Soccer and Refugees

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This week’s European issue of Time dedicates its cover history to the refugees and the asylum problem.

According to 1951 U.N. Convention, refugees are those people running from persecution in their nations, because of race, religion, nationality or social or political affiliation.

U.N. figures out over 15 million recognized refugees that live unsafe at home and unwanted anywhere else, at the beginning of 2009. They are not economic migrants, even though they often have to face economic problems.

So that … what’s the link between soccer and refugees?

I’d like to tell you about an Italian experience I’m very proud of.

Liberi Nantes is a soccer team formed by refugees, asylum seekers, migrants. The team is part of an association whose aim is giving these people a ‘normal’ life through different sports.

Liberi Nantes with its soccer team will participate at Antiracist World Cup, that will be held in Italy, at Casalecchio di Reno (not far from Bologna) from 7^th to 11^th of July.

Thinking of U.N. numbers, we can rightly believe it’s just a drop in the ocean.

But normal life is made of little things, small steps.

In this case, soccer represents also a chance to inform people about refugees condition, and do not forget them and the hard life in their countries.

Obviously, S4C and its photographers will be there to show us all the best of this tournament!

South Africa and 2010 Soccer World Cup

From tomorrow many of us will spend our time watching Soccer World Cup 2010, that will be held in South Africa.

This is the most important soccer competition, and it represents a unique opportunity of investments and economic incoming, as well as an important showcase for the whole country.

I hope that all the people that are working there (journalists, tv operators, photographers, ecc.) and even the supporters coming from all over the world will be able to tell us not only about some soccer matches.

I hope they will be the witnesses of social life, focusing their (and our!) attention on a Country, a Continent that need a deep awareness from all of us.

G. Perottino/Insidefoto - all rights reserved

Following the good example given by varous NGO as Doctors without Borders and AMREF, we don’t have to miss the opportunity to talk about projects, life, needs of South African people.

As for the Rugby Championship in 1995, this is also an opportunity to fight against apartheid, that unfortunately is still alive.

If you’d like to tell something about your experiences in South Africa, don’t hesitate to use this blog!

Enjoy your championship and let’s have an alternate view of  2010 World Cup!

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Date:	Monday, June 14, 2010
Time:	2:00pm – 6:30pm
Location:	Waithaka Divisional Headquarters

Description

AMREF is partnering Africa Goal to screen World Cup matches live across Africa, starting in Kenya on June 11 and ending in South Africa on July 11.

The aim of the project is two-pronged: to bring the World Cup, on a large screen, to communities in remote or poor areas that do not have access to such an opportunity to view the matches, and to use the opportunity presented by the ready audience to deliver messages on HIV and AIDS. Africa Goal is partnering with local health organisations, and AMREF is one of those they would like to work with in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.

AMREF’s role is to organise the venues – such as a football field, or market ground – mobilise people to come and watch the match, and engage the audience in discussions and messages on HIV for about two hours before the screening in the form of talk, drama, music, question-and-answer sessions or other forms of presentation, or a combination of various forms. The Africa Goal team will provide the equipment, while AMREF organises the venue, mobilises the audience and delivers the health messages.

The first screening under this partnership will be in Dagoretti, and the match of the day shall be that between Japan and Cameroon. Children from the AMREF Dagoretti Child in Need Project will perform plays, poems and skits with a public viewing of Mapenzi Tamu and there after, a question and answer question for the audience based on the day’s performances.

Soccer against hunger

Photo by Andrea Staccioli/Inside

Yesterday, the European Professional Football Leagues and FAO launched in Rome a new campaign to create awareness and raise funds against hunger. Also yesterday many people joined the Blog Action Day.

It’s important to know that in the same day different people and different organizations focused their attention on the same topics, poverty and hunger, using different media.

On one hand, we have important testimonials such as the Italian football player Roberto Baggio, government representatives from European countries, and traditional media like press and television. On the other hand, we have hundreds of bloggers, videocasters, the social media and the network. “Anonimous” people versus VIP, traditional media versus new media. In this case, it is not so important to understand which media is more effective, but the number of people this synergie can reach, and the best way to use them for the same goal.

What do you think? Let’s talk about no-profit projects where different media strategies ‘live’ togethere!

If you want to read the article:

http://www.fao.org/Newsroom/en/news/2008/1000935/index.html