We promote human rights through football with support of the FARE network

Development Center for Youth will be part of the “FootballPeople” weeks from October 8 to 22, and thus officially join the FARE movement in the fight against racism and discrimination.

Together with partners from the world of sports, we will organize a regional online conference that will bring together 80 participants from various football clubs, sports associations, national federations and civil society organizations involved in the promotion of human rights through sport. During the conference “Strengths and Weaknesses of Sport in the Times of COVID-19”, attendees will exchange views and experiences on negative impact of the pandemic on the sports sector, but also the ways in which they fought it, maintaining social cohesion, team spirit and togetherness among children and youth.

One of the topics in the focus of our organization is the role of sports in social development and fight against negative phenomena in sports and through sports, and we are very proud that FARE recognized our actions in this area and supported us as participants in the “FootballPeople” weeks. We have thus joined the global annual action during which 2,000 activities are expected to take place in more than 45 countries around the world.

– Sport is a platform for the promotion of various positive values, especially human rights, but that potential has not been sufficiently used. Negative phenomena are more and more present on and around sport field, so the educational and pedagogical role of the trainer must be renewed and strengthened. Therefore, through various actions and projects, we are fighting to make this happen, and the participation in “FootballPeople” weeks is one in a row, which we are very proud of. Children go to school because they have to, and to sports because they want to. That speaks enough about the role of sports and trainers in upbringing and education of children and youth. We must all be led by this fact and return to sports the role it had in the promotion of true values – said the program director of Development Center for Youth, Aleksandra Knežević.