Check out the new post, plus some great pictures here:
http://www.croatiansoccerreport.com/2010/07/uvanovic-represents-in-joburg.html
Friday, July 9, 2010
Spirit of Soccer Cambodia: An Innovative Approach to Fair Play
While Cambodia might not exactly be a world football power, eight youngsters from the Spirit of Soccer Cambodia program have become the darlings of the FIFA Football for Hope Festival. Even though they will not lift the championship trophy when it is awarded on July 10th as they have already been eliminated from contention after a string of tough losses, they have put themselves in a strong position to be the inaugural winners of the FIFA Fair Play Trophy.
With a mixture of strong football, laughter and smiles, Spirit of Soccer Cambodia has been receiving plaudits for its play on and off the field. All of this from a team that speaks hardly a word of English and had never left their country prior to this festival. They have proved that once the whistle blows, football is the universal language of the world.
Yet, for these eight youngsters their lives back home in rural Cambodia are threatened by the existence of landmines and explosive remnants of war. Cambodia is a country that still deals with landmines on a daily basis, with approximately six million of them still leftover as living remnants of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime.
Each of the participants selected for the squad attending the Football for Hope Festival comes from a family that has been affected or is at risk from landmines. This is certainly no laughing matter as around 250 people were maimed by landmines in Cambodia during 2009.
So what is the connection between soccer and landmines in Cambodia? Spirit of Soccer provides an innovative Mine Risk Education (MRE) program in collaboration with its free football clinics. After conducting a successful program over a ten year span in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Spirit of Soccer started working in Cambodia in 2006 and has been able to reach over 20,000 children each year. Child casualties from landmines has decreased by half in the three provinces that Spirit of Soccer has been working in over the past five years.
A member of the streetfootballworld family, Spirit of Soccer has also embarked on similar projects in both Palestine and Iraq, countries that also deal with the existence of landmines.
For members of the community who have seen the damage that landmines have done like coach Ly Heang, the program is literally a lifesaver. Coach Heang is a member of the delegation participating in the Football for Hope Festival and said that for the children “it is a great feeling to have hope and prospects for the future.”
For youngsters that deal with these heavy issues in their everyday lives in Cambodia, they have showed no signs of it during the festival. Prior to each match, a Spirit of Soccer player has given a traditional Cambodian scarf, a krama, to a member of the opposing team as a token of fair play and unity. It is these little things that the team does that has endeared them to their opponents as well as the South African crowd.
For a group of eight youngsters that had never left their country or been on a plane before, this journey to South Africa has certainly been an adventure, yet one entirely worthwhile for them. The festival itself has been a revelation for the team, with both the football they have played and the intercultural exchange that has gone on, yet they may have just made a bigger impact on their peers. With their model fair play, it is safe to say that Spirit of Soccer Cambodia will be one of the teams to keep an eye on in four years time, during the next Football for Hope Festival.
With a mixture of strong football, laughter and smiles, Spirit of Soccer Cambodia has been receiving plaudits for its play on and off the field. All of this from a team that speaks hardly a word of English and had never left their country prior to this festival. They have proved that once the whistle blows, football is the universal language of the world.
Yet, for these eight youngsters their lives back home in rural Cambodia are threatened by the existence of landmines and explosive remnants of war. Cambodia is a country that still deals with landmines on a daily basis, with approximately six million of them still leftover as living remnants of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime.
Each of the participants selected for the squad attending the Football for Hope Festival comes from a family that has been affected or is at risk from landmines. This is certainly no laughing matter as around 250 people were maimed by landmines in Cambodia during 2009.
So what is the connection between soccer and landmines in Cambodia? Spirit of Soccer provides an innovative Mine Risk Education (MRE) program in collaboration with its free football clinics. After conducting a successful program over a ten year span in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Spirit of Soccer started working in Cambodia in 2006 and has been able to reach over 20,000 children each year. Child casualties from landmines has decreased by half in the three provinces that Spirit of Soccer has been working in over the past five years.
A member of the streetfootballworld family, Spirit of Soccer has also embarked on similar projects in both Palestine and Iraq, countries that also deal with the existence of landmines.
For members of the community who have seen the damage that landmines have done like coach Ly Heang, the program is literally a lifesaver. Coach Heang is a member of the delegation participating in the Football for Hope Festival and said that for the children “it is a great feeling to have hope and prospects for the future.”
For youngsters that deal with these heavy issues in their everyday lives in Cambodia, they have showed no signs of it during the festival. Prior to each match, a Spirit of Soccer player has given a traditional Cambodian scarf, a krama, to a member of the opposing team as a token of fair play and unity. It is these little things that the team does that has endeared them to their opponents as well as the South African crowd.
For a group of eight youngsters that had never left their country or been on a plane before, this journey to South Africa has certainly been an adventure, yet one entirely worthwhile for them. The festival itself has been a revelation for the team, with both the football they have played and the intercultural exchange that has gone on, yet they may have just made a bigger impact on their peers. With their model fair play, it is safe to say that Spirit of Soccer Cambodia will be one of the teams to keep an eye on in four years time, during the next Football for Hope Festival.
Football For Hope Festival Providing Hope to Residents of Alexandra
Alexandra, Johannesburg --
If you ask most South Africans what they know about Alexandra township in Johannesburg, they will tell you it was the place where the xenophobic riots that shocked South Africa started in 2008. Sixty-two people were left dead as a result of the violence, in a stark reminder of the work of the reality that is the new Rainbow Nation.
However, FIFA's inaugrual Football for Hope Festival, which is taking place in Alexandra, is working to change that image of Alex as well as providing hope to the residents of the community that face high levels of crime, poverty and unemployment, even by South African standards.
FIFA's decision to place the festival in Alex, rather than Soweto, was a hugely symbolic and special moment for the community as football has been described their lifeblood. It is a decision that has meant for Alexandra's residents they have not only been treated to a quality display of global football, but also seen the importance of fair play.
One of the play-by-play commentators of the festival and member of the streetfootballworld family, who goes by the stage name of 'Monkey', talked about how he “has never felt a moment like this in Alex”. He also mentioned that its a very positive thing that the festival is in Alex as it provides the community with a chance to interact with different cultures that they would never interact with along with showing them what fair play means.
For the eight young men and women that make up Team Alexandra, their stories elaborate on why this festival can be a major turning point for their community. When asked what the long-term impact of this festival on his community, Neo Malema, a seventeen year-old player on Team Alex, said that “even when the festival is over, we will have one of the Football for Hope Centers so that will be left behind for the community to continue using and its impact will be huge.” Malema also went on to talk about how that the festival has given him personal hope that he will be able to succeed in the future.
Another team member, Dimpho Matsoso, said one of the most important aspects of the festival for Alex was that “it's important for the community to see girls and boys playing on the same team and working together for a common goal.” Matsoso went on to echo Malema's sentiments about their futures as she said that “playing with Team Alex has made me hopeful of my own future and encouraged me to complete matric [high school].”
Many of the spectators at the matches are young children from the community and the chance to watch these matches has not been lost on them, as they have filled the main stadium each and every day of the festival so far. Katlego Malaka, another member of Team Alex, believes that it is the impact on these children that is the most important aspect of the festival.
Malaka stated “it is important for the young children in the community to see that the same way they are hopeful over football they can be hopeful over their futures.” This sentiment has even been echoed by the music superstars that have been featured during the lunch break of the festival, with pop star JR urging the crowd to stay in school after his performance.
For every Malaka and Matsoso that has been able to stay in school, they know that there has been others in Alex that has been unable to complete school and have turned to a more negative lifestyle. Their youth has been a struggle, but Team Alex represents the best of Alexandra's youth and there is a lot of hope within the community of a better future for them.
While the Football for Hope Festival has been all about the positive moments, there has been some lowlights, with Team Alex also being at the epicenter of those. With Team Alex failing to win any of their first seven matches, there has been an overwhelming amount of pressure put on the team by the community to succeed and the team has struggled as a result, even though this is a fair play tournament by design. Team Alex has been whistled off the pitch after a few of their losses and as a result their matches have all been moved from the main stadium to the smaller pitch that only has a capacity of one hundred spectators.
This pressure is symbolic of the pressure that is being put on the youth of Alexandra to succeed and escape the struggles that have encapsulate the area. Every parent wants a better life for their children and Alexandra is no exception.
Yet, Malaka shrugs off the whistles as “normal” for South Africa and says that he knows that the team still has the community's support regardless of their performance. It is young leaders like Malaka that are providing hope to the community of Alexandra and it is clear that the festival has had a major impact upon their futures.
If you ask most South Africans what they know about Alexandra township in Johannesburg, they will tell you it was the place where the xenophobic riots that shocked South Africa started in 2008. Sixty-two people were left dead as a result of the violence, in a stark reminder of the work of the reality that is the new Rainbow Nation.
However, FIFA's inaugrual Football for Hope Festival, which is taking place in Alexandra, is working to change that image of Alex as well as providing hope to the residents of the community that face high levels of crime, poverty and unemployment, even by South African standards.
FIFA's decision to place the festival in Alex, rather than Soweto, was a hugely symbolic and special moment for the community as football has been described their lifeblood. It is a decision that has meant for Alexandra's residents they have not only been treated to a quality display of global football, but also seen the importance of fair play.
One of the play-by-play commentators of the festival and member of the streetfootballworld family, who goes by the stage name of 'Monkey', talked about how he “has never felt a moment like this in Alex”. He also mentioned that its a very positive thing that the festival is in Alex as it provides the community with a chance to interact with different cultures that they would never interact with along with showing them what fair play means.
For the eight young men and women that make up Team Alexandra, their stories elaborate on why this festival can be a major turning point for their community. When asked what the long-term impact of this festival on his community, Neo Malema, a seventeen year-old player on Team Alex, said that “even when the festival is over, we will have one of the Football for Hope Centers so that will be left behind for the community to continue using and its impact will be huge.” Malema also went on to talk about how that the festival has given him personal hope that he will be able to succeed in the future.
Another team member, Dimpho Matsoso, said one of the most important aspects of the festival for Alex was that “it's important for the community to see girls and boys playing on the same team and working together for a common goal.” Matsoso went on to echo Malema's sentiments about their futures as she said that “playing with Team Alex has made me hopeful of my own future and encouraged me to complete matric [high school].”
Many of the spectators at the matches are young children from the community and the chance to watch these matches has not been lost on them, as they have filled the main stadium each and every day of the festival so far. Katlego Malaka, another member of Team Alex, believes that it is the impact on these children that is the most important aspect of the festival.
Malaka stated “it is important for the young children in the community to see that the same way they are hopeful over football they can be hopeful over their futures.” This sentiment has even been echoed by the music superstars that have been featured during the lunch break of the festival, with pop star JR urging the crowd to stay in school after his performance.
For every Malaka and Matsoso that has been able to stay in school, they know that there has been others in Alex that has been unable to complete school and have turned to a more negative lifestyle. Their youth has been a struggle, but Team Alex represents the best of Alexandra's youth and there is a lot of hope within the community of a better future for them.
While the Football for Hope Festival has been all about the positive moments, there has been some lowlights, with Team Alex also being at the epicenter of those. With Team Alex failing to win any of their first seven matches, there has been an overwhelming amount of pressure put on the team by the community to succeed and the team has struggled as a result, even though this is a fair play tournament by design. Team Alex has been whistled off the pitch after a few of their losses and as a result their matches have all been moved from the main stadium to the smaller pitch that only has a capacity of one hundred spectators.
This pressure is symbolic of the pressure that is being put on the youth of Alexandra to succeed and escape the struggles that have encapsulate the area. Every parent wants a better life for their children and Alexandra is no exception.
Yet, Malaka shrugs off the whistles as “normal” for South Africa and says that he knows that the team still has the community's support regardless of their performance. It is young leaders like Malaka that are providing hope to the community of Alexandra and it is clear that the festival has had a major impact upon their futures.
Multi-Ethnic Teams Bring Hope to their Countries
Alexandra, South Africa --
At the Football for Hope Festival the young people on display all associate football with providing them hope, but some of them may not realize that they are a model for providing hope for their ethnically divided countries. For post-conflict states such as Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda, as well as current conflict zones such as Israel/Palestine, hope of a united future is being provided by multi-ethnic youth soccer teams.
Programs such as Football Friends in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Esperance in Rwanda and The Peace Team in Israel/Palestine are showing their respective nations that unity can be achieved. While these programs alone cannot stop ethnic conflicts, they can play an important role in educating today's youth not to condone ethnic violence and to accept differences. Growing up in societies that allow ethnic hatred to be passed along through generations just exacerbates the problem in conflict zones, which is what these programs seek to halt.
For children that grow up in Israel and Palestine, they will most likely never interact with their peers from the other side of the barbed wire and will be brought up with many false stereotypes and unjustified hatred. Thus, projects such as the Twinned Peace Football Schools can have a huge impact on these youngsters just simply by having them interact with each other in ways that encourage mutual understanding and peace.
When the players are on the pitch, it simply does not matter who is from what ethnicity, but that they act as a team. Participating in programs such as these allow young people to realize that these other ethnicities are not the enemy and that they are human beings too.
Post-conflict zones such as Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda have had difficulty with the re-integration of different ethnicities in the years since their wars ended. For them, programs such as these allow the children to not think of themselves as Serbian, Muslim, Hutu or Tutsi, rather as Bosnians and Rwandans.
For these three teams, their participation in the Football for Hope Festival is visual proof that their multi-ethnic states can succeed in the future. Bringing up the next generation of young people in an environment that is without hate is crucial to the futures of each of these states, for without changes history will only repeat itself.
After speaking to players and coaches on these teams, it is clear that both echo that sentiment. For Football Friends, the team is mixed between Bosnian Croats, Bosnian Serbs, Bosnian Muslims and Montenegrins. In a country that many international observers call a “paper state”, it is symbolic that when Football Friends player Martina Mandir took the field on the first day, she did so wearing a Bosnia-Herzegovina flag, rather than a Croatian flag.
When asked about it, Mandir spoke about how she is proud of her Croatian heritage, but is proud to consider herself Bosnian and that back home in Bosnia her team is hailed as a strong example of unity. However, this sentiment is not shared by all, as there have been many times where members of the community have laughed off the whole concept of the team.
In a state where Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Serbs traditionally do not consider themselves to be 'Bosnian' even though they were born in that country, it is a big statement for Mandir to consider herself Bosnian. This sentiment is even more obvious within the sport of football, as the Bosnia-Herzegovina national team consists almost solely of Bosnian Muslims, with Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Serbs electing to play for their ethnic national team.
While not a post- conflict zone, Germany is increasingly becoming a multi-ethnic county and another region that suffers from extremism and violence against immigrants. German Street Football Network, one of the thirty-two organizations at the festival, uses football as a tool to integrate young people from different social, ethnic and religious backgrounds.
For someone like 17 year old Mustafa Imda, this program provides relief from the everyday societal difficulties that can come about from being an immigrant to the country. When Imda was asked about the best part of the program, he said “when we play football we are a family, no matter where the others are from or what religion they follow”.
Young leaders like Imda and Mandir provide a welcome relief from the sometimes hateful political discourse from leaders in their respective countries, showing that these programs really are allowing for participants to grow up accepting and embracing their multi-cultural socities.
At the Football for Hope Festival the young people on display all associate football with providing them hope, but some of them may not realize that they are a model for providing hope for their ethnically divided countries. For post-conflict states such as Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda, as well as current conflict zones such as Israel/Palestine, hope of a united future is being provided by multi-ethnic youth soccer teams.
Programs such as Football Friends in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Esperance in Rwanda and The Peace Team in Israel/Palestine are showing their respective nations that unity can be achieved. While these programs alone cannot stop ethnic conflicts, they can play an important role in educating today's youth not to condone ethnic violence and to accept differences. Growing up in societies that allow ethnic hatred to be passed along through generations just exacerbates the problem in conflict zones, which is what these programs seek to halt.
For children that grow up in Israel and Palestine, they will most likely never interact with their peers from the other side of the barbed wire and will be brought up with many false stereotypes and unjustified hatred. Thus, projects such as the Twinned Peace Football Schools can have a huge impact on these youngsters just simply by having them interact with each other in ways that encourage mutual understanding and peace.
When the players are on the pitch, it simply does not matter who is from what ethnicity, but that they act as a team. Participating in programs such as these allow young people to realize that these other ethnicities are not the enemy and that they are human beings too.
Post-conflict zones such as Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda have had difficulty with the re-integration of different ethnicities in the years since their wars ended. For them, programs such as these allow the children to not think of themselves as Serbian, Muslim, Hutu or Tutsi, rather as Bosnians and Rwandans.
For these three teams, their participation in the Football for Hope Festival is visual proof that their multi-ethnic states can succeed in the future. Bringing up the next generation of young people in an environment that is without hate is crucial to the futures of each of these states, for without changes history will only repeat itself.
After speaking to players and coaches on these teams, it is clear that both echo that sentiment. For Football Friends, the team is mixed between Bosnian Croats, Bosnian Serbs, Bosnian Muslims and Montenegrins. In a country that many international observers call a “paper state”, it is symbolic that when Football Friends player Martina Mandir took the field on the first day, she did so wearing a Bosnia-Herzegovina flag, rather than a Croatian flag.
When asked about it, Mandir spoke about how she is proud of her Croatian heritage, but is proud to consider herself Bosnian and that back home in Bosnia her team is hailed as a strong example of unity. However, this sentiment is not shared by all, as there have been many times where members of the community have laughed off the whole concept of the team.
In a state where Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Serbs traditionally do not consider themselves to be 'Bosnian' even though they were born in that country, it is a big statement for Mandir to consider herself Bosnian. This sentiment is even more obvious within the sport of football, as the Bosnia-Herzegovina national team consists almost solely of Bosnian Muslims, with Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Serbs electing to play for their ethnic national team.
While not a post- conflict zone, Germany is increasingly becoming a multi-ethnic county and another region that suffers from extremism and violence against immigrants. German Street Football Network, one of the thirty-two organizations at the festival, uses football as a tool to integrate young people from different social, ethnic and religious backgrounds.
For someone like 17 year old Mustafa Imda, this program provides relief from the everyday societal difficulties that can come about from being an immigrant to the country. When Imda was asked about the best part of the program, he said “when we play football we are a family, no matter where the others are from or what religion they follow”.
Young leaders like Imda and Mandir provide a welcome relief from the sometimes hateful political discourse from leaders in their respective countries, showing that these programs really are allowing for participants to grow up accepting and embracing their multi-cultural socities.
Football for Hope Festival Includes Innovative Methodology
Alexandra, South Africa --
In order to create social change, one must be willing to take a new approach towards long-standing issues. For this reason, innovation within any development organization is crucial, but especially so when it comes to using sports to aid social development. With the FIFA Football for Hope Festival bringing together thirty-two teams that are using innovative models in their approach to youth development, it is only fitting that the festival itself include innovative methodology.
While there have been tournaments similar to this festival in the past, Alexandra 2010 is the first time that it has occurred as an official World Cup event and included thirty-two teams. The festival itself can be considered an innovative model as it incorporates a global aspect to the development aspect that would be missing from simply remaining in one country.
Youth from every corner of the world have traveled to Alexandra and for many of them it is their first time leaving their home country, never mind interacting with their peers from all over the world. Outside of the football aspect, this in itself is a major vehicle of learning and cross-cultural exchange.
Cultural performances, team building activities, demonstrations of art and football, and a youth forum have all encouraged this intercultural exchange prior to the festival actually beginning. When it comes to the actual gameplay, there have been modifications put into place to ensure that fair play and development are the focus, rather than simply scoring goals.
Streetfootballworld, one of FIFA's strategic alliance partners for the festival, has implemented their innovative model of football, which they cleverly have nicknamed “football3”. The three refers to the three halves during the match, which is the two halves of actual gameplay and the pre- and post- match discussion.
During the festival, the pre-match discussion focuses around whether teams would like to have throw-ins or kick-ins, whether there should be corner kicks and whether or not teams should clap when the other team scores a goal. These issues must be agreed upon prior to the match in order for it to begin, which can sometimes require a compromise between the teams.
Rather than using a referee, the matches are self-refereed by the players in order to facilitate dialogue and allowing them to take ownership over the match. An unbiased mediator is present on the sidelines in order to keep track of time and to step in just in case there is a disagreement that cannot be diffused. If the match is getting to physical or fair play is not being adhered to, the mediators have the authority to bring the players together and talk things over.
At the end of the match, players are encouraged to exchange huge and high-fives with their opponents and then make their way over to the post-match discussion. This discussion is facilitated by the mediators as they ask both teams how they thought the match went, in fair play terms.
With fair play being the focus of the festival, the Fair Play Trophy understandably holds a great deal of prestige amongst the teams. The trophy is awarded based upon the accumulation of fair play points, which teams can earn after the end of the game during the post-match discussion. A team can either elect to award a fair play point to the other team or they can choose not to do so, but must give a justification for this decision.
This transparent system allows for dialogue amongst the players after the match and is designed to promote respect, mutual understanding, self-confidence and a sense of responsibility amongst the players.
While this system has been tried and tested by streetfootballworld, the festival is still the largest coming together of this innovative methodology and intercultural exchange that the social development and football world has witnessed. Many organizations promote cross-cultural understanding among youth from around the world, but by bringing together youth that all have something in common in the sense that football is hope for them, it allows for a generation of new leaders to grow and learn from one another.
Innovative models and methods are crucial to creating progress and the culmination of all of the social development methodology on display during the festival is innovative in its own right. One can only hope that these types of festivals will continue in the future, with each program taking home a few new innovations and best practices from other organizations.
The true test for these organizations and the festival itself will be in a few years time we will be able to judge how successful the methodology has been in creating the next generation of leaders in each of the communities that have participated.
In order to create social change, one must be willing to take a new approach towards long-standing issues. For this reason, innovation within any development organization is crucial, but especially so when it comes to using sports to aid social development. With the FIFA Football for Hope Festival bringing together thirty-two teams that are using innovative models in their approach to youth development, it is only fitting that the festival itself include innovative methodology.
While there have been tournaments similar to this festival in the past, Alexandra 2010 is the first time that it has occurred as an official World Cup event and included thirty-two teams. The festival itself can be considered an innovative model as it incorporates a global aspect to the development aspect that would be missing from simply remaining in one country.
Youth from every corner of the world have traveled to Alexandra and for many of them it is their first time leaving their home country, never mind interacting with their peers from all over the world. Outside of the football aspect, this in itself is a major vehicle of learning and cross-cultural exchange.
Cultural performances, team building activities, demonstrations of art and football, and a youth forum have all encouraged this intercultural exchange prior to the festival actually beginning. When it comes to the actual gameplay, there have been modifications put into place to ensure that fair play and development are the focus, rather than simply scoring goals.
Streetfootballworld, one of FIFA's strategic alliance partners for the festival, has implemented their innovative model of football, which they cleverly have nicknamed “football3”. The three refers to the three halves during the match, which is the two halves of actual gameplay and the pre- and post- match discussion.
During the festival, the pre-match discussion focuses around whether teams would like to have throw-ins or kick-ins, whether there should be corner kicks and whether or not teams should clap when the other team scores a goal. These issues must be agreed upon prior to the match in order for it to begin, which can sometimes require a compromise between the teams.
Rather than using a referee, the matches are self-refereed by the players in order to facilitate dialogue and allowing them to take ownership over the match. An unbiased mediator is present on the sidelines in order to keep track of time and to step in just in case there is a disagreement that cannot be diffused. If the match is getting to physical or fair play is not being adhered to, the mediators have the authority to bring the players together and talk things over.
At the end of the match, players are encouraged to exchange huge and high-fives with their opponents and then make their way over to the post-match discussion. This discussion is facilitated by the mediators as they ask both teams how they thought the match went, in fair play terms.
With fair play being the focus of the festival, the Fair Play Trophy understandably holds a great deal of prestige amongst the teams. The trophy is awarded based upon the accumulation of fair play points, which teams can earn after the end of the game during the post-match discussion. A team can either elect to award a fair play point to the other team or they can choose not to do so, but must give a justification for this decision.
This transparent system allows for dialogue amongst the players after the match and is designed to promote respect, mutual understanding, self-confidence and a sense of responsibility amongst the players.
While this system has been tried and tested by streetfootballworld, the festival is still the largest coming together of this innovative methodology and intercultural exchange that the social development and football world has witnessed. Many organizations promote cross-cultural understanding among youth from around the world, but by bringing together youth that all have something in common in the sense that football is hope for them, it allows for a generation of new leaders to grow and learn from one another.
Innovative models and methods are crucial to creating progress and the culmination of all of the social development methodology on display during the festival is innovative in its own right. One can only hope that these types of festivals will continue in the future, with each program taking home a few new innovations and best practices from other organizations.
The true test for these organizations and the festival itself will be in a few years time we will be able to judge how successful the methodology has been in creating the next generation of leaders in each of the communities that have participated.
Does Fair Play Still Exist In Sport?
Alexandra, Johannesburg --
Professional sports are increasingly being plauged by cheating, performance-enhancing drugs and athletes that do not exemplify the ideals of fair-play and good sportsmanship. The beautiful game of football is certainly included within this statement as one only needs to look at the lowlights from recent World Cup 2010 matches to see this on display. Feigning injury, time-wasting, physically striking opponents, verbally abusing referees and cheating are all evils that have crept into the World Cup and look to be on the rise as the sport moves forward.
Yet, it is Africa's second World Cup, the FIFA Football for Hope Festival, that is renewing our faith in fair play. Good sportsmanship was evident all the way from the opening ceremony to the final whistle on day one of the competiton. While all the competitors are fighting for the title of “FIFA Football for Hope Festival Champions”, the Fair Play Trophy carries just as much prestige.
The Football for Hope Festival features teams of mixed gender and matches with no referees – disagreements are to be resolved through dialogue, encouraging fair play and good sportsmanship. After a goal is scored, both teams are encouraged to celebrate and the games are supposed to be played with fair play, rather than the score, as the most important aspect. At the end of the matches, both teams discuss the match with a mediator and decide whether or not to award the other team a fair play point.
While this framework cannot guarentee that there will be no disagreements, it does put in place a system that encourages strong, but fair competition, which is a breath of fresh air from the professional sports that we watch on televison. After day one, the festival's record in promoting fair play was fairly strong and encouraging to those that were beginning to believe that there was no such thing as fair play anymore.
In a symbol of the unity among the teams, Team Alex and Team Uruguay, the participating teams in the opening match, were escorted to the field by a guard of honor led by the other thirty teams. After a few quick pictures with FIFA President Sepp Blatter and South African President Jacob Zuma, the match kicked off and while one team did lose, both teams were winners in the grand scheme of things.
With the watchful eyes of the Alexandra, FIFA and the South African government on hand, both teams did justice to FIFA's motto of fair play. After Team Uruguay scored both their goals, they were given congratulatory high-fives by their opponents and at the end of the match there was nothing but hugs between the two teams.
It was a refreshingly positive opening matchday, with examples of fair play being evident on both pitches, as the teams fought hard, but fair for victory. The practice of congratulating the other team as they scored was continued for the most part throughout the afternoon, even as some games became a bit lopsided on the scoreboard. On top of that, teams frequently posed with their opponents for pictures prior to the match and exchanged hugs and high-fives after the match.
The two most poignant examples of fair play during the first matchday were witnessed during two very different matches, one was a very one-sided match between the delegation from Kenya and India while the other was a very competitive between Chile and Ecuador.
The Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) of Kenya entered the festival as one of the favorites to lift the championship trophy, but proved that they are taking the fair-play component just as serious with their opening performance. With the score becoming increasingly one-sided in their favor in their match against Magic Bus India, it was clear that Magic Bus were becoming frustrated.
Yet, you could tell that MYSA had taken their foot off the pedal and were doing their best to keep fair play in mind. With every goal that hit the back of Magic Bus' net, the MYSA players did their best to keep the Magic Bus players' spirits high and not get discouraged. When the final whistle blew, the heads of Magic Bus dropped in disappointment of the final scoreline being 8-0, but before they could leave the pitch, the MYSA players grabbed them and brought them to the center circle.
What happened next was exactly what the designers of this festival would have hoped for as the players formed a circle with their arms around with each other, alternating between Magic Bus and MYSA players. The MYSA players were clearly trying to support the Magic Bus players and to get them to keep their heads up and let them know that they had still played a good game. It was a picture worthy of the front-cover of FIFA's fair play campaign.
The last match of the opening day came between A Ganar Ser Paz of Ecuador and Red Chile de Futbol Callejero of Chile and they did not take long to impress. The players entered the stadium in the two separate lines that have become the international norm, but they did so holding their opponent's hand. This unity between the two teams exemplified everything that this festival is about.
With one day down, it is clear that the Football for Hope Festival is being played in the true spirit of fair play. While there will certainly be disappointments during the festival and the fair play slogan will undoubtedly not be followed one hundred percent of the time, it is clear that these young athletes are providing their professional counterparts with true examples of what fair play and good sportsmanship is all about.
Professional sports are increasingly being plauged by cheating, performance-enhancing drugs and athletes that do not exemplify the ideals of fair-play and good sportsmanship. The beautiful game of football is certainly included within this statement as one only needs to look at the lowlights from recent World Cup 2010 matches to see this on display. Feigning injury, time-wasting, physically striking opponents, verbally abusing referees and cheating are all evils that have crept into the World Cup and look to be on the rise as the sport moves forward.
Yet, it is Africa's second World Cup, the FIFA Football for Hope Festival, that is renewing our faith in fair play. Good sportsmanship was evident all the way from the opening ceremony to the final whistle on day one of the competiton. While all the competitors are fighting for the title of “FIFA Football for Hope Festival Champions”, the Fair Play Trophy carries just as much prestige.
The Football for Hope Festival features teams of mixed gender and matches with no referees – disagreements are to be resolved through dialogue, encouraging fair play and good sportsmanship. After a goal is scored, both teams are encouraged to celebrate and the games are supposed to be played with fair play, rather than the score, as the most important aspect. At the end of the matches, both teams discuss the match with a mediator and decide whether or not to award the other team a fair play point.
While this framework cannot guarentee that there will be no disagreements, it does put in place a system that encourages strong, but fair competition, which is a breath of fresh air from the professional sports that we watch on televison. After day one, the festival's record in promoting fair play was fairly strong and encouraging to those that were beginning to believe that there was no such thing as fair play anymore.
In a symbol of the unity among the teams, Team Alex and Team Uruguay, the participating teams in the opening match, were escorted to the field by a guard of honor led by the other thirty teams. After a few quick pictures with FIFA President Sepp Blatter and South African President Jacob Zuma, the match kicked off and while one team did lose, both teams were winners in the grand scheme of things.
With the watchful eyes of the Alexandra, FIFA and the South African government on hand, both teams did justice to FIFA's motto of fair play. After Team Uruguay scored both their goals, they were given congratulatory high-fives by their opponents and at the end of the match there was nothing but hugs between the two teams.
It was a refreshingly positive opening matchday, with examples of fair play being evident on both pitches, as the teams fought hard, but fair for victory. The practice of congratulating the other team as they scored was continued for the most part throughout the afternoon, even as some games became a bit lopsided on the scoreboard. On top of that, teams frequently posed with their opponents for pictures prior to the match and exchanged hugs and high-fives after the match.
The two most poignant examples of fair play during the first matchday were witnessed during two very different matches, one was a very one-sided match between the delegation from Kenya and India while the other was a very competitive between Chile and Ecuador.
The Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) of Kenya entered the festival as one of the favorites to lift the championship trophy, but proved that they are taking the fair-play component just as serious with their opening performance. With the score becoming increasingly one-sided in their favor in their match against Magic Bus India, it was clear that Magic Bus were becoming frustrated.
Yet, you could tell that MYSA had taken their foot off the pedal and were doing their best to keep fair play in mind. With every goal that hit the back of Magic Bus' net, the MYSA players did their best to keep the Magic Bus players' spirits high and not get discouraged. When the final whistle blew, the heads of Magic Bus dropped in disappointment of the final scoreline being 8-0, but before they could leave the pitch, the MYSA players grabbed them and brought them to the center circle.
What happened next was exactly what the designers of this festival would have hoped for as the players formed a circle with their arms around with each other, alternating between Magic Bus and MYSA players. The MYSA players were clearly trying to support the Magic Bus players and to get them to keep their heads up and let them know that they had still played a good game. It was a picture worthy of the front-cover of FIFA's fair play campaign.
The last match of the opening day came between A Ganar Ser Paz of Ecuador and Red Chile de Futbol Callejero of Chile and they did not take long to impress. The players entered the stadium in the two separate lines that have become the international norm, but they did so holding their opponent's hand. This unity between the two teams exemplified everything that this festival is about.
With one day down, it is clear that the Football for Hope Festival is being played in the true spirit of fair play. While there will certainly be disappointments during the festival and the fair play slogan will undoubtedly not be followed one hundred percent of the time, it is clear that these young athletes are providing their professional counterparts with true examples of what fair play and good sportsmanship is all about.
Alexandra Buzzing with a New World Cup Fever: Football for Hope
Alexandra, South Africa --
Another World Cup will be kicking off Sunday morning in South Africa, yet this one will be much different than the one that considers itself the world's greatest sporting event. While this tournament, the FIFA Football for Hope Festival, will not be shown live throughout the world nor will its players' every movement be subject to global scrutiny, it will still mean everything and more to the players involved.
FIFA has embraced the idea of a Football for Hope Festival for organizations using football to promote development goals and this has been duly reflected by the attention the local South Africa media has been giving it. In Saturday's papers, articles covering the buildup to the festival featured right next to coverage about Brazil's stunning defeat to the Netherlands.
With the opening ceremony being presided over by none other than Sepp Blatter and Jacob Zuma, Presidents of FIFA and South Africa respectively, it is no wonder that this event is beginning to raise eyebrows amongst South Africans.
For Alexandra, an overcrowded township that faces high levels of unemployment, poverty and crime, thieir moment in the limelight has finally come. Team Alexandra of Play Soccer South Africa, comprised of eight young men and women from the area, will kick off the tournament against the participants from Uruguay, no doubt seeking a small measure of revenge for their beloved Bafana Bafana's heartbreaking loss to the same country.
Long after the dust has settled on both the World Cup and the Football for Hope Festival, their legacies will continue. FIFA has made the Football for Hope Festival a priority this World Cup, with it featuring on the advertising boards during official World Cup matches along with playing a public service announcement to the crowd regarding the festival during half-time.
Part of that legacy will be FIFA's 20 Centers for Hope, strategically placed public health, education and football centers in Africa, and the 1 Goal campaign, an initiative to ensure every child has access to education in Africa, endorsed by many prominent World Cup stars, including Lionel Messi.
In the words of Team Alex's coach Sello Mahlangu, “this World Cup isn't just about the big stars, but also about bringing hope, change and opportunities to communities like Alexandra.”
Football has brought hope to South Africa, similar to the way that it has brought hope to all of the players in the Football for Hope Festival, and it is exceptional to see South African media finally giving this movement its due.
Alexandra is buzzing with activity with just a day to go until the opening ceremony, but there is nobody more excited than Team Alexandra. Katlego, a member of the squad and resident of Alexandra, said that he “could not wait for all of his new friends to see his home town and for the festival to begin.” Coach Mahlangu also added that he wanted to “thank Football for Hope for giving the young people of Alex and opportunity to shine.”
From the looks of things, Alexandra and the rest of South Africa cannot wait for them to arrive as well.
Let's just hope that for all of the publicity and support from FIFA that this festival is drawing is used to keep the message of football for hope going. For this is not just a one week festival, it is a lifelong dream for everyone involved.
Another World Cup will be kicking off Sunday morning in South Africa, yet this one will be much different than the one that considers itself the world's greatest sporting event. While this tournament, the FIFA Football for Hope Festival, will not be shown live throughout the world nor will its players' every movement be subject to global scrutiny, it will still mean everything and more to the players involved.
FIFA has embraced the idea of a Football for Hope Festival for organizations using football to promote development goals and this has been duly reflected by the attention the local South Africa media has been giving it. In Saturday's papers, articles covering the buildup to the festival featured right next to coverage about Brazil's stunning defeat to the Netherlands.
With the opening ceremony being presided over by none other than Sepp Blatter and Jacob Zuma, Presidents of FIFA and South Africa respectively, it is no wonder that this event is beginning to raise eyebrows amongst South Africans.
For Alexandra, an overcrowded township that faces high levels of unemployment, poverty and crime, thieir moment in the limelight has finally come. Team Alexandra of Play Soccer South Africa, comprised of eight young men and women from the area, will kick off the tournament against the participants from Uruguay, no doubt seeking a small measure of revenge for their beloved Bafana Bafana's heartbreaking loss to the same country.
Long after the dust has settled on both the World Cup and the Football for Hope Festival, their legacies will continue. FIFA has made the Football for Hope Festival a priority this World Cup, with it featuring on the advertising boards during official World Cup matches along with playing a public service announcement to the crowd regarding the festival during half-time.
Part of that legacy will be FIFA's 20 Centers for Hope, strategically placed public health, education and football centers in Africa, and the 1 Goal campaign, an initiative to ensure every child has access to education in Africa, endorsed by many prominent World Cup stars, including Lionel Messi.
In the words of Team Alex's coach Sello Mahlangu, “this World Cup isn't just about the big stars, but also about bringing hope, change and opportunities to communities like Alexandra.”
Football has brought hope to South Africa, similar to the way that it has brought hope to all of the players in the Football for Hope Festival, and it is exceptional to see South African media finally giving this movement its due.
Alexandra is buzzing with activity with just a day to go until the opening ceremony, but there is nobody more excited than Team Alexandra. Katlego, a member of the squad and resident of Alexandra, said that he “could not wait for all of his new friends to see his home town and for the festival to begin.” Coach Mahlangu also added that he wanted to “thank Football for Hope for giving the young people of Alex and opportunity to shine.”
From the looks of things, Alexandra and the rest of South Africa cannot wait for them to arrive as well.
Let's just hope that for all of the publicity and support from FIFA that this festival is drawing is used to keep the message of football for hope going. For this is not just a one week festival, it is a lifelong dream for everyone involved.
Football for Hope: Pre-Festival Cultural Celebration Begins
Johannesburg, South Africa --
If one had just happened to walk into the Queen's High School auditorium on Wednesday night, you may have thought you were witnessing a talent show performance. But this was not just any talent show, it was one of the kickoff cultural celebration performances that is part of the FIFA Football for Hope Festival, which displayed that the participating youth are just as talented off the field as on the field.
Including performances by all thirty-two teams, the cultural component of the festival was alive and well with the participants getting to see a snippet of each of their peers' culture. This cultural component is crucial to the fostering of a long-term social awareness and works to prove that this festival is about a whole lot more than just football.
The home delegation, Team Alexandra from Play Soccer South Africa, kicked off the festivities and left the crowd wanting more – which is exactly what they got as their cheers convinced Team Alex to one more encore performance. Team Alex is proving to be the perfect cultural ambassadors for the host nation as they received some of the loudest cheers of the night, all with nothing but smiles on their faces as they certainly were enjoying themselves.
Following Team Alex, the audience was treated to traditional song and dance from the delegations from Lesotho, Ecuador, Paraguay, Rwanda and Cambodia. This was transposed with a few modern song and dance performances by the delegations from the UK, Ireland, France and Senegal. There was even a fire dancing performance by the delegation from Tahiti!
Before Team Alex performed, the night began with a spontaneous dance party to everybody's new favorite World Cup Song “Waka Waka” by Shakira and ended with an exciting display of capoiera by the Brazilian team. It's hard to judge which teams received the loudest standing ovation of the night, but what was evident for the naked eye was the way that every single participant was embracing one of the core ideas of the festival – bringing together a wide array of young leaders under the guise of football to engage them in cross-cultural learning.
The night was probably summed up best by the performance of Sport dans la Ville of France as they ended by introducing themselves each in a different language from a participating country.
While the participants have barely known each other for two days, it is remarkable to see the amount of overwhelming support that they consistently give each other. What began for these young role models as just a football festival, has for them turned into something that is so much more.
If they can play football anywhere near as well as they can sing and dance, we are certainly going to be in for a great week when the festival officially kicks off on July 4th!
If one had just happened to walk into the Queen's High School auditorium on Wednesday night, you may have thought you were witnessing a talent show performance. But this was not just any talent show, it was one of the kickoff cultural celebration performances that is part of the FIFA Football for Hope Festival, which displayed that the participating youth are just as talented off the field as on the field.
Including performances by all thirty-two teams, the cultural component of the festival was alive and well with the participants getting to see a snippet of each of their peers' culture. This cultural component is crucial to the fostering of a long-term social awareness and works to prove that this festival is about a whole lot more than just football.
The home delegation, Team Alexandra from Play Soccer South Africa, kicked off the festivities and left the crowd wanting more – which is exactly what they got as their cheers convinced Team Alex to one more encore performance. Team Alex is proving to be the perfect cultural ambassadors for the host nation as they received some of the loudest cheers of the night, all with nothing but smiles on their faces as they certainly were enjoying themselves.
Following Team Alex, the audience was treated to traditional song and dance from the delegations from Lesotho, Ecuador, Paraguay, Rwanda and Cambodia. This was transposed with a few modern song and dance performances by the delegations from the UK, Ireland, France and Senegal. There was even a fire dancing performance by the delegation from Tahiti!
Before Team Alex performed, the night began with a spontaneous dance party to everybody's new favorite World Cup Song “Waka Waka” by Shakira and ended with an exciting display of capoiera by the Brazilian team. It's hard to judge which teams received the loudest standing ovation of the night, but what was evident for the naked eye was the way that every single participant was embracing one of the core ideas of the festival – bringing together a wide array of young leaders under the guise of football to engage them in cross-cultural learning.
The night was probably summed up best by the performance of Sport dans la Ville of France as they ended by introducing themselves each in a different language from a participating country.
While the participants have barely known each other for two days, it is remarkable to see the amount of overwhelming support that they consistently give each other. What began for these young role models as just a football festival, has for them turned into something that is so much more.
If they can play football anywhere near as well as they can sing and dance, we are certainly going to be in for a great week when the festival officially kicks off on July 4th!
World Youth Forum: A Reflection on Social Development and Football
Johannesburg, South Africa-
Football can change the world. This may sound a bit optimistic to some, but for the sixty-four young leaders involved in the World Youth Forum at Queens High School, Johannesburg on Wednesday, this is an overriding theme that keeps them going everyday.
The World Youth Forum, one of the opening events at FIFA's Football For Hope Festival, included two players from each of the thirty-two teams at the festival. With stated goals of uncovering inspirational stories from the festival participants and encouraging a discussion on what “Football for Hope” meant to each of them, the Youth Forum was a remarkable way to signal the beginning of the Football for Hope Festival.
Kicked off with inspirational words from Meghan Mahoney and David Czesniuk, from Northeastern University's Center for Sport in Society, and Jon McCullough, a former member of the United States Paralympic Soccer team, the participants kept the ball rolling with their own inspirational stories of what football means to them.
The first young leader to address the Forum was eighteen year old Katlego, from the organization Play Soccer and a resident of Alexandra, the venue for the festival. Katlego spoke of his pride of showing off his hometown to the rest of the world, but also of the way that football has given him the hope that he can achieve his dreams. He had never dreamed of meeting and making friends with young people from around the world, yet he had already done that after just one day in the athlete's village.
After the opening session, workshops broke the participants into smaller groups which encouraged the participants to discuss how football related to the leadership, conflict resolution, health, hope and inclusion. During these workshops, the consistent theme through each young person's lives what that football can and has made a difference in their lives.
During the closing session, a young woman from the UK's Dads against Drugs proclaimed the greatest lesson she has learned from football is that “the greatest team is not necessarily the best, but it's the team that makes the greatest community impact.” Others talked about how football has taught them to be resilient in life and to keep on going, while another participant from Magic Bus India talked about how the Festival has already made an impact on her life by letting her see that so many others go through the same problems that she does and she is not alone.
Sporting a jersey of the Paraguayan superstar Salvador Cabanas, who was tragically shot and unable to participate in this year's World Cup, a young woman poignantly proclaimed that she was “at the Festival for everybody that couldn't be in South Africa with us.” With that being said, facilitator Jon McCullough urged the participants to continue being role models in their community and turn their words into actions upon their return.
With the kickoff of the Football for Hope festival being just a few days away, it is clear that all thirty-two teams cannot hide their excitement and anticipation anymore. Yet, the Football for Hope Festival is not just about playing football, it's about much more. It's about the discussion that went on inside the Forum today, inspiring today's youth to go home and continue using football as a positive vehicle of change. From the looks of things, each delegation is in good hands moving forward.
Football can change the world. This may sound a bit optimistic to some, but for the sixty-four young leaders involved in the World Youth Forum at Queens High School, Johannesburg on Wednesday, this is an overriding theme that keeps them going everyday.
The World Youth Forum, one of the opening events at FIFA's Football For Hope Festival, included two players from each of the thirty-two teams at the festival. With stated goals of uncovering inspirational stories from the festival participants and encouraging a discussion on what “Football for Hope” meant to each of them, the Youth Forum was a remarkable way to signal the beginning of the Football for Hope Festival.
Kicked off with inspirational words from Meghan Mahoney and David Czesniuk, from Northeastern University's Center for Sport in Society, and Jon McCullough, a former member of the United States Paralympic Soccer team, the participants kept the ball rolling with their own inspirational stories of what football means to them.
The first young leader to address the Forum was eighteen year old Katlego, from the organization Play Soccer and a resident of Alexandra, the venue for the festival. Katlego spoke of his pride of showing off his hometown to the rest of the world, but also of the way that football has given him the hope that he can achieve his dreams. He had never dreamed of meeting and making friends with young people from around the world, yet he had already done that after just one day in the athlete's village.
After the opening session, workshops broke the participants into smaller groups which encouraged the participants to discuss how football related to the leadership, conflict resolution, health, hope and inclusion. During these workshops, the consistent theme through each young person's lives what that football can and has made a difference in their lives.
During the closing session, a young woman from the UK's Dads against Drugs proclaimed the greatest lesson she has learned from football is that “the greatest team is not necessarily the best, but it's the team that makes the greatest community impact.” Others talked about how football has taught them to be resilient in life and to keep on going, while another participant from Magic Bus India talked about how the Festival has already made an impact on her life by letting her see that so many others go through the same problems that she does and she is not alone.
Sporting a jersey of the Paraguayan superstar Salvador Cabanas, who was tragically shot and unable to participate in this year's World Cup, a young woman poignantly proclaimed that she was “at the Festival for everybody that couldn't be in South Africa with us.” With that being said, facilitator Jon McCullough urged the participants to continue being role models in their community and turn their words into actions upon their return.
With the kickoff of the Football for Hope festival being just a few days away, it is clear that all thirty-two teams cannot hide their excitement and anticipation anymore. Yet, the Football for Hope Festival is not just about playing football, it's about much more. It's about the discussion that went on inside the Forum today, inspiring today's youth to go home and continue using football as a positive vehicle of change. From the looks of things, each delegation is in good hands moving forward.
Lack of Posts
Apologies for the lack of posts recently - I've been at the Football for Hope Festival in Alexandra. Check out my daily news stories from the Festival in the next few posts!!
For more information on the festival, go here:
http://www.streetfootballworld.org/news-center/eventsfolder/football-for-hope-festival-2010
For more information on the festival, go here:
http://www.streetfootballworld.org/news-center/eventsfolder/football-for-hope-festival-2010
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