Discover a few of the speakers at the 18th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference

Discover a few of the speakers at the 18th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference

The European Football for Development Network (EFDN) will host its 18th EFDN Conference from the 14th until the 16th of November 2022 in Budapest, Hungary. The topic of this EFDN Conference will be “Sustainability and Human Rights”, which will take place at the Groupama Arena, the stadium of EFDN Member Ferenvárosi TC.

EFDN Conferences bring a unique opportunity for CSR experts and newcomers into the CSR world to learn from each other and share their insights about topics such as fundraising in CSR, environmental sustainability, anti-discrimination, social inclusion, online safeguarding, physical activity in younger and older population, or STEM education, among others. The format of the conference includes panels, breakout sessions, study visits and roundtables, and offers multiple chances to network and connect with other EFDN members and experts in the CSR in football.

This news article will give you an impression of some more of the knowledgeable and competent speakers in the fields of sustainability and human rights within football who we have contacted to share their expertise with you:

Iva Cigrovskij, Head of Public Relations Department and CSR activities coordinator at GNK Dinamo, is a confirmed speaker at our 18th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference in Budapest from the 14th until the 16th of November 2022.

Experienced Public Relations Manager and Communications Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the football industry. Working at GNK Dinamo since 2011, currently Head of Public Relations Department. Board of Trustees Member at GNK Dinamo Nema predaje Foundation also. Strong professional with a Master’s degree focused in Journalism and Public Relations with significant experience in the field of socially responsible projects.  The most successful Croatian football club became one of the leading sports organization in CSR in Croatia during the last years. GNK Dinamo’s CSR work resulted in establishing club’s official Foundation in 2019. 

For many years, GNK Dinamo has been implementing numerous socially responsible projects at the level of the local community through which it tries to involve individuals and organizations in football, not only as fans, but also as active participants in football such as employees, athletes, partners. During the last years, through its activities, Dinamo has opened the door to the world of “soccer” for many children, adults, athletes, people with disabilities. Through its work and activities, the club wants to encourage other sports organizations, clubs and federations to equally strive to ensure equal access to football and sports for everyone. Through its programmes, the club also works to encourage recreative sports, healthy living, healthy nutrition and respect for positive social values. Also, we are working a lot to make some positive changes in our community, by raising awareness of the power of football in general and raising awareness on climate change and health.

Benjamin Kirchler, researcher at Energy Institute at the Johannes Kepler University Linz, is a confirmed speaker at our 18th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference in Budapest from the 14th until the 16th of November 2022.

Benjamin works as a research associate at the Energy Institute, an independent research institution in the field of energy economics and he is involved in several european research projects. His research focus is in the area of behavioral economics, on which he is also writing his PhD thesis.  

Benjamin’s presentation will discuss Greenfoot an EFDN related project. Greenfoot aims to support the energy transition within football by providing novel crowdfunding schemes that allow fans and other interested people to engage with clubs and football associations and help them to become more energy efficient. The presentation describes the work conducted in the Horizon 2020 project, with a focus on the survey that collects detailed information about the motivation, willigness to participate in such campaigns and elicits the amount that people would be willing to contribute. The results identify the ideal target group, quantify the effect of emotional attachment, in our case football fans, on their willigness to participate and contribute. The results point to a shift in the desing of energy communities and shows that rather then creating new communities, existing communities should be transformed into energy communites. The presentation will also highlight what measures could be implemented in various football buildings, e.g. stadiums of different size, and training facilities.

Tom Hutton, Head of Foundation 92, is a confirmed speaker at our 18th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference in Budapest from the 14th until the 16th of November 2022.

Tom Hutton is the Head of Foundation 92, a charity formed by The Class of ’92. Foundation 92 is the official charity of Salford City FC. Tom is proud to utilise the universal hook of football to deliver wider societal benefit with particular focus on inclusion, integration, raising aspiration and empowering communities to achieve their potential.

This presentation will show how Foundation 92 has used the vehicle of football to deliver a rapid response campaign to support the local and global needs of refugees. Alongside businesses across Greater Manchester, the Foundation has galvanized the community to help refugees in; education, employment, wellbeing, housing and living.

James Atkins, co-founder of Football4Forest and director of Planet Super League, is a confirmed speaker at our 18th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference in Budapest from the 14th until the 16th of November 2022.

James Atkins is co-founder of Football4Forest and director of Planet Super League. Over the last 20 years he has been Chairman of Vertis Environmental Finance, an emissions trading company he set up in 1998, which grew to be one of the largest players in the sector. He is also initiator of several other ventures and initiatives tackling climate change and restoring natural biodiversity. He is author of a book, Climate Change for Football Fans, which is a critique of climate change policy written in a fun style.

James’s football career started as the goalkeeper for Kirkby Lonsdale cub-scouts team in 1977 and finished in 1977.

The presentation will give you an introduction into Football4Forests: it will explain the objectives, motivation, and tools. James will present the F4F app, describe the financing model and take you to a tour to the Colombian rainforest. There, in the Colombian region of Caquetá, our partners of Tiempo de Juego will take the ball and score a point for nature.