The "Football & Social Cohesion Project" - How sport is bringing together Lebanese and Syrian youth

Beirut, 5 June 2016: The Ministry of Education, Germany, US, France and UNICEF have united their efforts in an attempt to reinforce integration among Lebanese adolescents and Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

The partnership aims to invest in the future of a generation of children affected by the conflict in Syria, enrolled in sixty (first and second shift) public primary schools across the country.

To begin with, the project provides 3,600 children from refugee and host communities with football and life skills support through sports, with the aim of strengthening values of cooperation and teamwork.

Sunday June 5th, represents the fourth festival, following festivals in the Beqaa, as well as north and south of Lebanon. The event saw 220 adolescents from 18 public schools in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, gather for a "Football Festival" at the Al SAFA Playground in Beirut. 

“The impact of fostering cohesion among adolescents between different communities in and across Lebanon should not be underestimated. It is simply crucial for the socioeconomic development of the country that adolescents are active participants,” said Tanya Chapuisat, Country Representative of UNICEF Lebanon.
 
The "Football & Social Cohesion Project" was initially spearheaded by the government of Germany in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education along with UNICEF, as a response to the devastating impact of the Syrian crisis on adolescents in Lebanon.

Now that the conflict in Syria has entered its sixth year, the main goal of is to help generations affected by some of the consequences in Lebanon; rising social tensions, sense of isolation, lack of opportunities and an aggravated socioeconomic situation.
 
The project is implemented jointly by HOOPS and partners. Activities are being carried out by coaches and specialized teachers in all eight governorates of Lebanon, with the participation of hundreds of adolescents from different backgrounds from 60 public schools.

The training period will lead up to a national football tournament, supported by Ministry of Education and Higher education and funded by Germany, US, and France. The overarching goal is to encourage Syrian and Lebanese adolescents to use sport to mitigate tension and address frustrations between communities; in short, to offer a positive alternative to violence and conflict.