International Human Solidarity Day 2020

International Human Solidarity Day 2020

Solidarity is identified in the Millennium Declaration as one of the fundamental values of international relations in the 21st Century, wherein those, who either suffer or benefit least deserve help from those who benefit most. Consequently, in the context of globalization and the challenge of growing inequality, strengthening of international solidarity is indispensable. Therefore, the UN General Assembly, convinced that the promotion of the culture of solidarity and the spirit of sharing is important for combating poverty, proclaimed 20 of December as International Human Solidarity Day. Through initiatives such as the establishment of the World Solidarity Fund to eradicate poverty and the proclamation of International Human Solidarity Day, the concept of solidarity was promoted as crucial in the fight against poverty and in the involvement of all relevant stakeholders. 

International Human Solidarity Day is:

• a day to celebrate our unity in diversity;
• a day to remind governments to respect their commitments to international agreements;
• a day to raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity;
• a day to encourage debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals including poverty eradication;
• a day of action to encourage new initiatives for poverty eradication.

EFDN members – experts on solidarity

EFDN members have supported their communities through many brilliant initatives throughout the pandemic. Together we have launched the Supporter of Each Other campaign, helped people to stay safe, active and healthy and showed how solidarity can change lives to the better.

FC St. Pauli staff, players, fans and sponsors collected more than 200,000 Euro for social initiatives like the support of homeless people in Hamburg.

Football For Unity

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the UEFA European Football Championships, the UEFA EURO 2020 will be held in twelve different cities across twelve European countries. The unique multi-country structure provides an ideal platform to showcase the potential of football to lead to positive social inclusion outcomes for third-country nationals to a European public.

Taking place in strategic locations across the European Union, the Football for Unity programme will run awareness-raising festivals during the UEFA EURO 2020 football tournament in six UEFA EURO 2020 host cities on the topic of social inclusion of third-country nationals (TCNs).

Over the 12-month project period, “Football for UNITY” will pursue the following objectives:

1. Bring football as a powerful tool for the social inclusion of TCN’s to the attention of the wider European public. The indicator of this objective is: seven EURO 2020 awareness festivals are planned, organised and implemented in EURO 2020 host cities.
2. Capacitate stakeholder groups of relevant actors to plan, organise and implement seven awareness-raising festivals during the UEFA EURO 2020 in strategic locations to showcase and promote European best practice on social inclusion through football. the indicator of this objective is: local stakeholder groups develop and implement joint activities at local or regional level.
3. Improve the social inclusion outcomes of third-country national youth in EURO 2020 host cities via active participation, sport, learning opportunities, and exchanges between host-country and TCN participants, enabling community-building at the local level. The indicator is: TCNs participate in integration activities to acquire skills and become multipliers of European values on and off the pitch.
4. Ensure maximum impact and sustainability of the multi-stakeholder collaborative approach to jointly continue the implementation of activities beyond the UEFA EURO 2020. Indicator being: local stakeholder groups create action plans for utilizing football as a tool for the social inclusion of TCNs.