EFDN celebrates the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
Since its foundation, EFDN is using the social power of football to positively change the lives of people in European society. This is why we feel that the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace represents perfectly the spirit of what EFDN has built over the last 6 years.
From the 6th of April 2014 onwards, the power of sport has been celebrated worldwide for its ability to strengthen social ties, promote sustainable development and peace, as well as solidarity, and respect. Join us and show us that you are a ‘Supporter of Each Other’ by sharing how you are supporting your community or how you are implementing physical activity in your daily routine on your social media channels, using the hashtags #SupporterofEachOther / #IDSDP. Be sure to tag Supporter of Each Other, EFDN and your team so, we can all promote physical activity together, during this crisis.
Changing lives through football
Through its many projects, EFDN has shown that sport and football, in particular, can contribute to the achievement of a more social society and the Sustainable Development Goals. Our Pan-European programmes with clubs, leagues, FAs and other stakeholders from all across Europe show that football is a cost-effective and flexible tool to promote peace and development. Below you find some examples of how we are changing lives through football:
Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC) is a 24-month anti-racism and anti-discrimination programme which is based on the proven concept of the Red Card Campaign delivered in several European countries.
The Scoring for Health programme encourages children from the ages of 7 to 13, and their parents, to adopt a healthy lifestyle and make them aware of the value of eating healthily and being active.
With the aim of promoting social integration through sport, the Community Champions League provides the opportunity for people from different cultures to come together to build relationships and friendships while breaking down barriers through the prevention of violence, racism and intolerance in grassroots sports and their communities.
EFDN Youth Exchanges allow clubs to provide groups of young people from different countries and social backgrounds with the opportunity to meet, live together and work on shared projects for short periods.
Welcome through Football was a 12 months project which sees the EFDN cooperating with 5 of its member clubs Apollon FC, Everton in the Community, FC Emmen, KAA Gent Foundation and Werder Bremen with the purpose of sharing expertise, experiences and best practices of their community programmes that focus on young refugees.
Our member Real Betis Balompié Foundation is the coordinator of the project that aims at promoting social inclusion and a healthier lifestyle in deprived areas of cities. The goal is to install a “Community Football Driver”, an agent of change who will have the job of empowering the young participants to learn.
STEP4youth wants to design, test and evaluate a new sport-based intervention that introduces and improves employability, knowledge, skills and networks in order to foster the social inclusion of refugee and migrant youth (including unaccompanied minors and youth at highest risk) in Europe.
EFDN has joined forces with the international football family and other stakeholders to launch the ‘Supporter of Each Other’ campaign. The goal of this new campaign is to inspire people, players, fans, clubs, leagues and FAs to support each other to overcome the current Covid-19 crisis. The Supporter of Each Other campaign aims to inspire people, players, clubs, leagues, FAs and all interested organisations to look out for and support each other and will communicate tips and initiatives to stay healthy and socially active from home, to stop the further spread of the virus.
Clubs, Leagues, FAs and other interested organisations can also become a Supporter of Each Other by promoting the tips and activities of the Supporter of Each Other initiative, using #SupporterofEachOther in their messages, or by signing up for free as an official Supporter of Each Other Partner here.
