Fundação Benfica organised “Show Racism The Red Card” event in Estádio da Luz

Fundação Benfica organised “Show Racism The Red Card” event in Estádio da Luz

On the 24th of February, Fundação Benfica welcomed more than 400 children for the 1st edition of the “Show Racism The Red Card” festival. This event is part of the work that the Foundation has been carrying on in the last years to fight discrimination.  

Included in the “Show Racism The Red Card” project,  the event – funded by the European Commission – has as its main goal to fight racism and other forms of discrimination through educational sessions. 

“Fundação Benfica has been working to combat racism and other forms of discrimination through various initiatives for many years. During this time we have worked with several clubs, such as Chelsea or Inter Milan. Since it has been on, the project has involved more than 400 young people and we think that by the end of the year it will have reached more than 3,000 children,” explained the executive president of the Fundação Benfica, Carlos Moia, in a statement to the media.

“Although we don’t want to admit it, this is a very serious and long-standing problem in Portuguese society. This is what we want to highlight with this project. Putting themselves in other people’s shoes, these children can experience the different treatment they would receive and through various situations where they are in a position of weakness, and through sports, they can understand how that weakness is unfair and how our society should be more inclusive. In the case of racism, it’s not a question of weakness, it’s a stigma,” the Foundation’s director Jorge Miranda told BTV.

Recognized by the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth (IPDJ), this project, like others, deserved the Bandeira da Ética (Flag of Ethics), a flag that certifies initiatives, projects or entities that stand out in the promotion of ethical values through sports practice.

“The Fundação Benfica has done a very intense work to raise awareness on the subject of inclusion through sport and, as part of its strategy, it has already activated several projects inserted in this intervention. The ‘Kid Fun’ project was recognized by IPDJ with the Bandeira da Ética and now, once again, this project related to racism also deserved the distinction”, said Carlos Pereira, member of the board of IPDJ.