SUMMARY
Refugee Sports Profile: IOTC, The International Olympic Truce Centre’s mission is to promote the Olympic ideals; to serve peace, friendship, solidarity and international understanding by helping to mobilise the youth of the world in the prevention and resolution of tension through sport, culture and the Olympic ideals, and the promotion of peace generally. The main educational programmes offered include football and blind football, basketball, handball, boccia, sailing, pole vault and other sports. For most of these sports for children between 9-16 and youth between 16-29, we collaborate with Olympic Champions. The IOTC set up Hestia FC to support refugees, and promote host community interaction.
CHALLENGES
Recruitment of the refugees is difficult especially learning how to spread the word and engage them in our cause. Hestia FC is a resource intensive initiative to implement, as it requires staff (coaches, assistants, translators) and equipment, so funding the programme through IOTC resources has been challenging, but important. The players live in different types of accommodation such as refugee camps, apartments, and shelters for refugee women. They are often dealing with important family and housing issues, so they can lack confidence, motivation, or time, to practice sports and become a member of a “team”.
SAFETY! It is not the same for men and women to reach the football pitch or our facilities, especially if they had to return late or use public transport in areas that generally feels unsafe. Language is always a barrier, but the team has made sure to have enough volunteers translators. Players often face severe psychological trauma, they have limited social integration opportunities or interaction with the local community. Therefore, their self-esteem can be very low. Some women and girls specifically face cultural norms from patriarchal attitudes in their origin countries. Family issues: Some of the women might be working or taking care of their children, so we allow them to bring their children with them to the pitch or the office.
LESSONS LEARNED
By building strong relationships with the local authorities, IOTC ensures programs are well supported, have a wider reach, and ultimately contribute more effectively to promoting peace within the community. They work with local authorities to co-host events, workshops, educational programmes, all aligned with the Olympic Truce ideals.
To ensure sensitive and appropriate programming they partner closely with local refugee organizations. Developing more inclusive programmes that include the refugees in key positions of decision-making and design/planning. Leadership development: IOTC identifies and trains potential leaders within the refugee community to become trainers or facilitators.
IMPACT
IOTC focused on the development of Hestia FC based on the actual needs of the refugee and asylum seeking women in Greece, IOTC believes that it achieved their main objectives and impacts.
- Impact 1: Include and activate refugee and migrant women in sport.
- Impact 2: Provide learning and employability opportunities to refugee and migrant adults.
- Impact 3: Integrate and facilitate social contact between different ethnic, religious and linguistic groups.
The women that participate in Hestia FC, managed to developed formal and informal skills, improved their psychological well-being and confidence (self development), learned Greek, and most of them are currently working in Greece or Europe. This was our main goal that was achieved. Hestia FC has been identified as a best practice example by both UEFA and UNHCR.
Refugee Sports Profile: IOTC. For more on refugee sports programming and how to create inclusive, impactful and sustainable projects please contact info@thesportseffect.org