flagship projects currently being run in Tacloban (FFLA) and Cebu (FDA, with support from the UEFA Foundation for children). GCL is designed to alleviate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and Typhoon Rai on access to education. It is a girl-focused protection and education programme based on experiential play and learning to help children return to school after  the 700-day break due to COVID-19 and to reduce subsequent dropouts such that girls finish their education.

Project goals

Our organisation's mission is to give every child equal opportunities in football and life. GCL’s objectives are to:

  1. provide children who were forced out of school due to the COVID-19 pandemic and/or Typhoon Rai with access to safe play and learning spaces within their communities;
  2. provide these children with educational support during their back-to-school journey through our Play-Believe-Achieve methodology;
  3. increase girls' engagement and decision-making abilities through an approach that puts girls front and centre.

Project content

FundLife will make full use of its strong partnership with local government to promote the project’s objectives. It will also involve the Department of Education to ensure that girls from all schools within the project area will be given the opportunity to participate.

The organisation will sign agreements with all its partners to strengthen community ownership of the project. Project orientations will be conducted with the recipients, their parents, schools and other stakeholders. Policies will also be disseminated, especially FundLife’s child protection policy.

Once these activities have been completed, FundLife will start the play learning, mentoring and study support sessions for girls. GCL plans to involve eight teams, making sure that each team can play at least 25 games. Festivals will be held for all GCL participants and their peers, with competitive matches and fun learning activities.

Capacity-building exercises will also be conducted with teachers and sports coaches to allow them to better assist children in their back-to-school journeys.

Partners

Team up for Ukraine emergency fund

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Germany, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Austria, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Hungary, Italy, UK, Ireland, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Estonia, Portugal, Romania, Moldova
Start date 03/01/2022
End date 06/30/2023
Cost of the project €496,210
Foundation funding €50,000
Project identifier 20211111
Partners Common Goal
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The war in Ukraine has given rise to a severe humanitarian crisis and widespread displacement.  

At the outset, there was an immediate need for emergency humanitarian aid including food, transport to safer locations, accommodation, medical assistance, psychological support, schooling and childcare.  

Since then, 8.1 million Ukrainian refugees have found themselves scattered throughout various host countries, struggling to integrate and adapt to their new surroundings. Their needs are multifaceted and pressing, from material assistance and food security to healthcare, employment, accommodation, education, and access to vital information.  

Of particular concern is the plight of refugee children. An estimated 44% of Ukrainian refugee households across Europe comprise school-aged children between 5 and 17 years old. Their need for structured support is of paramount importance. Not only do they require access to quality education, but also structured psychological support to address the traumas they have endured. 

Project goals

  • Secure basic supplies, medical assistance and psychological support for displaced people on the move within Ukraine and in neighbouring countries.​ 
  • Provide access to accommodation, medical assistance, childcare, schools and information about access to employment  
  • Offer structured psychosocial support and inclusive activities that encourage integration through football  

Project content

Through the Team up for Ukraine emergency response fund, Common Goal has activated a team of organisations, players, foundations, brands and other stakeholders in football to provide immediate humanitarian aid and ensure long-term support to those affected by the war.  

With the support of the UEFA Foundation for Children and others, a total of 14 organisations in 11 countries have got involved: SpreeFlanke, Fundación Red Deporte y Cooperación​, Spirit of Football​, War Child Germany​, Trenuj Bycie Dobrym​, Oltalom Sport Association​, INEX-SDA​, Cross Cultures Project Association​, Champions ohne Grenzen​, Fútbol Más Foundation​, AMANDLA, Kicken ohne Grenzen​, League of Tolerance,​ and Policy Center for Roma and Minorities​.

These organisations have offered different types of support in and outside Ukraine, including logistical support, transport to safer locations, accommodation, medicines and other basic supplies, cultural integration and adaptation, access to psychosocial support and stress relief, job integration, adaptation and training​; and school or childcare placements​.

Within Ukraine, 3,000 humanitarian kits containing medicine, food and essential goods have been distributed to internally displaced families, and 56 communities have received tools, materials and equipment for events. 

Collectively, the projects and organisations supported by the fund have collaborated with 183 partner organisations, including schools, football clubs, local authorities and another NGOs.​ A total of 16,937 children and adults have directly benefited. 

Partners

Sports and Play for Asylum-Seeking Unaccompanied Minors

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Netherlands
Start date 12/01/2022
End date 12/01/2024
Cost of the project €108,257
Foundation funding €38,829
Project identifier 20220370
Partners KLABU Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The initial reception, medical check and first application interview of all asylum-seekers arriving in the Netherlands takes place at the Central Reception Centre in Ter Apel. In recent months, the centre has faced challenges with a higher influx of asylum seekers and slightly prolonged process times. Unaccompanied minors (UAM) – asylum seekers under the age of 18 who are not accompanied by a parent or adult relative – are particularly vulnerable. UAM are exposed to many challenges and traumas during their journeys and need special care. UAM numbers at the centre have increased in recent months, putting pressure on social workers who already lack sufficient time and resources. The stress of the asylum-seeking process coupled with the lack of meaningful daytime activities for UAM clearly have a direct impact on their mental well-being.

Project goals

  • Improve the mental well-being of UAM by providing access to sports
  • Create a safe space for young asylum-seekers to relax and socialise
  • Offer the adult residents of the centre training through a volunteering programme
  • Create an effective activity schedule around and beyond sports with a focus on well-being and personal growth

Project content

Community volunteers organise activities for UAM including art workshops and sports coaching days. The container-based clubhouse has been transformed into a sports library that is entirely managed and run by community volunteers. Improvements will be made to the clubhouse to further encourage social interactions.

As well as day-to-day activities, the project also hosts special events to bring young people together. The first Social Sports Day consisted of indoor sports, music, dance and arts workshops, all of which were much enjoyed by the young participants. A workshop is planned to design a sports kit for the centre’s young residents.

Regular workshops are led by refugees who have previously stayed in Ter Apel. They share their experiences of settling in the Netherlands after leaving the reception centre.

Partner

Together for the Ukrainians

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Italy
Start date 03/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €50,000
Foundation funding €25,000
Project identifier 20220892
Partners Comitato Regionale Emigrazione Immigrazione - CREI ACLI Sardegna
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Employability - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 triggered a forced migration of Ukrainian citizens across Europe. Although refugee flows can change rapidly, Italy has received the fourth largest number of Ukrainian refugees in Europe (220,000), after Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic.

Project goals

The project’s short-term goals are to help refugees cope with trauma and restore their mental well-being as well as overcome communication barriers that hinder social interactions.

The medium-term objectives are to promote refugees’ personal development and growth in different contexts.

The long-term goals are to prevent isolation and discrimination, nurture relationships and offer healthy opportunities for cultural exchanges.

Project content

CREI ACLI acted immediately to address the critical issues of the emergency. However, these were short-term actions, whereas the integration of refugees is a long and difficult process, requiring efforts to prevent isolation, discrimination and, ultimately, social delinquency. Our refugee integration project is based on a social inclusion model that will address these difficulties.

In addition to the services we have offered since March 2022 (psychological support, Italian classes, support for enrolment in school and university, professional and career counselling), we will carry out the following activities:

Sport, art and cultural orientation: activities to present children with the opportunities in our area. Sports-based educational activities are great tools to reduce aggression, bring people together and build good relationships between different groups.

Enrolment in sports clubs: team sports favour interactions and integration. Refugee children will play in heterogeneous teams of local children and children from various ethnic origins. Special game-based training sessions and tournaments will be held in the province of Cagliari based on the theme of solidarity.

Recreation and fun activities: together with local children and second-generation immigrants in the same age range, young refugee will take part in social games and activities in the park. There will also be art workshops and discussions on customs, traditions, current affairs, etc.

Guided tours around Cagliari and trips further afield with local and second-generation immigrant children to visit places of historical, artistic, cultural and natural interest in Sardinia.

Partners

Football Friends – Together is OK!

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Bosnia and Herzegovina
Start date 03/01/2023
End date 12/01/2023
Cost of the project €58,000
Foundation funding €43,720
Project identifier 20220196
Partners Football Friends
Categories Access to Sport - Conflict victims - Gender Equality - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of Europe's poorest countries that is still facing unresolved post-conflict tensions and the negative consequences of the ruthless war of the 1990s that affect young people and ethnic groups in Bosnia.

Project goals

  • Prevent conflict and promote long-lasting peace
  • Improve relationships between different national groups
  • Challenge stereotypes and social roles
  • Promote more active female participation in all football-related activities

Project content

The Football Friends – Together is OK! 2.0.23 project will extend the age range from players aged up to 14 to those aged up to 18. It will also incorporate the towns of Čajniče and Ustikolina from the same region as the existing project towns of Foča and Goražde.

The project will continue to adopt a football3 approach with teams of mixed genders and ethnicities from the four municipalities. Teams will be assembled using the Viber messaging app.

Partners

Youth in Action

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
Start date 12/05/2022
End date 12/04/2023
Cost of the project €130,000
Foundation funding €85,000
Project identifier 20220150
Partners Rio Ferdinand Foundation
Categories Access to Sport - Employability - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have increasingly diverse demographics, with migrants, asylum seekers and minority communities becoming more visible in society. This has caused some issues within working-class areas, with increase in hate crimes against minorities, e.g. 48% of hate crime in Northern Ireland is directed at communities who make up 2% of the population. Increasing tensions caused by Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol are also causing conflict, with discussions on culture and identity increasingly dominating the debate and causing discord in border counties.

Project goals

  • Build strong, ongoing relationships through football across the divides of race/ethnicity/culture and the Northern Ireland/Ireland border
  • Train young people from all communities to become leaders
  • Encourage young leaders to work together to deliver social initiatives that promote learning and common objectives to tackle racism, division and inequality
  • Oversee the cooperation of young leaders with stakeholders and decision-makers to address these issues
  • Develop a best practice model that will attract sustainable mainstream funding to deliver long-term transitional change in the target communities

Project content

Our project brings communities together through the sport of football, providing a platform to build relationships and friendships. From this platform we encourage young people to work together and achieve accreditation while delivering social action projects that address racism, division and inequality within their communities and across borders and boundaries. We will encourage young people to share the lessons they learn with decision-makers and stakeholders.

Partners

Pelota de trapo – Rag ball

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Uruguay
Start date 01/01/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €20,000
Foundation funding €10,000
Project identifier 20220820
Partners Gurises Unidos
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Uruguay has an overall population of 3,485,152. Children are the most affected by situations of poverty and violence: in 2020, 20% of children (a total of 176,375) were living below the poverty line. Moreover, reports showed an increase of 42% in violence against children in 2021. Most violent situations are chronic and 9 out of 10 of the aggressors are close family members of the victims.

Project goals

- Provide a cohort of children with the tools to strengthen their inter- and intrapersonal skills, their emotional intelligence and their family’s ability to care for them

- Create safe and inclusive sports activities

- Promote the meaningful participation of children in their communities, their positive and sustained integration into formal educational and their right to health through self-care

Project content

This project provides sports areas where social skills are developed in favour of gender equity, teamwork and peaceful conflict resolution, as well as themed workshops and individual interviews with a view to making life plans. In addition, the project monitors families and promotes access to resources and social policies that respect children’s rights. It also organises open community awareness activities where children become key members of the community.

Partners

Teaching life skills and personal development through football

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Indonesia
Start date 12/20/2022
End date 12/19/2023
Cost of the project €30,000
Foundation funding €20,000
Project identifier 20220009
Partners ASA Foundation (Yayasan ASA Asia)
Categories Access to Sport - Environmental protection - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Infrastructure and equipment - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Garut has high levels of poverty, with poor levels of education, health and development, and discrimination against women and girls.

Furthermore, Indonesia is now one of the world’s largest plastic waste producers, creating over 3.2 million tonnes of plastic waste per year. A lack of public awareness of waste management, together with a lack of investment, means that there is no easy solution to Indonesia’s waste problems. There is an urgent need for locally-owned and community-driven solutions, such as an accessible and cost-effective waste management infrastructure.

Project goals

To train, educate, empower and build the capacity of 30 local male and female school teachers and over 5,000 vulnerable male and female students, with 50% female participation, on the topics of the circular economy, health, life skills and gender equality in order to improve the level of education, create positive social change and guarantee cleaner, greener Garut communities.

Project content

I. Programme planning, design and socialisation

Through its DINAS, DISPORA and PSSI stakeholder group partnerships, the ASA Foundation conducts project socialisation, planning and design workshops comprising baseline studies and needs assessments. During this phase, our stakeholders recommend potential target schools together with adult teachers to implement the virtual programme. The teachers’ CVs are submitted to the ASA Foundation.

II. Design and development of the training platform

A collaborative empowerment approach involves all our stakeholders, which are invited to include their own education modules in our curriculum design process. The curriculum, in both local Bahasa Indonesian and English languages, is scheduled to be rolled out during the Training of Trainer (ToT) workshop. The training modules are to be updated throughout the program through continuous feedback from all stakeholders.

III. Implementation of the ToT programme, UEFA Foundation for Children ‘Field in a Box’ football pitch, Garut City, West Java, Indonesia

The ToT workshop will be run by local ASA Foundation master trainers to build the capacity of 30 male and female school teachers so that they can deliver the football-based education training modules. The teachers are trained and empowered through the coaching development methodology that covers the following topics:

  1. The circular economy and waste management development, including recycling plastic materials to produce sports training equipment
  2. Life skills development including creative thinking, character building, and gender equality
  3. Health and well-being education including virus prevention measures by focusing on hygiene and sanitation information during the current pandemic

The ToT workshop is to be held at the UEFA Foundation for Children Field in a Box pitch in Garut City.

IIII. Running the youth development training activities in schools

On completion of the ToT workshop, the 30 adult teachers are expected to lead weekly grass-roots youth development coaching activities for their respective male and female student groups, either in school as extra-curricular activities or in their communities. The activities are geared towards long-term sustainability.

Partners

SHARE: my story

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Senegal, Palestine and Burkina Faso
Start date 01/10/2023
End date 12/31/2023
Cost of the project €88,770,00
Foundation funding €72,140,00
Project identifier 20220581
Partners Exodos Ljubljana
Categories Access to Sport - Children with disabilities - Conflict victims - Employability - Environmental protection - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

We strongly believe that sport and culture should be more connected and the Share: My Story programme promotes this. Children who hope to be the best footballers in the world should learn about culture for their personal growth and to broaden their horizons. We advocate for equality for girls and boys who, although from different backgrounds, all share the same passion.

Project goals

Our project encourages social, sporting and artistic bonds, promoting the talent of young people and strengthening their physical, cultural and intellectual capital.

Specific objectives

  • Provide young people from different countries with new training and cultural skills, enabling them to express their voices through art.
  • Connect sport with cultural activities, the physical with the imagination, for the surrounding communities: families, neighbours, schoolmates.
  • Empower small clubs and NGOs in their efforts to inspire creative teamwork.

Project content

Creative camps in three countries: Senegal, Burkina Faso, Palestine

  • My story – a workshop in documentary filmmaking
  • Urban dance and movement – a workshop in urban dance

Location 1: Dakar, Senegal, 10–21 January 2023

Location 2: Jenin, Ramallah, Palestine, 1–14 July 2023

Location 3: Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, 1–11 December 2023

Creating and updating project website and social media accounts, producing PR content

1 December 2022 – 31 December 2024

Completion of the professional documentary film My Story

30 March 2024

Setting up and developing local football clubs

20 January 2023 – 31 December 2023

Partners

First Aid Project

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Ukraine
Start date 01/15/2023
End date 12/30/2023
Cost of the project €90,000,00
Foundation funding €70,000,00
Project identifier 20221155
Partners Charitable Foundation Klitschko Foundation
Categories Conflict victims - Infrastructure and equipment - Strengthening partnerships

Context

According to the UN and the Prosecutor General's Office, 6,755 civilians have died in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, including 424 children. This number is constantly increasing due to daily rocket and artillery attacks on civilian objects by Russian forces. A large proportion of deaths are a result of the delayed or insufficient provision of first aid. According to research, up to 54% of injured individuals could be saved by relatively simple actions such as stopping bleeding. We work specifically with teachers, since they spend a significant amount of time with children throughout the day but only a small percentage of them know first aid.

Project goals

  • Create a safe school environment
  • Train teachers and students in first aid and safety during a war
  • Provide schools with first-aid kits
  • Promote awareness in society of the importance of those who work with children being able to administer pre-medical care

Project content

Thirty two-day training courses delivered in general education and sports schools over three months. Thirty participants from 100 schools will take part in each training course. During the project, we will educate 900 teachers and coaches in first aid.

Provision of first aid-kits to 100 schools.

Certificates of completion for all participants of the first aid course, who will have acquired the skills to deliver pre-medical care classes to school students.

Partner

Creating life Champions

Location and general information

Ongoing
Location Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Croatia
Start date 12/01/2022
End date 11/30/2023
Cost of the project €317,800,00
Foundation funding €150,000,00
Project identifier 20220331
Partners Development Center for Youth
Categories Access to Sport - Gender Equality - Healthy lifestyle - Personal development - Strengthening partnerships

Context

Commercialisation of sport has led to a reduction in its educational role. Instead of using sport to educate and promote healthy lifestyles and positive social values, the focus is on top performance. There is also an increase in negative phenomena in and around sport, directly linked to the widespread crisis of social and moral values.

Not all young sportsmen/sportswomen will become top athletes, but they should all strive to be top people. Children go to school because they have to and do sports because they want to, which illustrates the relevance of sport during childhood.

Project goals

The aim is to revitalise the educational role of football, utilising the coaches’ influence and contributing to the youngsters’ upbringing. The training module teaches coaches how to introduce other topics of relevance to everyday life in their sessions, to help the youngsters become open-minded, free-thinking and active citizens, i.e. use football to turn them into life champions.

In the first stage, its specific objectives will be as follows:

-  Set the framework for proper usage of non-formal educationthrough sport: develop a curriculum with three areas of intervention – for coaches, youngsters and parents; capacity building

- Test the model of educational work in sport directly on 2,000 children, to make it a replicable tool for other age categories/countries/disciplines

- Present the Life Champions concept to more than 2,000,000 people through an extensive Creating Life Champions campaign

Project content

The project will comprise a number of activities with different formats, starting from developing educational modules for three main target groups (youngsters, coaches and parents). It will include six regional info days in the countries involved, to present the concept and approach and invite the coaches and youngsters to apply for the summer camps.

Thirty coaches from all over the region will be selected for training. Preference is given to the coaches who use the knowledge and skills they have gained at summer camps run by famous players Dejan Stankovic (DEKI5) and Goran Pandev (Pandev Academy) or in their regular coaching activities. The focus is on those from disadvantaged groups.

An extensive media campaign will be run to reach at least 2 million people, underlining the Life Champions messages, with famous athletes as its main ambassadors.

The project will end with a major international conference to present the main results and the advantages of this new working model in sports, to promote the utilisation of sport in educating new generations.

Partners