ConnectSport TV: How can football support refugees?
Representatives from UEFA, the Football Association, Premier League and Amnesty International were amongst the key speakers at a conference on how football can help to support refugees.
The event took place at the Amex Stadium, the home of Brighton & Hove Albion FC, on November 25 and was organised by the University of Brighton and supported by the British Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences.
It was the second part of a programme entitled ‘Refugees Welcome: Football fans & community in Europe’. The first took place in Paris in June in collaboration with Football Supporters Europe, and focused on what fans and grassroots groups are doing with refugees, including setting up teams, working in camps and raising awareness. The University of Brighton are collating the findings to provide policy briefings.
Mark Doidge, Senior Research Fellow from the University of Brighton, co-ordinated the event. He said: “The main goal of this workshop was to place football centrally in the minds of policy makers addressing the needs of refugees globally.
“Often governments focus on the immediate welfare needs of refugees and asylum seekers and overlook the important role of sport, and football in particular, in supporting the physical, mental, emotional and social welfare of individuals.
“Following the workships we will collate policy briefings for national governments, sport governing bodies, football clubs and international NGOs. It is also intended to start a dialogue to further research and support in this area, particularly practical outcomes for grassroots organisations and governing bodies, and sharing best practice globally.”
An overview of the day…
Eric Musangwa, the founder of Football for Hope, Peace and Unity, opened the conference with the haunting tale of how he survived the Rwandan genocide in 1994 – in one instance because a soldier recognised him as a prominent footballer. He told the audience about his work using sport to re-unite war-torn communities in Africa, saying: “I am living witness of what football can do.”
The first panel of the day was entitled ‘How to engage refugees in daily life through football’ and began with John Dorber, from the Council of Europe, who described how football could be used to “detoxify the debate” around immigration and “maximise tolerance”. He added: “It’s not a refugee crisis, it’s a political crisis.”
Next Hubert Rovers, from the European Football for Development Network (EFDN), spoke about the work professional clubs across Europe are doing in their communities. “Clubs are like modern churches,” he said. “They bring together people from all backgrounds.”
Azim El-Hassan, a former Sudanese refugee who is now a sports journalist and producer for SNTV, talked about the media’s role in shaping – both positively and negatively – how refugees are integrated into new countries.
After lunch, Professor Tina Nobis from Humboldt University in Berlin, introduced the next panel on ‘The role of clubs and governing bodies’.
First up was Patrick Gasser, Senior Manager at UEFA for Football and Social Responsibility, who briefly touched on his work with the International Red Cross in war-torn nations – including Rwanda – before joining European football’s governing body in 1999. He then explained UEFA’s strategic approach to social responsibility, and how they work with key partners ranging from the European Clubs Association and the European Professional Football Leagues to individual national governing bodies to fund projects and campaigns focused on diversity and inclusion, anti-discrimination, and peace and reconciliation.
Patrick also highlighted UEFA’s post-event report into social responsibility and sustainability at Euro 2016, and the work of the UEFA Foundation for Children including in refugee camps.
Kevin Coleman, Equality Manager at The Football Association’s Participation and Development Division, also demonstrated how a governing body’s inclusion and diversity programmes are crucial to driving social cohesion in communities across the UK, and integrating people from different backgrounds.
Jez Weeks gave a moving account of his work with the Premier League in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. Jez helps to deliver Premier Skills International Football Development Programme in conjunction with the British Council, and talked about how football helps to give people a sense of purpose and focus in an alien environment.
Martin Perry, from hosts Brighton & Hove Albion FC, gave an overview of the club’s work in integrating newcomers to the region – especially through the work of their award-winning foundation Albion in the Community.
On the final panel of the day, Naomi Westland from Amnesty UK drew parallels with today’s situation in Syria from the Spanish Civil War, and told the amazing story of 4000 child refugees to the UK in the 1930s. Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin was initially reluctant to accept them, but after the bombing of Guernica in April 1937, a public outpouring of sympathy forced his hand and the children came to these shores – including five young men who eventually went on to sign for UK football clubs. Emilio Aldecoa became the first Spaniard to play for an English club when he signed for Wolves in 1943.
Katherina Oltmanns, from the international NGO Terre des Hommes, spoke about their work across the globe in using sport to unite communities, and highlighted the Children Win campaign which is lobbying and working with international governing bodies such as FIFA, UEFA and IOC to ensure child rights are respected when hosting major sporting events such as the World Cup finals and Olympic Games.
Finally, in another example of how football has been used to combat prejudice, Daniela Conti spoke about Liberi Nantes, the football club in Rome comprised of refugees, set up in 2007.
Source: Connect Sport