Football is “hope” for Youth
In the words of Ban Ki-Moon-UN Secretary General: “The game of football is a sport of simplicity and fitness. It has a global reach, it’s gender-transcendent and can virtually be played anywhere. Whether at a large scale sporting event like the FIFA World Cup, or an impromptu game on the street. Football has the power to instill confidence, hope and pride in the underdog and promote teamwork and support.”
In due words of Joseph S. Batter FIFA President: “The driving force of our social engagement can and must be football itself. Its unique appeal and come values that reach across generations and cultures. Football offers common ground for engaging in a wide range of social development activities, including education, health promotion, social integration and gender equity. That is why football for hope is of strategic importance to FIFA. Football is and needs to remain a School for life.”
SPF has initiated programs and projects to promote peace advocacy, support communities, and to establish a culture of peace among individuals of all races, communities and organizations. The program aims to support the future of children, youth, and their leadership as agent’s peaceful change in their communities. Soccer for Peace Foundation seeks collaborations with other global organizations and government ministries in order to maximize program impact without wasting resources. SPF also seeks to encourage social enterprise activities that reduce poverty, and initiatives that build and foster long-term, socio-economic development.
SPF Football Programs
SPF is engaged in national and international footballing programs, including:
- Addressing unemployment by using football as a tool for training, education and motivation of young stars.
- Changing the mind-set of youth against crime, drug abuse, and oil pipe-lines vandalisation.
- Changing the mind-set of youth as regards kidnapping, terrorism and sea piracy.
- Bringing together communities for the purpose of peace building, and public health matters.
- Building peace advocacy beyond football for the purpose of socio-economic, social development and integration of youth.