International Youth Day – Football provides safe spaces and development
Today, August 12 is International Youth Day and was first designated International Youth Day by the UN General Assembly in 1999. It serves as an annual celebration of the role of young women and men as essential partners in change, and an opportunity to raise awareness of challenges and problems facing the world’s youth. This years edition emphasizes the importance of save spaces for youth.
“The hopes of the world rest on young people. Peace, economic dynamism, social justice, tolerance — all this and more, today and tomorrow, depends on tapping into the power of youth”, said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
European football clubs, leagues and FA’s deliver a great number of community programmes that have the aim to empower youth. Education, social inclusion, life skills, gender equality, safeguarding and well-being are some of the focus areas of these football for social development programmes. In cooperation with a wide variety of partners, the clubs create safe spaces for youth to play sports, come together with friends or participate in development programmes. Some great examples are:
Mifalot – Programme to overcome P. T. S. D.
Post-Traumatic stress symptoms are a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Some people who developed symptoms of post-trauma heal on their own. However, many continue to have symptoms for a long time. Sport’, including football, is a platform for constructing a process of empowerment. Through the football activities, the individual learns to deal with complex situations and it is also a tool used to deal with post-traumatic symptoms. Mifalot uses a football-based methodology and a safe environment to help young people suffering from Post-Traumatic stress symptoms.
Celtic FC – Urban Stars
Alongside Clyde Gateway and West of Scotland Housing Association, Celtic FC Foundation’s Urban Stars project is an inclusive initiative that prioritises the development of children and young people in the community. Since 2011, Urban Stars has brought children and young people together across the East End of Glasgow to participate in football, dance and play activities.
Rosenborg BK – Youth@work
Youth@work, known as – RBK Ung I Jobb – in Norwegian, is a cooperation between Rosenborg, NAV/The Municipality of Trondheim and two Vocational Enterprises, Prima and Stavne. Youth@Work started up in 2011 as a part of the effort to combat youth unemployment in the city of Trondheim. Its an employment scheme financed by Municipality of Trondheim and NAV through Prima and Stavne (vocational enterprises) and hosted by Rosenborg BK. The aim is to use football and sport as an instrument for labour inclusion. By using the strong brand of the club that is associated with something positive, the participants can build self-confidence and provide opportunities that otherwise could not be obtained.
EFDN Youth Exchange Programme
EFDN Youth Exchanges allows EFDN members the opportunity to send groups of young people from different countries to meet, live together and work on shared projects for short time periods. The Youth Exchanges take place outside their conventional environment. On an EFDN exchange programme, the young people participate in workshops, exercises, debates, role-plays, outdoor activities and more which works towards shared objectives. This happens in a safe, friendly and motivating environment – like for example the last Youth Exchange hosted by Feyenoord Rotterdam.
”The development of young people is always at the heart of an EFDN Youth Exchange. Because that is what it is all about: providing youth with the tools they need to grow socially, physically and professionally. In order to achieve self-development, an environment in which they feel safe and dare to open up themselves is essential.”, says Hubert Rovers, CEO of EFDN Foundation.
Innovations for Decent Jobs for Youth
In May 2018, EFDN and three EFDN members Feyenoord Rotterdam, Everton in the Community and Ferencvárosi TC participated in the ”Innovations for Decent Jobs for Youth” event, organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva. The Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth is the inclusive multi-stakeholder partnership for the promotion of youth employment under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Launched in 2016 under the leadership of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Decent Jobs for Youth is an alliance of committed partners taking action across a variety of thematic priorities, sharing knowledge and leveraging resources in order to scale up action, maximise impact, and create real change for young people.
Resources
The EFDN Online Learning Platform contains a number of resources that are valuable for the daily work with young people. For any project or activity with youth, the creation of a safe environment is essential for the success of the participant, project and the organisation. A small selection on safeguarding can be found here:
- Safeguarding in Football – Premier League
- Recommended Safeguarding Guidelines – Travel, Trips and Tournament
- Including and safeguarding deaf and disabled children & young people
