European Practices for Social Integration through Sport

European Practices for Social Integration through Sport

Published by the European Forum for Urban Security (Efus), this publication is the result of the “European Prize for Social Integration through Sport - SPORT+” project which was carried out in 2015 and 2016.

It was prepared by Carla Napolano, the Programme Manager, under the direction of Elizabeth Johnston, Executive Director, with the contribution of project partners.

The use and reproduction for non-commercial purposes are royalty free as long as the source is specified.

Editing: Nathalie Bourgeois Translation: Nathalie Bourgeois and Nathalie Elson Revision: Emilie Voight Layout: Pollen Studio

Printing: Cloître Imprimeurs, Saint-Thonan (France) ISBN: 2-913181-49-X Legal deposit: January 2017

European Forum for Urban Security 10, rue des Montiboeufs 75020 Paris - France Tel.: + 33 (0)1 40 64 49 00 contact@efus.eu - www.efus.eu @efusnews

Support from the European Commission for the production of this publication does not constitute endorsement of its content, which only reflects the views of its authors. The European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

The presentations of each project were drafted from information provided by their representatives.

Any statements or opinions contained herein do not necessarily reflect the point of view of Efus or any of its members.

Photo credits:

Couv. Bart Homburg - vvg koeln, p.12-13 Real Madrid, p. 14-15 Mondiali Antirazzisti Press Office / Antonio Marcello, p. 16-17 iStockphoto/ jacoblund - iStockphoto/ vgajic, p.18-19 Marco Mastroianni, p.20-21 Real Madrid, p. 22-25 PLAY International - Ville de Roubaix, p. 26-27 Mark Henderson - Ken Mc Cue, p. 28-29 iStockphoto/Dangubic - iStockphoto/ gpointstudio, p.30-31 Rushcliffe Borough Council and Nottingham Rugby Club, p. 32-33 iStockphoto/FatCamera, p.34-35 vvg koeln, p. 36-37 iStockphoto/FatCamera - iStockphoto/Kalulu, p. 38-39 BAGázs FC, p. 40-41 City Pirates VZW, p. 42-43 APCAS, p. 44-45 Clube de Escalada de Braga, p.

46-47 HC Feijenoord, p. 48-49 iStockphoto/m-gucci, p. 50-51 Icehearts, p. 52-53 iStockphoto/ Bigandt_Photography - iStockphoto/janews, p. 54-55 Freedom Skaters, p. 56-57 Jeremy Burlen/Asptt Stade Bordelais, p. 58-59 Bart Homburg, p. 60-61 iStockphoto/jacoblund, p. 62-63 RollerFootball, p.

64-65 Carla Lima/O Notícias da Trofa, p. 66-67 iStockphoto/nenadpitarevic - iStockphoto/jacoblund, p. 68-69 Fan Coaching, p. 70-71 Erik Hart, p.

72-73 Fotogruppo 60 BFI di Reggio Emilia, p.76 RollerFootball - vvg koeln.

European Practices for Social Integration through Sport

Acknowledgements The SPORT+ project was successfully carried out thanks to the commitment of representatives from the five partners: the non-profit organisation Fan CoachingEurofan (Belgium), the University of Zaragoza (Spain), the Italian Forum for Urban Security (FISU), the Knowledge Centre for Sport Netherlands (Kenniscentrum Sport) and the Higher Institute of Police Sciences and Homeland Security in Portugal (Instituto Superior de Ciências Policiais e Segurança Interna).

We also thank the municipalities of Saint-Denis, Lomme, Béthoncourt (France), Bologna (Italy), Turku (Finland) and Cologne (Germany), their elected representatives and their staff for hosting the Prize ceremony and local events and for sharing their experiences and knowledge. We also thank the members of the supporting committee for their contribution and support, especially Marco De Marchi, sponsor of this first edition.

In addition to the European Commission and its financial support, without which our project and this publication would not have been possible, we would like to thank all those who welcomed us during the Prize ceremony and local events as well as the cities, organisations and associations that submitted applications for the Prize.

Project partners

Salomon Aktan (Fan Coaching-Eurofan, Belgium), Marco Fernando Gimeno (University of Zaragoza, Spain), Gian Guido Nobili (Italian Forum for Urban Security), Anita Vlasveld, Dorien Dijk (Kenniscentrum Sport, Netherlands), Sergio Ricardo Felgueiras, Maria Isaura Silva Teixeira Marques de Almeida (Instituto Superior de Ciências Policiais e Segurança Interna, Portugal).

Table of contents p.06/ Foreword p.07•11/ Introduction Practices p.12•21/ “Prevention and fight against racism” Category p.22•31/ “Promotion of gender equality” Category p.32•47/ “Integration of marginalised populations” Category p.48•59/ “Integration of populations at risk” Category p.60•73/ “Education for active citizenship or fair play” Category p.74•75/ Organiser and jury

Foreword For the past 30 years, the European Forum for Urban Security has been promoting a vision of security founded upon the triptych of prevention, sanction and social cohesion. As such, Efus works alongside the 250 European local and regional authorities that have joined its network, providing technical and political support. In their Aubervilliers and Saint-Denis Manifesto (2012), Efus members established that “social prevention policies were particularly effective in the fight against violence and criminality” and that prevention, as opposed to sanction, “is less expensive not only from an economic but also from a social point of view”.

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Among the measures aimed at strengthening social cohesion, sport seems a particularly effective method. It is used to promote team spirit, equal opportunities and civic values such as tolerance and respect for others, regardless of their social and/ or cultural origin. Many cities and regions in Europe support sports programmes, especially for the younger generations, with the objective of strengthening social ties.

To provide greater visibility for these practices and to inspire others, we launched the “European Prize for Social Integration through Sport” in 2015.

This initiative has allowed the collection of almost 200 practices from 18 different countries, reflecting the dynamism and local mobilisation in this area.

This publication presents a selection of practices considered particularly interesting by the jury of the “European Prize for Social Integration through Sport” because of their positive impact, their innovation and because they reach particularly vulnerable citizens.

The practices presented here reflect the broad range of different experiences of social integration through sport that can be found in Europe. Efus therefore intends to renew this initiative and organise a second edition of the European Prize for Social Integration through Sport in 2017.

Elizabeth Johnston Executive Director

INTRODUCTION The project This publication is the result of work carried out in 2015 and 2016 as part of the European project “European Prize for Social Integration through Sport - SPORT+”.

This project was co-funded by the European Commission and involved the collaboration of the European Forum for Urban Security (Efus), the non-profit organisation Fan Coaching-Eurofan (Belgium), the University of Zaragoza (Spain), the Italian Forum for Urban Security (FISU), the Knowledge Centre for Sport Netherlands (Kenniscentrum Sport) and the Higher Institute of Police Sciences and Homeland Security in Portugal (Instituto Superior de Ciencias Policiais e Seguranca Interna, Portugal).

The objective of the SPORT+ project was to identify sport-based prevention practices which contribute to community building and the dissemination of messages of respect, citizenship, the fight against discrimination and racism and the prevention of all forms of violence.

The work was organised around the following activities: definition of the Prize; call for practices; selection criteria for the practices; jury meetings; Prize ceremony at the same time as the Euro 2016 European football cup; organisation of five “Local Sport Days”; production of videos presenting the five winning practices and, finally, the dissemination, more specifically through this publication, of the best selected practices.

A jury including members of Efus and project partners, with the support of a steering committee, worked on the definition of the call for applications and the selection of these practices.

The Prize was split into five distinct categories in order to highlight the angle of action and the groups targeted by the practices, but also to promote a certain number of values and principles shared by members of Efus and project partners. The following categories were therefore chosen: prevention and fight against racism, promotion

of gender equality, integration of marginalised populations, integration of populations at risk and finally, education for active citizenship or fair play.

At the time of the call for applications, eligibility and selection criteria were communicated and made clear by the jury.

Any local authority, association, NGO or private organisation working with local authorities belonging to one of the 28 Member States of the European Union was eligible.

Governments and all projects already funded by the European Commission were invited to share their practices but were prohibited from applying for the Prize. The jury took the view that it was inappropriate to provide financial support to national organisations or to projects funded by the European Commission.

The selection of practices was carried out in two steps. First, the jury completed an overall assessment of the projects they had received. Their impact and their consistency with the category to which they applied were considered. Projects that moved beyond this first step were then assessed on a deeper level according to eight criteria such as replicability, sustainability, cost/benefit ratio and partnership and innovation.

The five winners and practices that were selected were invited to attend the European Prize for Social Integration through Sport prize ceremony during the “Euro 2016 debates” organised by the Agency for Education through Sport (Agence pour l’Education par le Sport - APELS) and the municipality of Saint-Denis (France).

As one of the objectives of the Prize was to support the promotion and replicability of good practices in other contexts, the winners were required to use the funding they received to strengthen their practices by organising a promotional event named the “Local Sport Day”. This is how the cities of Turku in Finland, Lomme and Bethoncourt in France, Bologna in Italy and Cologne in Germany were able to organise Local Sport Days to present their winning practices to the public and their local partners.

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Category Prevention and fight against racism

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The objective of the “Prevention and fight against racism” category was to encourage the collection of local initiatives implemented by independent sports organisations.

The aim of these practices is the promotion of tolerance and the prevention of all forms of discrimination which, directly or indirectly, imply a distinction, an exclusion, a restriction or a preference based on gender, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin or individual or collective religious beliefs and practices.

Very few experiences were received for this category, despite its particular relevance in today’s Europe. It should indeed be noted that, in Europe, certain sports such as football are still often used as a pretext for intolerant and violent demonstrations which are xenophobic or racist in nature.

A number of key elements can be drawn from the collected prevention projects in this category. In the near future, it would be useful to invest in these key points, primarily on education. Intolerance generally stems from ignorance and misunderstanding.

Sport, however, is particularly suited to teaching tolerance on playing fields and in sports clubs in addition to what is taught at school.

Another interesting aspect of this topic is awareness-raising activity. Any opportunity to convey messages about tolerance and fighting against discrimination should be used during sporting events by making the most of media coverage and the widespread availability of various sporting activities.

It is also important to encourage increased participation in sporting activities. As such, discriminatory behaviours may also be

prevented by ensuring that the largest number of people have the option of taking part in a regular sporting activity in a healthy and ethical environment.

It is essential to promote and communicate on sporting activities that reward virtuous behaviours such as tolerance and the fight against discrimination. It is also important to support actions favouring non-stigmatising attitudes and punishing those which are discriminatory or racist. This can be done through fun sporting activities.

Finally, for these actions to be effective, a clear communication plan should be adopted in collaboration with local and national media that have the ability to effectively communicate information and positive cultural messages, via the people involved as well as through organisations and institutions.

Category Promotion of gender equality Given the well-known benefits of sport on people’s health, physical/mental development and social and life skills, it seems obvious that both men and women (of all ages) should have equal access to such activities. Top female athletes have indeed gained a lot of ground in the past two decades or so. Several of them are (almost) as admired and celebrated as their male counterparts. Women are also now taking part in disciplines previously considered as strongholds of masculinity such as football and rugby. Nevertheless, these success stories, however brilliant and increasingly frequent, must not disguise persistant inequalities. There are still many sporting instances where girls are not considered equal to boys, and sometimes even barred from taking part.

The March 2014 Special Eurobarometer 412 on sport and physical activity (European Commission1) highlights these inequalities in all aspects of sport, from the reduced number of women in sport governing bodies to the lower pay of female coaches and the smaller number of European women who practise sport compared to men. The study does not even mention the lesser press coverage given to female sporting events or the comments made by the press when reporting on female athletes (e.g. the controversy during the Summer 2016 Rio Olympics, when some female champions received more coverage on their looks and private lives than on their performances). This is one of the reasons why gender equality in sport is a priority topic for the European Commission's Erasmus+ sport programme. It is also the reason why this topic was chosen as a category for the European Prize for Social Integration through Sport.

It is interesting to note that we received far fewer projects in this category than in others. Why this difference? Multiple hypotheses are possible. Is it because most of the projects submitted are from Western European countries, where girls have relatively good access to sport? Or is it that policy-makers and local professionals are not aware of the disadvantaged position of girls and women in sport and do not pay attention to it? In any case, this difference in numbers is significant.

The majority of projects received in this category focus on increasing the participation of women in sport, including empowerment, social inclusion, emancipation, and the fight against gender-based violence.

The aim of three separate projects was to train local sports professionals in the gender aspects of sport and in how to organise sport activities and games in a gender-sensitive way to foster equality.

1 . ec.europa.eu/health/nutrition_physical_activity/ docs/ebs_412_en.pdf

We would like to emphasise the need to break the glass ceiling in sport: more women are needed in executive positions at all levels, from sports clubs to international governing bodies. Indeed, experience on the ground shows that when women lead sport organisations, they are more able to create an environment where girls and women feel safe, thus encouraging more of them to practise a sport or join a club. Furthermore, such women can become role models.

Category Integration of marginalised populations The increasingly frequent marginalisation of groups in our society is a growing concern for social exclusion in European countries.

For the past twenty years now, the European Union has formally adopted the use of sport as a social inclusion policy for the integration of these groups. In 1998, the report “Evolution and Perspectives of Community Action in Sport�2 identified five specific functions that should be strengthened by European policies: educational, public health, cultural, recreational and social. For the social element, the report highlighted the fact that sport was a fantastic tool for promoting a more inclusive society and for fighting against intolerance, racism and violence as well as alcohol or drug abuse. Sport can also contribute to the integration of a population excluded from the labour market.

For these reasons, actions for protecting and strengthening the social function of sport and allowing access to sporting activities to everyone, especially the most deprived groups, have an important strategic value.

2 . eurored-deporte.net/gestor/documentos/doc_evol_fr.pdf

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The aim of each of the projects received from different European countries in the “Integration of marginalised populations” category is to use sport and physical activity as an educational practice suited to the social needs and experiences of marginalised populations. The idea is to expand and improve the social policy of each Member State as well as the social policy of the European Union that we are trying to develop.

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It is important to point out and recognise that exclusion and marginalisation are structural and that taking part in a sporting activity may not be in itself a solution for preventing these situations. Candidate projects that use sport with marginalised groups (drug addicts, the incarcerated population, ethnic groups, etc.) are not a miracle solution to fight against exclusion or to reduce crime or drug abuse. However, they can be effective tools if included in a political impetus to implement integrated programs over time.

Category Integration of populations at risk In the “Integration of populations at risk” category, there were 45 applications from across Europe. The sample we received is very encouraging: overall, the submitted projects were efficient, well targeted, creative and innovative. Ranging from actions towards pre-school children to schoolchildren, young adults, adults and seniors, they included almost the entire population from the age of 4 to 65.

Based on the applications we received, it seems that Europe has a significant number of sporting projects promoting the inclusion of those at risk, from vulnerable children to refugees, unemployed people, young offenders, the disabled, and seniors, to name but

a few. More precisely, the projects in this category that were submitted for the Prize targeted the following groups: children at risk, children with various types of disabilities (such as learning disabilities, social skills and concentration issues), children and youths from deprived backgrounds and underprivileged neighbourhoods, vulnerable young people, teenage offenders, homeless children and young people, young refugees, migrants, people with physical disabilities and chronic health disorders, people with mental health issues, adults from deprived backgrounds, the incarcerated population and NEETs (neither in Education, Employment or Training).

It is interesting to note that a good number of these projects focused on children and youths. This suggests that the educational and inclusive benefits of sport are widely recognised and used to help children and young people in need. But it is important to stress that these qualities also apply to adults, as shown in some of the practices included in this publication. In particular, some practices have demonstrated that sport can create a bridge between different social groups and foster mutual comprehension and dialogue, including with, and among, people considered “at risk”.

The diverse educational practices in sport can be a very good and efficient way of promoting values of solidarity, diversity, inclusiveness and cultural awareness. The sport chosen is not as important as the purpose of the practice itself. Indeed, the projects we received included a wide range of disciplines: boccia, boxing, capoeira, dancing, football, handball, mountaineering, skatting, and street football.

The objectives of the projects submitted in this category can be classified as follows: development of social and personal skills, prevention of social exclusion, physical and psychological well-being, academic suc-

cess, increased self-esteem, intercultural learning and access to cultural and recreational activities. As for the environments in which these projects are carried out, they are also varied, including schools, leisure centres, health care and social service institutions and private residences with familial participation.

Category Education for active citizenship or fair play We wanted to encourage active citizenship and fair play through sport as it seemed appropriate to promote sport’s inherent values such as pushing one’s limits and respecting others.

In our societies, competitiveness has become so prominent that it overshadows essential sporting values. This ultra-competitive and individualistic mindset is now instilled from an early age in young athletes in the making. Competitiveness is commendable, but only if it includes the notion of fair play.

When sport becomes purely individualistic and only personal performance are valued and recognised, sport loses its true nature.

What do fair play and citizenship mean? In the SPORT+ project, the definition of fair play or sportsmanship is understood as an honest conduct centred on the game. This includes concepts such as respect (for the opponent, the rules, the referee decisions, the public and the spirit of the game), honesty, tolerance, self-control, dignity in both defeat and victory but also respect for one’s own body. Citizenship is understood as taking part in public life through school, family, voluntary organisations and spaces for dialogue and reflection, while respecting one another’s freedom, regardless of origin, gender and culture.

Sport is a space for exchange and a means of defending or restoring the concepts of respect, fair play and civility. As demonstrated by projects submitted in this category, sport can reinforce concepts of citizenship and solidarity, teach young people the principles of healthy competition, convey values of respect, tolerance and pushing one’s limits, contribute to strengthening social cohesion and promote cultural diversity and gender equality.

We have welcomed the wealth of creative practices presented in this category. At a time when racism and intolerance seem widespread throughout Europe, it is reassuring that, on the ground, in cities and neighbourhoods, the concepts of citizenship and fair play are still very much alive, as shown by their promotion in numerous sport-focused projects.

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CATEGORY

Prevention and fight against racism

Winning Practice

Mondiali Antirazzisti

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Organisation Unione Italiana Sport Per Tutti (Italian Sports for All Association, UISP)

Calendar Annual: five days, every summer, since 1997

Target Group The event is open to participants of all ages and from minority groups of all types.

Further Information mondialiantirazzisti.org

Learn more about Mondiali Antirazzisti: video at bit.ly/epsis

Background Multiculturalism has become an increasingly common and accepted concept in most European countries. However, social exclusion has not disappeared and every day, incidents of discrimination and hostility occur across Europe.

Football and sport mirror our society and remain permeated with these attitudes. In some European countries, there are still institutional and cultural barriers preventing marginalised and minority groups, such as homosexual and transgender individuals, refugees, asylum seekers, and the disabled, from accessing sports.

Objectives The Mondiali Antirazzisti (in English, the antiracist world cup) aims to demonstrate how sport can and should be used to promote social cohesion and eliminate discriminatory attitudes, constituting a safe space where human and civil rights for all are championed. The objectives of the event are to bring together groups of people from different cultures/backgrounds, build networks and relationships between local authorities, sport and youth organisations across Europe, raise awareness about discrimination in sport, and contribute to creating a tolerant, inclusive and welcoming culture in Europe.

Strategy and Activities The event is unique in that it is like a festival: participants live together for five days and have numerous occasions to meet and discuss.

"A large campaign led the national football institutions to change their rules concerning foreigners."

The sports programme includes several tournaments: football (184 teams), basketball (30 teams), volleyball (34 teams), rugby and touch rugby (10 teams), as well as traditional games and lacrosse, tchoukball, gymnastic yoga, and dance workshops.

The cultural programme includes evening concerts, photo exhibits, the exhibition of self-produced materials presented by the teams/groups to show their yearly activities against racism, debates, the presentation of books and movies, an interactive web radio, a daily camp for kids with activities inspired by multiculturalism, and creative workshops.

The communications and PR strategies are important aspects of the project and are key in disseminating the message of tolerance and anti-racism. The website (available in Italian, English and German), newsletter, Facebook and Twitter pages reach thousands of people globally and the event receives significant press coverage.

Partners A number of associations and institutions are partners of the Mondiali Antirazzisti: Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE); La Città degli Alberi (hosts the event); Emilia Romagna Region (financial contribution); Municipality of Castelfranco Emilia (sponsorship); Foundation Matteo Bagnaresi; HERA (enterprise in charge of waste management for the region); YAP and YouNet (associations that work with young volunteers); the Italian Association of Footballers (AIC), the National Office Against Racial Discrimination (UNAR); the CGIL trade union; the Conad group of supermarkets and the brand All Promotion.

Results The Mondiali Antirazzisti now gathers 8,000 European participants each year, representing over 70 nationalities/communities, and has become one of the most important anti-racism events in Europe. It has inspired more than 100 other anti-racism tournaments over the past 20 years, and generated a wide network of people, associations and local authorities both in Italy and across Europe. European Union institutions have shown their interest and support: the event was cited as an example of a good practice in the European Network Against Racism’s (ENAR) 2009 Shadow Report on Racism in Europe and by the European Union’s Directorate General for Education and Culture/ Sport Unit.

In addition to its core anti-racism message, the event has also recently included a message of tolerance towards refugees. Ten ‘refugee teams’ have been funded by Mondiali Antirazzisti participants, and a large campaign led the national football institutions to change their rules concerning foreigners.

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MOK Programme Cultural Competence Training for Coaches

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Organisation 09 Helsinki Human Rights foundation (09 HHR), Finland

Calendar Since 2013

Target GroupS The primary target groups are sports coaches, afterschool programme instructors, and other sports leaders from sports clubs throughout Finland who deal with culturally heterogeneous groups. However, the training can be adapted to all kinds of professionals in contact with multicultural groups, such as youth workers or teachers.

Further Information 09hhr.fi/mok

09hhr.fi

Background The purpose of the 09 Helsinki Human Rights foundation is to promote human rights, justice, and equality in social and health services, physical education, sport, and art.

One of its activities is to develop new models and collaborative networks to eliminate the obstacles that children and young people from immigrant backgrounds face in their everyday lives. In 2015, Finland (5.5 million inhabitants) received 32,476 asylum applications and granted residency to 1,878 people1.This was the largest influx of migrants in the country’s modern history.

Objectives The purpose of the training programme in cultural competence for physical education coaches/ instructors (MOK according to the Finnish acronym) is to help sports coaches better understand their own biases, prejudices, and backgrounds, as well as those of migrant children, in order to contribute more effectively to children’s integration in the Finnish society. Communication is a two-way street, therefore one of 09 HHR’s main goals is to both help sports coaches construct their own messages and interpret the participants’ messages correctly, in order to avoid conflict.

1 • Source : Finnish Immigration Service: www.migri.fi/about_us/statistics/statistics_on_asylum_and_refugees

Strategy and Activities The training course is structured around five themes, which are addressed sequentially. Each theme is covered in class through theoretical knowledge and exchange. Before starting on the next theme, trainees have a period of 7 to 14 days during which they can apply what they have learned in their work environment.

The five areas covered in the course are: 1) T he influence of culture: participants reflect on their own cultural backgrounds.

2) C ross cultural interaction skills: understanding other cultures' verbal and nonverbal repertoires.

3) M ulticultural group dynamics: the role of the coach/leader in group dynamics and how to show young people how to act in a group regardless of their cultural background and language issues.

4) F rom ‘otherness’ to ‘us-ness’: the journey from stereotypes to communality and team, i.e. ‘our team’, ‘our group’.

5) E

veryday racism: examining different forms of racism and, when applicable, experiences or racist abuse lived by participants.

"Helping sports coaches better understand their own biases, prejudices, and backgrounds, as well as those of migrant children"

Partners The partners of this programme are the Helsinki & Tampere YMCA, the Swedish NGO for young people Fryshuset, the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, and the Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, both in Helsinki.

The project is funded by Finland's Slot Machines Association (RAY according to the Finnish acronym).

Results MOK uses the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), developed by Dr Milton Bennett, considered to be one of the best cultural competence-measuring tools in the world. Based on a questionnaire, it is used at the beginning and the end of each course to measure the progress made by participants. As of September 2016, 98% of those who had taken both assessments showed a very good development in terms of getting more tools to deal with people from a different culture or background.

The foundation also carried out a survey in 2015 among coaches and children, by means of a questionnaire and face-to-face interviews. The majority of coaches said the training had had a positive effect on their understanding of multicultural issues and on their club as a whole.

Ninety-four children were also interviewed about their feeling of security at their club, and about bullying, racism and their perceptions of their coach. Results showed that the majority clearly understood that racist behaviour is strictly forbidden in the clubs, and considered multiculturalism to be the norm.

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Liberi Nantes 18

Organisation Association Liberi Nantes, Rome, Italy

Calendar Since 2007

Target Group The project is targeted at refugees and asylum seekers in Rome. A great number of them arrive in Italy by boat, landing first on the island of Lampedusa before heading north to Rome.

Further Information liberinantes.org/new/en/

Background Italy is one of the European countries that receives the greatest number of refugees fleeing war and deprivation1.

Once they arrive in Rome, refugees face a lengthy wait while their cases are being processed and most stay in refugee camps, some of which have up to 300 residents.

The administrative processing of cases can last a year or more. During this period, refugees cannot work but are only permitted to attend Italian language classes or to take part in cultural activities. This situation can have a deep impact on the psychological well-being of these men and women, while driving some to the underground economy.

Objectives The primary objective is to give migrants access to sport in order to help these men and women avoid falling prey to depression, isolation, and marginalisation. Through sport, refugees can keep active, rebuild their selfesteem, and establish relations with Italian citizens.

Furthermore, one of the goals is also to create opportunities for refugees to work in the field of sport, for example in the maintenance and management of facilities, or as coaches or referees.

Beyond that, the project seeks to build a model of social inclusion through sport based on a partnership involving associations, local authorities, and private companies.

1 • Numbers vary according to sources. According to the UNHCR, Italy received 103,540 refugees between January and August 2016, and this only through the Mediterranean route (not counting arrivals by land). See http://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/regional.php

Results "Through sport, refugees can keep active, rebuild their self-esteem, and establish relations with Italian citizens."

Strategy and Activities Liberi Nantes offers four types of activities: a football team entirely composed of refugees, which plays in Italy's third division; monthly hiking trips in the countryside around Rome; classes of Italian language and contemporary culture (understanding the common rules and behaviour of Italian society); and a physical space where people can gather.

The headquarters, "house", and football pitch of the association are situated in the sport infrastructure calle XXV Aprile, in the working-class neighbourhood of Pietralata. On these same premises, the association also offers a toy library for children and a multilingual library with books on sport and multiculturalism. It has been upgrading these facilities for some years now, entirely through voluntary work.

Partners Liberi Nantes is the first sport association in Italy that has been recognised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The other partners are: the Lazio Region, the municipality of Rome, the Rome District IV Town Council, the Italian Council for Refugees (CIR), Centro Astalli (a Jesuit organisation for refugees), the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the Italian Union for Sports for All (UISP), the European football federation UEFA, the AS Roma football club, the association for refugees Comitato 3 Ottobre, the NEAR network, the Migrant schools network, and the association Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE).

Since its creation, Liberi Nantes has received more than 2,800 refugees from 30 camps. The football activity has seen some 200 players of 27 nationalities represent the team. Liberi Nantes FC has won three Coppa Disciplina (Discipline Cups), the latest in 2016, as well as the Mondiali Antirazzisti Cup for best project in sport inclusion, in 2009. Hiking, an activity started in 2011, saw 50 day trips organised around Rome, each with about 25 participants. With regard to the Italian language and culture school, started in 2012, about 400 hours of class have been imparted. Each class gathers about 20 people.

The number of volunteers keeps growing, with some 40 volunteers at present. Furthermore, the club has contributed to raising awareness on the plight of refugees and the need to fight racism, notably through social media campaigns.

Liberi Nantes has received prizes from the Rome City Council and the Council of Europe. It has also been recognised as one of Italy's 12 best practices of integration through sport by the Italian Olympic Committee and the Ministry of Welfare.

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The Real Madrid's Socio-Sporting Schools

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Organisation Real Madrid Foundation (Real Madrid football club), Spain

Calendar The socio-sporting school of the Real Madrid Foundation in Leganés, opened for the 2009/10 season.

Target Groups The socio-sporting schools (escuelas sociodeportivas) of the Real Madrid Foundation are primarily for children from deprived backgrounds or of gypsy or migrant origin (mainly from Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe), aged 6 to 17 years. However, one of the core principles of the programme is to avoid ghettoization and, as such, the schools are open to all.

Further Information realmadrid.com/sobre-el-realmadrid/fundacion

Background As one of Europe's most successful and legendary sports clubs, the Real Madrid has a huge following in its hometown of Madrid, in particular among youngsters and children who see its players as role models. Through its Foundation, it develops 419 social programmes all over the world, including 160 projects and socio-sporting schools throughout Spain, with the aim of integrating children and teaching them values such as fairness, respect, motivation, the importance of a healthy lifestyle and team spirit.

Leganés (pop. 186,000) is a working-class multicultural neighbourhood of Madrid that has been hard hit by the economic crisis of the past eight years. Indeed, according to the Comisiones Obreras trade union (the largest in Spain), 30% of minors in Leganés are now considered to be living “in poverty1” and 19.37% of the population is “in risk of poverty2”.

Objectives The objectives of the Real Madrid Foundation’s socio-sporting schools are to use football and basketball to integrate children at risk of exclusion and to teach them positive values such as team spirit, respect, teamwork, and tolerance for other cultures.

1 • cadenaser.com/emisora/2016/05/27/ser_madrid_sur/1464350109_553551.html 2 • leganesactivo.com/2016/06/01/mas-de-5-000-hogares-de-leganessufren-niveles-de-pobreza-extrema/

Results

"Teaching children positive values such as team spirit, respect, teamwork, and tolerance for other cultures."

Strategy and Activities The socio-sporting schools are open from October to June and offer children two 90-minute sessions a week, either in football or in basketball. Sessions are based on the Real Madrid Foundation's own educational method, which combines sport and education in positive sports values. Trainers are professionals who have been recruited at the central level by the Real Madrid Foundation and are themselves coached by the national technical manager, who visits each project in Spain twice a month.

Each season concludes with a “social tournament” in which all of the children play the same number of minutes, regardless of their individual performance over the year.

Partners The Real Madrid Foundation has local partners in each municipality in which it runs a socio-sporting school. In Leganés, the partners are the City Council, the Obra Social La Caixa (social welfare branch of the savings bank La Caixa), and the commercial mall Parquesur (managed by Unibail and Rodanco).

Since 2010, the Leganés socio-sporting school has annually received 90 children in football and 40 in basketball. In total, some 700 children have enrolled since the school was open, half of whom were/ are at risk of exclusion. Each season, 68 sport training sessions are held, as well as training in general subjects such as using the Internet, first aid, and behaving responsibly when throwing out plastic or other rubbish.

The children have had the opportunity to meet some of the Real Madrid players, to play in the club’s ‘Sports City’, to attend official matches at the club’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium, and to take the ‘Bernabeu tour’. Each participating family also received the Real Madrid’s guidebook The Match Begins at Home.

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Category

Promotion of gender equality

Winning Practice

Playdagogy ‘girls and boys’

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Organisation PLAY International (formerly Sport Without Borders)

CalendAR The ‘girls and boys’ equality project started in January 2014 and is ongoing. The ‘Playdagogy’ method was launched in 2012.

Target GroupS Practitioners (teachers, sport coaches, extra-curricular activity leaders) and primary school children (6-11 years old).

Further Information playdagogy.org

Learn more about Playdagogy: video at bit.ly/epsis

Background According to the Gender Inequality in the European Union barometer, published in 2012, inequalities between men and women are considered a ‘significant’ problem by at least 52% of the population. These inequalities start at a very young age: indeed, childhood is a period in which clichés about boys’ and girls’ roles and behaviours can be unconsciously absorbed, whether at home, in school, or on the street. Messages such as ‘girls are bad at sport’ or ‘girls like dolls, boys like games’ permeate our society, propagated in part by the media, and constitute prejudicial lenses through which we view ourselves and our peers.

Objectives The objective of this project is to fight against stereotypes and gender discrimination by using sport to educate children about gender equality. Through the use of the innovative Playdagogy educational method, educators (physical education teachers, sport coaches, sport educators, etc.) can use sport to raise children’s awareness of gender stereotypes and to dispel prejudice. This incites boys to behave differently towards girls, and girls to improve their self-esteem, to better express themselves, and to achieve more.

Strategy and activities The project is to train educators on the Playdagogy educational method. The ‘girls and boys’ Playdagogy kit was conceived

by PLAY International and a gender expert from the French Mental Health League (Ligue française de santé mentale), together with several teachers and an educational counsellor. The method was tested in several primary schools in the Île de France region.

Playdagogy sessions on the ‘girls and boys’ theme were also included in the ‘social inclusion’ and ‘rugby’ kits.

A Playdagogy session lasts 45 minutes and is divided in three phases: 1) a physical activity (sport or game); 2) a n introduction to the theme: specific terms and symbols are included in the game played in the first phase; 3) a debate with the children on the topic and the activity.

By ‘living’ the game in a ‘real’ situation and taking part in the debate, children are led to question their behaviour and to adopt new values and reference points.

The project is currently being implemented in the following French regions: Île de France, Hauts-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and Mayotte.

"The children's social awareness and skills have improved thanks to the kit, notably regarding gender equality and complementarity, equal rights, and rejecting situations of gender discrimination."

Partners The project is supported by the French Ministries of Youth and Sports and of Education, as well as by private sponsors such the Niarchos Foundation. PLAY International also has partnership agreements with a number of municipalities, clubs, and other organisations.

Results Between 2014 and the end of September 2016, a total of 420 Playdagogy kits were produced on the three themes. Over 1,300 people registered on the online platform used to access the educational material, and some 350 educators were trained. To date, more than 9,000 children have taken part in Playdagogy sessions.

A survey was conducted in 2015 among practitioners in the town of Roubaix, in the Hauts-de-France Region, to measure whether they had achieved their objectives in the fight against gender discrimination. Ninety-three percent said that boys are more tolerant towards girls once they have participated in the Playdagogy programme. This positive feedback has been confirmed by the external evaluation of the ‘social inclusion’ kit: ‘The children's social awareness and skills have improved thanks to the kit, notably regarding gender equality and complementarity, equal rights, and rejecting situations of gender discrimination.’

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Hijabs and Hat Tricks Academy

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Organisation Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI), Republic of Ireland

CalendAR Since 2014

Target Group The project is targeted at young Muslim women aged 15 to 20. Indirectly, the project also targets their families and society at large.

Further Information sari.ie diversecitygirls.wordpress.com SARIMuslimSoccerteam

Background Living in a predominantly Roman Catholic state, young Muslim women can encounter difficulties integrating into society, both socially and culturally. On the one hand, they can be subjected to verbal and physical Islamophobic and racist attacks, and on the other hand they sometimes struggle with prejudice against gender equality in their own community. Arising out of research it carried out in 2011, the social enterprise Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI) established the ‛Hijabs and Hat Tricks’ programme in response to their survey of 400 girls of the Muslim faith who indicated that football was their number one sport of choice. Once the international football federation FIFA lifted the ban on head-coverings in March 2014, SARI kicked off the programme.

Objectives The objective of the ‛Hijabs and Hat Tricks’ programme is to provide access to football, primarily to young Muslim women but also to all marginalised women living in the Republic of Ireland. The project uses sport as a medium for social inclusion and cultural integration while fighting all forms of discrimination. It is designed to develop young women’s confidence, self-esteem, and resilience, through physical activity combined with a bespoke education programme. The goal is that these individuals will feel capable of engaging with mainstream sports clubs and in doing so, better integrate Irish society.

Strategy and Activities Based in Dublin, the Hijabs and Hat Tricks Academy offers training sessions in football as well as classes and workshops on themes such as human rights, physical literacy, social enterprise, employability, nutrition, health and safety, democracy and peace studies. The Academy is also a social club through which members can take part in events such as bowling sessions or cultural visits, as well as engage in inter-faith dialogue. The young women have created their own all-female football team, named Diverse City FC, which is open to girls and women of all faiths, as well as atheists. Diverse City made its debut at the Fair Play Tournament held by SARI and the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) on the 2014 World Refugee Day. SARI now plans to develop the academy to reach more young Muslim girls and to offer other sports (hockey, cricket, martial arts, fencing, and table tennis).

"Developing young women’s confidence, self-esteem, and resilience, through physical activity combined with a bespoke education programme"

Partners The project has 14 formal and informal partners. The formal partners include the Gaelic Athletic Association and the NGOs Football Against Racism Europe and Community Games Ireland. Informal partners include several sports and civil society associations and institutions, notably the British think tank Institute for Strategic Dialogue (specialised in extremism) and the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for Dialogue Between Cultures. The mentoring and training workshops are delivered pro-bono by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (youthCAN), Radio Telefis Eireann (Ireland's national public broadcaster) and Facebook.

Results The initial goal of having 35 active players has been surpassed and the projected support base of 350 has been nearly doubled. Seven of the players who have graduated from the programme are now playing for their college and mainstream clubs, with five graduating as football coaches. The project won a major award from the international organisation Beyond Sport in 2015. Initially, there was reluctance from the parents (mostly fathers) and the girls themselves were shy, but now a very strong movement of young women has emerged, which is backed by the full support of mothers.

The Diverse City team has been very successful off the pitch, too: its captain, Fadhila Hajji, won the ‘Young Person of the Year’ award for Sport in Ireland in 2015.

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Lady Fit 28

Organisation Ladyfit, Utrecht, Netherlands

CalendAR Since 2005

Target Groups As a sport club and gymnasium for women, Ladyfit caters to women and girls living in the neighbourhood of Kanaleneiland, in Utrecht.

Background Kanaleneiland is a neighbourhood situated in the southwest of the city of Utrecht where approximately 76% of the population (some 15,000 inhabitants) is of immigrant background. In particular, there is a large Moroccan community.

According to Jamila Achahchah, a local woman who founded Ladyfit in 2005, women and girls from the neighbourhood rarely practise any kind of physical activity. She created Ladyfit to offer them the opportunity to do so in a women-only environment in which they would feel safe.

Further information ladyfit.nl

Objectives Ladyfit's primary objective is to give access to sport to women and girls from Kanaleneiland in a safe, women-only environment. The secondary objective is to encourage mothers to promote their children's, and girls’ in particular, active participation in society. Ladyfit promotes dialogue among women living in Kanaleneiland on issues beyond family life, such as identity and religion.

Strategy and activities Started as an informal, women-only fitness club, Ladyfit now has some 800 customers and opened in 2014 as a multifunctional gym. Aside from sport, it also organises social and educational activities for women and children.

Results "In 2015, Ladyfit was involved in welcoming refugees to Utrecht by inviting a group of them to a meal and offering free sport activities."

Ladyfit offers fitness, aerobics, and Zumba.

Classes are given by a team of 22 professional trainers who have volunteered their time. The club also organises football sessions. Beyond sport, the club organises social events, for example the Healthy Happy Hour focused on dieting and healthy food, and debates around issues including parenting, education, identity, and religion. It also runs a Lady Business Club, which offers training to women who want to start their own businesses.

Ladyfit set up a training programme for children aged 2 to 7 called ‘Tigers on prescription’ focused on health, self-confidence, and resilience.

In 2015, Ladyfit was involved in welcoming refugees to Utrecht by inviting a group of them to a meal and offering free sport activities.

Partners The partners of Ladyfit are the City Council of Utrecht, the Knowledge Centre for Sport Netherlands (KCSport), the association of sports clubs of Utrecht (VSU), the NutsOhra foundation, several schools, the Mulier Institute, and private companies.

Created in 2005, Ladyfit now has 800 members and has opened a multifunctional sport facility in the neighbourhood of Kanaleneiland. It offers sport and social activities to women and children and has become a centre where women can gather and discuss issues ranging from family life to the role of women in society.

Recently, Ladyfit was chosen as partner for a project aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle among families of Kanaleneiland: a number of Ladyfit members will be ambassadors of this programme.

Beyond sport, Ladyfit has become a voice for women in the neighbourhood, and a key local actor.

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The Positive Power of Sport

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Organisation Rushcliffe Borough Council, Nottingham, United Kingdom

Calendar The project ran between September 2014 and April 2015 and was prolonged for the 2015-2016 season.

Target Group This project was primarily targeted at men to encourage them to speak out against abuse to women, but it was also aimed at their families and children, as well as the public at large.

Further Information rushcliffe.gov.uk/ domesticviolence/ whiteribboncampaign nottinghamrugby.co.uk/ community whiteribboncampaign.co.uk

Background Situated near Nottingham, in England, the Rushcliffe Borough Council has done extensive work over the past ten years to tackle abuse against women, such as direct support services to victims, training and awareness for agencies and community initiatives, awareness work in primary and secondary schools, and theatre events.

In recognition of this work, the Rushcliffe Borough Council was awarded the White Ribbon Accreditation in 2013.

White Ribbon is a worldwide campaign in which men pledge to never commit, condone, or ignore abuse against women.

Building on its existing partnerships with local sports clubs, the Borough Council developed a project in which the Nottingham Rugby Club (NRC) would partner with White Ribbon for the September 2014-April 2015 season.

Objectives The primary objective of this action was to encourage men to pledge to assist the White Ribbon aims of never committing, condoning, or remaining silent about men’s abuse towards women. Beyond that, the objectives were to encourage the community to value everyone regardless of gender, to build participation and enjoyment of sport by families, and to show that everybody can play a part in creating a strong and fair society.

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Strategy and Activities

Partners

Rugby is seen as a quintessentially male/ macho sport, and having the Nottingham Rugby Club (NRC) supporting the White Ribbon campaign, notably by carrying its logo on the players' shirts, sent a particularly strong message. A number of activities were carried out:

Run by the Rushcliffe Borough Council, the project’s partners included the White Ribbon UK charity, the Nottingham Rugby Club, the neighbouring Gedling Borough Council, and the Family Care charity.

• A t each home match, the programme included a one page editorial dedicated to the campaign, with men advocating the end of violence against women.

• O n White Ribbon Day (25th November), players, the club mascot, and staff from Rushcliffe spent an afternoon engaging with the public in the borough's main shopping area.

• Players and coaches participated in a programme run by Family Care, which works with boys having experienced abuse and having lacked a positive, male role model.

• Free match tickets were given to young people and parents touched by domestic abuse.

• A charity match was dedicated to the campaign and side events were organised for families, in particular children, who have been victims of abuse.

Throughout the year, the Rushcliffe Borough Council publicised the project on social media.

Results It was the first time a professional rugby club committed time and resources to support White Ribbon, and it has contributed to 12 other professional national rugby clubs picking up the White Ribbon message. The project has also had positive results internally: in the current context of sharp financial constraints for local authorities in the UK, it has demonstrated the value of building a strong, local and multi-sectoral partnership to carry projects forward.

"Encouraging the community to value everyone regardless of gender."

Category

Integration of marginalised populationS

Winning Practice

ComeTOgether-Cup

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Organisation Association Come-Together-Cup, Cologne, Germany

Calendar The tournament was first organised in 1994 and has been held every year since.

Target Groups People from all kinds of minority groups and those who wish to play an active role in society.

Further Information come-together-cup.de

Learn more about the Come-Together-Cup: video at bit.ly/epsis

Background Many people who practice or want to practice a sport still face socio-cultural barriers and prejudice because of their sexual orientation, gender, faith, skin colour, nationality, illnesses/disabilities and/or social status.

As many other European cities, Cologne is affected by such prejudice. On the other hand, as the most popular sport in Germany, football can contribute to undoing stereotypes and promoting dialogue among people who rarely meet, let alone talk.

Objectives The objectives of the promoters of the Come-Together-Cup are to reduce prejudice and stereotypes through direct exchange among diverse groups of population, to raise awareness about the various forms of group-related discrimination, and to campaign in the media. The long-term goal is to create in Cologne a climate in which intolerance in sport has no place.

Strategy and Activities The Come-Together-Cup (CTC) is a charity amateur football tournament held every year on the green in front of the RheinEnergie stadium, one of the largest in Germany and home to the FC Cologne. The one-day event involves 60 football teams with some 1,200 players and attracts 25,000 visitors. Apart from the competition itself, the event includes music, a beer garden, a VIP game, a moment in honour of the volunteers, and a closing ‘Sunset party’.

Results

"Over the years, the CTC has become the most visited amateur football competition in Europe.”

As the CTC is a charity, the profits go to two non-profit associations: Aidshilfe Cologne (for people affected by HIV) and Jugendzentrum Anyway (which gathers homosexual, lesbian and transsexual people).

Some 40 volunteers are involved in the event planning throughout the year, and a total of 250 volunteers are mobilised on the day.

An important aspect is communications and PR, since the event is also designed to raise awareness about sexual and other minorities. The CTC is very active on social media with about 8,000 direct followers or readers on Facebook and Youtube and some 60,000 when taking into account the shared posts from the partner sponsors. The CTC is largely covered by the LGBT media, as well as by local media, notably Radio Cologne which broadcasts live the group draw.

Partners The Come-Together-Cup association is supported by the Cologne transport authorities, the municipal refuse collection service, the 1. FC Köln football team (also known as FC Cologne), the city council of Cologne, the associations Aidshilfe Cologne and Jugendzentrum Anyway, and Radio Köln as well as a number of magazines, newspapers and other companies. Sponsors and donors do not exert any influence on the structure and content of the tournament. Signed partnership contracts exist for legal reasons between the sponsors and the CTC.

Over the years, the CTC has become the most visited amateur football competition in Europe. Its message of tolerance towards the LGBT community and other minorities, which was quite groundbreaking when the project started in 1994, has almost become mainstream, and the municipality of Cologne now prides itself for being particularly LGBT-friendly. Indeed, a number of municipal services have their own CTC team, such as the job centre, the police and the fire brigade.

According to the German Football Federation, incidents and group-related hostility during football league games in Cologne decrease year after year, a result that the federation attributes in part to the Come-Together-Cup. The tournament has also resulted in direct relationships between some of the participating teams, who meet for friendly matches throughout the year.

In the last few years, the CTC has broadened its reach to include refugees, both as players and visitors. Refugee teams say that they are not afraid anymore of playing in public in front of local officials or police. Also, the Federal Association for Migration and Refugees, an official organisation, has its own team in the competition.

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All Inclusive Sport

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Organisation Association DarVoce, Reggio Emilia, Italy

Calendar The project began in June 2014 for a first 18-month phase (through 31 December 2015).

The second phase started in September 2016 and will continue until December 2017.

Target groups Disabled children and teenagers from the region of Reggio Emilia (Italy) and the towns of Sant’Ilario d’Enza, and Castelnovo ne’ Monti.

Further information darvoce.org/allinclusive

Background In general, young disabled people who want to practise sport do so in special structures, separately from other youngsters. This approach, however, does not take into account the need for these youngsters to enrich this physical experience by engaging with non-disabled people, and the need for society to include them without discrimination. The core idea of the project is to allow these individuals to practise sport in mainstream clubs.

The project was borne out of an experiment conducted in 2012 in Reggio Emilia, the objective of which was to promote the inclusion of disabled people in the community by training volunteers to organise and host inclusive events.

Objectives The main objectives were to give NGO personnel and volunteers the skills and tools to encourage the practice of sport for all, to increase the region’s offers of sport for disabled people within mainstream clubs, and to raise awareness among institutions, decision-makers (politicians, educators, sports people), and the general public on the inclusion of disabled people.

"Allowing young disabled people to practise sport in mainstream clubs."

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Strategy and activities

Partners

The project was implemented in five stages:

The official partners are the family associations Fa.Ce (families of people suffering from brain injury), Valore Aggiunto (families of disabled people), and GIS - Parents for Social Inclusion. The partnership was extended during the project and now includes several sport associations, the Reggio Emilia Paralympic Committee, and the department of Child Neuro-Psychiatry ASL of Reggio Emilia.

1) A questionnaire on the elements that favour the inclusion of young disabled people in sport clubs was sent to some 150 local sport clubs.

2) Y oungsters aged 10 to 16 with physical or cognitive disabilities joined sport associations (basketball, skating, tennis, football, and judo), where they were assisted by dedicated helpers.

3) T he managers of seven participating sport associations attended four days of training.

4) P ublic events were organised (‘Games without Barriers’, the ‘We are all works of art’ cultural evening, and a conference during Disability Week which presented the results of the survey).

5) O ffer of activities to develop motor skills amongst pre-school children (3-6 years), open also to disabled children in two nursery schools.

All of these activities were carried out with the support of the participating municipalities.

Results Quantitatively, based on the number of partners involved, the project’s objectives have been reached: seven sport associations carried out inclusion experiments, seven clubs took part in the training, six municipalities supported the project, and seven youngsters and their families took part in the action. Additionally, some 250 people took part in the promotional events. Qualitatively, the project promoted the vision of a ‘different normality’ and the recognition of people in situations of disability as full members of society.

The BAGรกzs football club for Roma people

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Organisation The non-profit association BAGรกzs football club, Bag, Hungary

CalendAR The project started in November 2012 with an initial duration of five years, but organisers hope to continue it beyond this period.

Target Group The project is aimed at the residents of the Roma settlement of Bag, a village situated some 40km from Budapest.

Further Information bagazs.org/en/projektjeink/ gyerek-projektek/bagazs-fc/ youtube.com/ watch?v=MWC84Hbr80g legyunkegybagazs

Background Throughout Hungary as elsewhere in Europe, Roma people are faced with intolerance, segregation, and racism, a situation that has terrible consequences for children. Unemployment, crime, and addictions are rife in the 400-strong settlement of Bag, a village situated near the capital.

A few years ago, motivated in part by the fact that the village club did not accept Roma in their team, two young Roma residents had the idea of creating a football club for their people. Thus the BAGรกzs FC was founded.

Objectives The objectives of the BAGรกzs football club are to provide stability and a healthy environment to young Roma in Bag, to set an example for other youths to follow, to build a cohesive team that sticks together and cooperates beyond the football field, to see young Roma perform better at school and in life, to teach young local Roma how to be self-reliant, to train a new generation that will be able to manage the club and launch other activities, and last but not least, to establish bridges with the non-Roma community in Bag and bring both groups of residents closer by dispelling prejudice and stigma.

Strategy and Activities The core of the project is the football club, which accepts players of different ages and of both genders: under 16, under 14 (a boys' and a girls' team), and under nine. The club provides weekly trainings, organises training camps, cups, friendly matches, and all kinds of team-building activities such as trips to Budapest. An important aspect of the activity is that the club is also in contact with the players' families. The club also acts to build relations with the village's primary football club and the rest of the population. The trainings are run by Roma youngsters who act as mentors to new members, as well as by volunteers who are trained by the association.

"The project has improved relations between both communities in the village."

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Partners The Norwegian Civil Fund, the local football club – it provided its old and disused training pitch, which the association cleaned and upgraded –, the local high school, and a Budapest football club for homeless people (for friendly matches).

Results The project has had positive results for the young Roma involved and has improved relations between both communities in the village. The youngsters create strong relationships inside and outside the club, and it has been observed that they seldom use drugs or commit other offences, and are more persistent and attentive at school. Being part of the club gives them an identity: they are known in their community and the younger ones want to imitate them. More than a team, the BAGázs FC has become a family.

Furthermore, seven players from BAGázs FC now play for the ‘mainstream’ village football club, which would have previously been unimaginable before because of strong prejudice on both sides.

The City Pirates of Antwerp

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Organisation City Pirates of Antwerp (CPA), Belgium

CalendAR Since 2011

Target Group The main targets of the City Pirates youth programme are youngsters from deprived areas of Antwerp.

Further Information citypirates.be

Background Belgium's second-largest city and one of Europe's busiest ports, Antwerp (pop. 500,000) also stands out for its multiculturalism: some 170 nationalities are represented amongst its population. There are no youth football club in the city, which particularly affects children and youngsters from deprived neighbourhoods. These groups have very few opportunities for any extracurricular activities and hours after school are often spent hanging out in the streets.

The City Pirates are a well-established football club.

Created in 1921 and based in Merksem, they regularly play in national divisions.

Objectives The objective is to use football as a tool to support and educate youngsters from difficult backgrounds, in close cooperation with local schools and families. The long-term goal is to build social cohesion and empower community members in Antwerp's most socially-challenged neighbourhoods.

Strategy and Activities The City Pirates work in close cooperation with the City Council, local schools, neighbourhood associations and families to offer youngsters (boys and girls) the opportunity to play football. Together with school teachers and families, the club monitors participants’ performances at school, as well as their general behaviour.

Results

"It is a place where everyone is welcome, where youths can develop socially, and where social inequalities are overcome."

Apart from trainings, the programme provides tuition sessions during which children do their homework at the club before playing football. It also organises educational workshops for children on a large range of activities including hip hop music, dance, and computer literacy, and Dutch language classes for parents. The involvement of parents is key: indeed, the managerial board of the club's youth programme is almost entirely composed of parents, including many whose children have by now left the club.

Partners The partners of this programme are the Antwerp City Council, local schools, youth centres, local associations, the local police, and private sponsors (International Food Services, Cronos, Heavy, and Modero).

More than 1,000 children take part each year in the City Pirates’ programme, with about 10% receiving tutoring before their football training. Parents say they are satisfied with the programme and most are committed to the project. According to an independent study carried out by the University of Leuven in 2015-2016, ‘City Pirates is much more than a football club. The strength of the project is that it manages to reach a diverse group of people and bring them together in a football club where solidarity and community are stimulated. It is a place where everyone is welcome, where youths can develop socially, and where social inequalities are overcome.’ However, researchers note that players, parents and trainers are regularly confronted with racism when in contact with other football clubs, and that. ‘finding a way to deal with this and discuss it with players and parents is a learning process.’

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Desporto com Sentido

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Organisation Cerebral Palsy Association of Almada Seixal (Associação de Paralisia Cerebral de Almada Seixal, APCAS), Portugal

Calendar 1 November 2014 – 31 March 2016 (calendar for the production of the handbooks and other material, prior to dissemination).

Target Groups The project targets people with disabilities who do not have access to sport, as well as sport educators and coaches.

Further Information

Background In Portugal, most of the associations that work with disabled people have limited resources and knowledge of the activities that they can promote in order to keep functioning and growing. As a consequence, people with disabilities do not benefit from as many inclusive practices as they could and they are generally isolated from the rest of the population.

Objectives The initiative consists in disseminating knowledge and useful practices about sport for disabled people among sport and education professionals in order to increase the offer for this group of population. A second objective is to raise awareness among the general public about the benefits of sport for disabled people and the need to better include them.

paralisiacerebral.pt Apcas

Strategy and Activities The association has developed a model for the inclusion of disabled people in sport to be disseminated in schools, first in the region of Seixal and afterwards in the whole country. To this end, it has produced a series of 21 handbooks that include general information about adapted sports and practical information about the types of sport that can be offered, the material needed, and the pedagogy to use. Each guidebook comes with a DVD that includes videos on the main concepts and techniques. The handbooks

"Raising awareness among the general public about the benefits of sport for disabled people and the need to better include them." and DVDs, an e-learning platform, and an exchange forum are available on a digital platform. Furthermore, the association has designed a training programme for education and sport professionals wishing to develop their skills in the area of adapted sports.

In December 2015, the association held a national meeting on participating in sport with cerebral palsy, during which participants discussed aspects such as competition, therapy, recreation, and the social dimension of adapted sport and exchanged experiences and good practices.

Partners The General Directorate of Education, the Seixal Town Council, and the Faculty of Human Kinetics of the University of Lisbon (Faculdade de Motricidade Humana). Informal partners include local councils, schools, sports clubs and federations.

The project is co-financed by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation as part of the Active Citizenship Programme – EEA Grants.

The National Institute for Rehabilitation (Instituto Nacional para a Reabilitação) has financed the development of the Todos em Jogo (Let’s All Play) e-learning platform.

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Results The project has attained and even surpassed all its goals. It has produced a set of 21 handbooks (one on the general theme of adapted sports and the others on specific disciplines) and their accompanying DVDs. An instruction centre for trainers was set up and has held (as of September 2016) 17 courses for 329 trainees (teachers, sports technicians, students, and other stakeholders). The project also organised 29 awareness-raising sessions on several adapted sports in 22 schools, reaching more than 3,200 students, over 330 teachers and technicians, and some 230 volunteers and family members.

Escalada adaptada

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Organisation Clube de Escalada de Braga (Mountain Climbing Club of Braga), Portugal

Calendar Since 2014

Target Group Mentally disabled people, amputees, and blind people in Braga (Portugal).

Further Information Clube Escalada Braga

Background The project is inspired by the Brazilian athlete Raphael Nishimura, who was runner-up in the world paraclimbing competition. Suffering from muscular dystonia, Nishimura founded the Paraclimbing Brazil Project in 2011 to promote climbing among disabled people as a means to foster their inclusion in society. His achievements inspired Portuguese climber Filipe Costa, who decided to do the same in his hometown of Braga.

Objectives The objective of the project is to offer paraclimbing to people with disabilities as part of the activities of the Clube de Escalada (Climbing Club) of Braga. The purpose is to promote the social inclusion of disabled people and to improve the mental and physical well-being of disabled athletes.

Strategy and Activities Volunteers at the club organise weekly paraclimbing activities for mentally disabled people, amputees, and blind people. The club also organises a yearly paraclimbing competition, with two events held so far, in July 2015 and July 2016. It publicises its activities through its Facebook page and media coverage (with a special emphasis on the yearly championship).

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Partners The partners are the City Council of Braga, the University of Minho, and the Academia Synergia. The club also works with NGOs for mentally disabled people (Cooperative for the Education and Rehabilitation of Citizens with Incapacities / Cooperativa de Educação e Reabilitação de Cidadãos com Incapacidades-CERCI, Portuguese Association of Fellows and Friends of Citizens with Mental Deficiencies / Associação Portuguesa de Pais e Amigos do Cidadão Deficiente Mental-APPACDM), blind people (Association of Blind and Partially Sighted People of Portugal / Associação dos Cegos e Amblíopes de Portugal, ACAPO), and amputees (National Association of Amputees / Associação Nacional de Amputados-ANAMP), as well as with the local community.

“The project has also had an impact among the volunteers and the community at large, as it breaks barriers between disabled and abled people.”

Results A majority of participants say that practising the sport has improved their self-esteem and made them physically stronger. The club has noted that most of those participants who were overweight have lost weight.

The benefits go beyond sport, as participants practise together with abled people and can participate in social groups and activities they would not have access to outside the club.

The project has also had an impact among the volunteers and the community at large, as it breaks barriers between disabled and abled people. Following a campaign supported by the Clube de Escalada, the municipality of Braga has recently decided to open an Adapted Sport Centre.

Everybody can play hockey!

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Organisation Feijenoord Hockey Club, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Calendar The Feijenoord Hockey Club started its activities in 2010, the programme is ongoing.

Target Groups Children and youths from socially disadvantaged families from the district of Feijenoord, in Rotterdam.

Further information hcfeijenoord.nl

Background The population of the neighbourhood of Feijenoord in Rotterdam-South is overwhelmingly low-income (80% of the 72,000 inhabitants). It is also predominantly young, and there are many families with children. These children grow up in an environment that, according to the project promoters, does not encourage them to take an active part in society.

Objectives The objectives of the Feijenoord Hockey Club are to create bonds among the children and youngsters of the neighbourhood through the practice of field hockey, and to promote the social inclusion of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Strategy and Activities The founding principle of the club is to offer field hockey to all children in the neighbourhood of Feijenoord, whatever their background, and to use sport as a means to empower them and to educate them in civic values.

Although the club has had a court and a clubhouse in Feijenoord since 2014, it organises training sessions in public parks, four local schools, and at the Cruyff and the Krajicek courts. The purpose of this style of orga-

Results

“The club organises regular social activities for players and their families in order to encourage bonding among participants.�

nisation is to enable more children to take part, as the sessions take place near where they live.

In addition, the club organises regular social activities for players and their families in order to encourage bonding among participants, notably an annual dinner. Furthermore, volunteers, trainers, and families regularly meet to discuss the club's strategy and activities. Organisers say that this is particularly important, as many parents come from immigrant backgrounds and are not familiar with the Dutch sport culture.

The club employs a specialist in sport pedagogy who advises on how to use sport situations to educate children, in particular on themes such as fair play, respect of other players, team spirit, and perseverance.

Partners The partners of the Feijenoord Hockey Club are the municipality of Rotterdam, the association Rotterdam Sportsupport, the Royal Dutch Hockey Association, the Richard Krajicek foundation, and private sponsors.

Since the creation of the Feijenoord Field Hockey Club, 400 children from a variety of backgrounds have become members and played hockey. Four particularly talented children have gone on to join top clubs in Rotterdam. Young players have not only learned the rules of the game, but also values including self-respect, positive behaviour and fair play.

In 2014, the club was able to acquire a pitch and to build a clubhouse, which is like a second home for many children. Since then, it has become a community-based, multi-sport centre where players and members of the local community can gather.

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CATEGORY

Integration of populations at risk

Winning Practice

Icehearts 50

Organisation Icehearts of Finland

Calendar Icehearts was established in 1996. Each programme has a duration of 12 years.

Target Group Children at risk between the ages of 6 and 18.

Further Information icehearts.fi

Learn more about Icehearts: video at bit.ly/epsis

Background Children at risk are those who face multiple challenges, typically including mental health problems, poverty, and lack of social skills. Many live in single-parent families and some are from immigrant background. They often lack access to the resources and activities available to children from higher-income and/or more stable family situations, such as organised leisure activities. Those who are in need of various social support services usually also struggle with their school performance. It has been proven that early intervention and the provision of longterm help is the most efficient and effective method to prevent the future social exclusion of children at risk.

Objectives The main objectives of the actions led during the programme are to: • P revent social exclusion, promote social skills, and create a stable and safe environment for children by ensuring the presence of a trustworthy adult - an Icehearts coach - throughout all the transitional stages of childhood and adolescence.

• U se sport as a tool to bring children together and enable a long-lasting, personal relationship between the team members and the Icehearts coach.

• P rovide the children with a healthy, supportive adult role-model, who does not abandon the child when problems occur.

• P revent obesity and improve the physical and psychological health of participants.

• E nsure that the children grow up to come healthy, socially capable adults spread well-being around them and benefit from the same opportunities their peers.

bewho can as

Strategy and Activities Over a period of 12 years, the programme supports children in three distinct stages.

Each intervention period is designed according to the age of the child and their individual needs. The programme is implemented in close cooperation with the school, the relevant municipal departments, and the local network.

In the first stage, a core team of about 6-10 children under 7 is selected. The Icehearts coach spends time with them and introduces them to sport and social skills such as managing anger, expressing feelings in a constructive way, learning to apologise, and resolving conflicts.

In the second stage (for children aged 7-12), more members are added to team (about 20-25) and the Icehearts coach continues daily after-school activities and gradually chooses to focus on one sport.

In the third stage (children over 12), actions are concentrated less on school and more on sports, training and competitions.

“The programme has a positive effect on school dropouts and child custody losses.”

Partners The families taking part in Icehearts actions; the Finnish Slot Machine Association; several officials from the municipalities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Lahti, Turku, Tampere, Oulu, Seinäjoki, Pori and Riihimäki; several non-profit foundations such as the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland (Svenska Kulturfonden); elementary schools; social services; psychiatric professionals and institutions; sport teams and private companies, to name a few.

Results The programme has a positive effect on school dropouts and child custody losses.

It provides support to families in difficult situations. By creating and managing multi-professional networks, it contributes to creating an atmosphere of trust and positivity in schools and other environments.

New Icehearts teams are regularly being launched in new cities and municipalities.

Between 2012 and 2015, Icehearts grew by 87% in terms of finance, the number of employees rose by 203% and that of operating teams by 133%.

Icehearts of Finland have established a reputation as a trustworthy, cost-effective third sector party in the Finnish child welfare institutions and services.

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Liga Escolhas OF Portugal

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Organisation The Escolhas League (Liga Escolhas or the Choices League in English) is run in the regions of Lisbon, Porto, Guarda, and Setúbal, by the national Escolhas social programme.

Calendar Since 2011

Target Group Children aged 10 to 14 from deprived environments in the regions of Lisbon, Porto, and Setúbal.

Further Information programaescolhas.pt

Background The Escolhas League football tournament is part of the governmental Escolhas Programme, initiated in 2001 with the aim of fostering the social inclusion of youngsters from vulnerable backgrounds and strengthening social cohesion.

This wide-ranging programme sponsors hundreds of initiatives throughout Portugal.

Objectives The objective of the Escolhas League is to use football as a means to promote a healthy lifestyle, academic success, and entrepreneurship and community involvement among youngsters.

Strategy and Activities The core principle of this yearly football 7-a-side tournament is that points are calculated not only on the pitch, but also in relation to the players’ academic results and their involvement in the community.

The League functions like a football league, with points being accumulated by the various teams over the course of a school year (nine months, from October to early July).

At the beginning of each season, and following an application process, the teams are formed. They must include at least 12 players, at least two of whom must be girls.

Families are encouraged to take an active part in their local project. Each club also needs to set up their own team of volunteers, notably coaches and referees.

participating youths. For example, a survey conducted at the end of the 2015 season revealed that 80% of participants improved their academic performance, and that their academic results increased on average by 30%.

Concerning the ‘involvement in the community’ aspect of the programme, results are also outstanding. On average, the teams complete a majority of the challenges they are given. The rate was 61% for the 2013/14 season and 74% for the 2015 season.

“Points are calculated not only on the pitch, but also in relation to the players’ academic results and their involvement in the community.”

In the final stage of the competition, the eight best teams vie for the title of champion, and the final match is hosted by the Sporting Clube de Portugal, one of the country's leading professional clubs.

Partners The Escolhas League is part of the Escolhas Programme ‘Espaço Jovem da Quinta do Lavrado E5G’, promoted by the following partners: the Foundation Aragão Pinto for Social Solidarity, Ensinus (a private company specialised in education), the Sporting Foundation and Sporting Clube de Portugal, the Commission for the Protection of Children and Youths-Lisbon, the social housing company Gebalis (Lisbon), the municipality of Lisbon, and the theatre company Levantado a Dois.

Results Between 2011 and 2015, some 50 projects were conducted through the Escolhas League programme, involving more than 1,000 children.

Even though results vary slightly from one year to the next, they consistently show an improvement of the academic results of

Furthermore, the overall satisfaction rate was 5.2 on a scale of 7 for the second season, and 5.6 for the third season. Indeed, an interesting aspect of this scheme is that participating youngsters are encouraged to assess the programme, in particular the activities they perform as part of the “involvement in the community” challenge.

In qualitative terms, the programme has fostered better and closer cooperation among local organisers, which in turn resulted in a stronger, wider partnership and the creation of the national Sporting Foundation as well as the launch of a magazine. The initiative has received a lot of press coverage and Portugal's football star Cristiano Ronaldo promoted it on social networks.

The project is now well established and growing, with new clubs underway in Porto and Guarda.

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Freedom skaters 54

Organisation Association Freedom Skaters, Karlsruhe, Germany

Calendar Since August 2015

Target Group Children and youngsters from three refugee camps in Karlsruhe. Children attending Freedom Skaters' activities are mostly Syrian, but there are also Iraqi, Afghans, and Albanians.

Further Information freedomskaters.org Freeskarlsruhe

Background With Germany having received more than 360,000 Syrian refugees at the end of 2015, Karlsruhe, like many other German cities, is dealing with thousands of refugees from Syria and other war-torn areas. Most of them live in camps on the outskirts of the city, where they receive food and medicine but little else. Refugees live in isolation, a situation that is particularly damaging for children.

Objectives The objective of Freedom Skaters, founded by young citizens of Karlsruhe, is to use sport as a means to help refugee children integrate into German society. Run entirely by volunteers, it also brings German citizens closer to the refugees, establishing bridges between the two groups.

Strategy and Activities The Freedom Skaters work with children aged 4-16 years old who live in three refugee camps of the city. Several times a week, they offer activities such as skating, climbing, taking the children to playgrounds, drawing (legal) graffiti, and building longboards. They also organise skate-related events, such as the Longboard Open.

Results “Through skating, children can feel carefree and simply have fun, something they may have seldom experienced in their life.”

Through skating, children can feel carefree and simply have fun, something they may have seldom experienced in their life. The association also hopes that the experience will help them gain self-confidence and see that they have a future.

The association is in contact with local refugee organisations and other NGOs to find ways to develop their action, in particular towards deprived resident children (i.e. not refugees).

Another aspect of the association's activities concerns communication with the public.

The Facebook page and the association's website give regular updates on their activities. They also produce flyers to inform refugees and the wider public about the events they organise.

Partners The roller skate association Rollbrett, the association Tischlein Dek Dich, which provides free school meals, and the clothing and accessories retailer Unikat.

Beyond the benefits for the children themselves – about 40 participants each week – the action has had a positive effect on life in the camp. When it started in one of the camps, there was no structure there: people were on their own all day and children could not leave the camp without their parents. Now, another association, European Homecare, runs a kindergarten in one of the camps. The Freedom Skaters organise classes of German language and run a twice-weekly “tea room” where people can meet and chat.

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PREPAS SPORTS 56

Organisation Stade bordelais-Asptt (Association sportive des Postes et des Télégraphes), Bordeaux, France

Calendar The project began on 1 January 2015 and will be carried out over a period of three years.

Target groups Young offenders aged 16 to 22 who encounter difficulty integrating society and finding a job.

Most participants come from deprived neighbourhoods of Bordeaux that have been placed under special support measures as per the French politique de la ville (literally, policy for cities1).All these youngsters are NEET (neither employed nor in training) when they join the programme.

Background In the Aquitaine region, youth unemployment (age 15 to 24) is 25%. The Local Missions, job centres for young people, are in contact with some 60,000 people each year. Nonetheless, a minority of youngsters remains untouched: those who have not been identified through the existing schemes or whose cases are too complex to be solved through those schemes. Sport can be used as an efficient tool to re-socialise these very vulnerable youths who are at risk of social and professional exclusion.

Objectives The objective of the project is to enable youths who are at risk of being marginalised to acquire social and professional skills they can use to create a place for themselves in society. Thanks to the partnership between the Stade bordelais and the Juvenile Protection Service (Protection judiciaire de la Jeunesse), a personalised pathway is designed for each youth by professionals specialised in teenage problems and social integration.

Further information stade-bordelais-asptt.com/ le-club/prepas-sports

1 • The politique de la ville is a national policy whereby the State implements social and economic measures in urban neighbourhood that are significantly less advantaged than other urban territories.

“Six months after completion of the programme, 77% of them had a job or were in training.”

Strategy and activities

Results

The Prépas Sport integration scheme offers an individual re-integration path. Through physical and sport activities and individual support, youngsters can acquire skills that are certified by a diploma and which can help them find a job or access training.

The programme combines collective or individual sports (such as futsal, rugby, basketball, climbing, boxing, muay thai, and archery) with teachings on social skills such as complying with rules, leading a healthy lifestyle, and showing team spirit perseverance.

In 2014, 30 youngsters enrolled in the scheme, as opposed to the 24 originally planned.

Seven received access to general training, three found jobs, nine started temping, and 15 were supported by the Local Mission on their path towards integration.

Partners The main sport partners are the Union Bordeaux Bègles (rugby) and Bordeaux's Sailing Centre (Centre de Voile).

The financial partners are: the Regional Directorate for Enterprises, Competition, Consumers, Work and Employment (Direction régionale des entreprises, de la concurrence, de la consommation, du travail et de l'emploi, DIRECCTE) through the European Social Fund (IEJ), the Inter-Ministerial Fund for Crime Prevention (Fonds interministériel de prévention de la délinquance) through the regional Prefecture, the Ministry of Justice, the Regional Council (Conseil régional) of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the Gironde department, the regional Direction of Youth, Sports and Social Cohesion (direction régionale de la Jeunesse, des Sports et de la Cohésion sociale), the Metropolis of Bordeaux (Métropole de Bordeaux), and the Bordeaux City Council.

In 2015, 28 youngsters enrolled. Six months after completion of the programme, 77% of them had a job or were in training.

Furthermore, almost all of the participants obtained a diploma or a training certificate (first aid, educator certificate, road safety, driving licence for industrial vehicles, computer and Internet literacy).

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Trainers power 58

Organisation The Trainers Power project is led by the amateur football club V.V. De Meern from Utrecht (Netherlands), in collaboration with the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences.

CalendAR Since 2014

Target Group The project targets vulnerable youngsters from Utrecht, aged between 16 and 27, who experience problems at home (divorce, violence, neglect, abuse) and/or who are caught between two cultures, lack social skills, have financial difficulties, do not perform well at school, cannot obtain an internship or a job, or are roaming the streets.

Further information vvdemeern.nl

Background One of the emerging social problems in the Netherlands is that of the NEETs, youngsters who are neither being educated, working or undergoing training, and who have dropped out of society or are at risk of doing so. The city of Utrecht has long had local policies to foster social inclusion.

The Trainers Power project trains vulnerable youngsters to become football trainers, enabling them to be included in society and to have a positive influence on younger generations.

Objectives The objective of the Trainers Power programme is to empower vulnerable youngsters by teaching them to become football trainers for young players, by means of a talent development scheme. It seeks to enhance their self-esteem, instil them with a sense of responsibility and, ultimately, to encourage them to better integrate society.

Strategy and Activities The youngsters are deployed as trainers for the young amateur players of the V.V. De Meern club, which has about 2,000 members. They are closely supervised by students in social work and pedagogy from the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences. The football club provides the sports training itself, while the Utrecht University students teach essential life skills.

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Partners Run by the V.V. De Meern football club's Betrokken committee (betrokken means ‘involved’), in charge of the club's outreach activities, the programme is based on a partnership with the Utrecht University of Applied Sciences and financed by the Oranje Fonds (the largest social welfare fund of the Netherlands) and the municipality of Utrecht.

Results Twenty youngsters have completed the training since the start of the project and according to their feedback, some have experienced significant personal growth. Some have returned to school or obtained jobs or internships. The project has also been positive for the club, which has been able to enrol more children now that it has enough training staff and volunteers such as a “culture coach” for refugees and an educational consultant.

Nonetheless, the recruitment of participants has proved challenging, notably because some of the third sector organisations that can refer youngsters are facing uncertainties due to the shift of social welfare from national to local authorities.

"Some have returned to school or obtained jobs or internships."

Category

Education for active citizenship or fair play

Winning Practice

RollerFootBall 62

Organisation French RollerFootBall Association (Association française de RollerFootBall, AFRFB).

Calendar Since 2004 Target group The project is aimed at boys and girls who struggle in school and/or come from a deprived background.

Further information rollerfootball.over-blog.com flickr.com/photos/projet_ rollerfootball

Learn more about RollerFootBall: video at bit.ly/epsis

Background The definition of RollerFootBall is,“The respect and citizenship game”. This non-violent and non-competitive sport was designed as a response to the need for educating young people about citizenship, fair play, and democracy, as MEP Viviane Reding (formerly European Commissioner) remarked when she launched the European Year of Education through Sport, in 2004.

Objectives The objective of the RollerFootBall promoters is to encourage the use of this sport at school or in the community, in order to teach young people that the values of respect and equality concern them and can even be fun to practice. The objectives of this educational game are to restore respect in sport and to change attitudes so that sport's competitive and sometimes violent aspects are not perceived as attractive. In addition, this activity provides young people with a space for sharing in which they are not judged.

Strategy and activities This ball game is played on roller skates. It can be practiced at or out of school by both boys and girls. A number of rules ensure there is no violence: it is forbidden to push, tackle, or insult anybody. The vocabulary is purposely different from that of football: there are encounters instead of matches, tops instead of yellow cards, an external reference person instead of a referee, a team

Results "Teaching young people that the values of respect and equality concern them and can even be fun to practice."

mediator (who wears a distinctive hat) instead of a captain, and shootrollers instead of penalties. Before each ‘encounter’, the players read out loud a ‘Pledge of Good Behaviour’, which states the importance of playing together and with fair play.

The game is played by two teams of five players each. They move on roller skates and wear helmets, knee protectors and gloves. The ball is of a material such that it doesn't hurt when it hits a player, even at great speed. The teams are composed of girls and boys of different ages, heights, and skills. The final score is calculated not only according to the number of goals but also the behaviour of players, who get bonuses for fair play.

Partners The project does not currently have any financial partners. It is fully financed by its promoter. In 2009, the AFRFB received a grant from the National Agency for Social Cohesion and Equal Opportunities (Agence nationale pour la cohésion sociale et l’égalité des chances, Acsé) through the ‘Educational Success Plan’ (Plan de Réussite éducative, PRE) of the town of Bonneuil-sur Marne, and a grant from the French Senate, as well as a contribution from the insurance company GMF, in 2014. The project has also received support from a number of institutions, political leaders, former elite sportsmen, and sports organisation managers.

RollerFootBall has been played since 2005 at the secondary school of Bonneuil-surMarne, in the Adapted General and Professional Education section (section d'enseignement général et professionnel adapté, SEGPA), as part of the ‘Educational Success Plan’. It is also played as an extracurricular activity in the Franche-Comté region, in partnership with the Gendarmerie's Juvenile Crime Prevention Brigade (Brigade de prévention de la délinquance juvénile), as well as in community centres, and also in a school on the outskirts of Besançon.

Since 2004, some 260 schoolchildren have played RollerFootBall at school, and some 430 as an extracurricular activity. As proved over the years, this sport enhances the children's self-esteem, particularly that of female participants. Furthermore, children promptly adopt its values of non-violence and inclusion. For example, self-refereeing is always a success because it empowers children: they quickly understand that their behaviour and sense of fair play are taken into account in the final score, on par with the number of goals scored.

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Cross stars 64

Organisation Portuguese Red Cross, delegation of Trofa (district of Porto), in partnership with the local kickboxing school LifeCombat.

Calendar Since 2013

Target Group Children and youngsters aged 6-18 years from the town of Trofa (a municipality of 39,000 situated north of Porto) who come from deprived backgrounds, suffer from parental neglect, or are prone to school truancy and substance abuse.

Further Information cross-stars.webnode.pt livros-cvptrofa.webnode.pt trofa.cruzvermelha.pt Cruzvermelhatrofa

Background Since 2002, Trofa has faced an increase in the number of recipients of the Social Integration Income (Rendimento Social de Inserção, RSI), as well as in the number of reported cases of domestic violence and of children under the tutelage of the Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People (Comissão de Protecção de Crianças e Jovens, CPCJ). According to unofficial data of the local Red Cross, about 30% of Trofa's minors live in an environment of poverty, alcoholism, and domestic abuse, and do not attend school regularly.

Objectives The objectives of this scheme are to prevent school truancy and substance abuse among children and youths from deprived backgrounds in Trofa, with the goal of promoting their social integration. Two key aspects of the programme are that it encourages team spirit and mutual help among youngsters and that it involves families and the community.

Strategy and Activities The strategy is to use sport to provide children and youngsters with a healthy leisure activity through which they can strengthen their self-esteem, health, team spirit, and life and social skills. The youths are referred to the local Red Cross by the municipality of Trofa. A partnership

has been established with a local sports school specialised in kickboxing, LifeCombat, which also provides self-defence and aero kick classes. After undergoing a medical examination by the Red Cross, children are offered free kickboxing classes and psychological support.

Partners The official partners of the scheme are the Trofa City Council, the Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People at Risk, the Social Security, the Parents' Association, and the local kickboxing school LifeCombat. The project also has a number of informal partners, including the Portuguese Association of Parents and Friends of Mentally Deficient Citizens (Associação Portuguesa de Pais e Amigos do Cidadão Deficiente Mental, APPACDM), the Business Association Baixo Ave (Associação Empresarial Baixo Ave, AEBA), the Trofa Health Center, the parish councils, and local gym clubs.

“Strengthening self esteem, health, team spirit, and social skills.”

Results The number of participants is steadily growing. From 22 the first year, it rose to 25 in 2014 and 30 in 2015.

On a qualitative level, a survey was conducted among participants by means of a questionnaire they were asked to complete. The overwhelming majority indicated they “feel more courage and joy”, “discovered a new talent", “respect myself and others”, “do not give up on a task until finished”, and “feel I have friends who support me”. A number of participants also said they have “found a new family to resort to in case of problem”.

In general, the project has enabled children to forge relationships with other youngsters and with the adult teachers, who some say are “like parents”.

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Education to citizenship through sport

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Organisation Association Esprit Savoir Sport Équité (E.S.S.E) (in English, spirit, knowledge, sport, and fairness), Paris, France

CalendAR Since 1995

Target Group Young residents of the ‘Danube-Solidarité’ neighbourhood in Paris.

Currently, some 450 youngsters aged 8 to 25 are involved.

Further information ESSEPARIS19

Background Located in the northeast of Paris, the Danube-Solidarité neighbourhood is largely made up of social estates (84% of all housing) and the local population is particularly vulnerable. Forty percent of families are single-parent households. Furthermore, the local population is the youngest of all the urban neighbourhoods under special social and economic measures as per the politique de la ville1, with 45% of the population under the age of 30.

Almost half of these youngsters (49%) finish school without a diploma. As for the adult population, 22% are unemployed, which is twice the national average.

In this particularly challenging environment, a good number of local youngsters hang out in the streets.

Objectives Set up in 1995 by six young local residents, the project ‘Education to citizenship through sport’ seeks to use sport to gather youngsters in a clubhouse, the Découverte sport centre, where they can practise sport and social activities.

1 • The politique de la ville is a national policy on cities, which includes social and economic measures to support a number of urban neighbourhoods throughout France that are socially and economically disadvantaged compared to the national average.

"Educators and other volunteer educators were all initially accompanied by the association when they themselves were young."

The objectives are to: • initiate young local residents to sport; • foster exchange and cooperation through collective sports; • share and encourage good practices; • reduce the number of youths spending idle time in the streets; • develop critical thinking in young people; • encourage youths to take part in society.

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Strategy and activities Four types of activities are carried out: every day, youngsters can go to the Découverte sport centre to practise a number of sports with educators. They also have the opportunity to interact with other youngsters. In addition, the centre organises social activities and gatherings, and offers counselling and training programmes.

Some youngsters are accompanied by educators throughout the year, and if need be, referred to relevant partner organisations or institutions.

The project is co-managed with the youngsters, and over time some of them become tutors/educators. The seven full-time educators and other volunteer educators were all initially accompanied by the association when they themselves were young.

Partners The partners are the Youth and Sports Directorate (Direction de la Jeunesse et des Sports) of the municipality of Paris, which finances 100% of the project, and the district council of the 19th arrondissement of Paris.

Results The primary result has been that fewer youngsters are hanging out in the neighbourhood’s streets, and some now have jobs as educators. A number of others are now volunteers for the association.

The Découverte sport centre has become quite well-known in the neighbourhood, and people from other areas of Paris now use it as well. Furthermore, some well-known actors, singers and sports personalities have visited it from time to time, which boosts the youngsters' self-esteem and contributes to the diversification of the neighbourhood's social composition.

Fan Coaching 68

Organisation Non-profit association Fan Coaching-Eurofan, Liege, Belgium

CalendAR The project was initiated in 1990 and has been operating continuously since 1995.

Target groups The project is primarily targeted at violent supporters (hooligans) and Ultras from Liege. It is also intended for fan associations and clubs, in particular children and youths from the neighbourhood of the Liege Standard football club.

Further information fancoachingliege.blogspot.co.uk

Background The project started as a response to the violent behaviour of some of the First Division Liege Standard football club’s supporters during matches. Created at the University of Liege in 1990, the non-profit association (association à but non lucratif-asbl) Fan Coaching-Eurofan accompanies supporters before, during and after matches to ensure that events are peaceful. It is grounded in a partnership between the municipality of Liege, the Standard football club and the University of Liege, with the support of the King Baudouin Foundation.

The idea of accompanying supporters in order to prevent trouble at matches came about in various European countries more than twenty years ago, with initiatives such as Foot in the Community in the United Kingdom, Aficiones Unidas in Spain, and Fairfans in Denmark.

Objectives The project's objective is to reduce violence in football by closely and proactively accompanying fans. The project also seeks to foster the social inclusion of marginalised supporters.

Strategy and activities Fan Coaching is a service of the municipality of Liege, and is part of a prevention plan financed by the Belgian Ministry of the Interior.

"The atmosphere at the Standard's stadium is now peaceful and supporters feel secure" The Fan Coaching association's main mission is to develop social and cultural projects aimed at preventing problems at football matches, in and out of stadiums, thanks to a team of social workers.

Fan Coaching targets all supporters and anybody touched by a social issue linked to sport. The association is in permanent contact with Liege's security stakeholders, including police.

The association carries out various activities: social support to supporters in need (job and housing searches, fight against drug addiction, legal aid...), mediation in case of incidents during a match, information for supporters regarding security (internal rules at the stadium, Football Law) through the Information Point and the Guide du supporter handbook, promotion of fair play in sport through campaigns in amateur football clubs, and the fight against racism and discrimination in football through awareness-raising campaigns. Lastly, the association organises social and cultural activities for and with supporters (conferences, shows‌).

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Partners The asbl Fan Coaching was created through a partnership between the municipality of Liege, the University of Liege, and the Standard football club, with the support of the King Baudouin Foundation. The Liege police force is an operational partner.

Results Several evaluative surveys have been conducted since the start of the project. Overall, they confirm empirical observations: the atmosphere at the Standard's stadium is now peaceful and supporters feel secure, as they themselves often point out at supporter club meetings. The local press has also stressed the positive impact of Fan Coaching.

The Liege Fan Coaching intervenes in numerous European countries to share its expertise, and also leads Eurofan, an international network for the study and prevention of violence in sport. The work carried out

by Eurofan has notably informed the Council of Europe's recommendations on the preventive management of large sports events.

Coolness Training

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Organisation The ‘coolness training’ is delivered by the non-profit association Zweikampfverhalten e.v., Hamburg, Germany

Calendar The association was founded in 2008 and a first pilot project started that same year. The coolness training has been ongoing since 2008.

Target GroupS This programme is targeted at children, youths, and young adults from troubled families or difficult backgrounds, who display unfair or disrespectful behaviour in team sports and in their daily life (at school, at home, in their neighbourhood).

Further Information www.zweikampfverhalten.de www.youtube.com/user/ zweikampfverhalten Zweikampfverhalten

Background The 2006/7 football season in Hamburg was marred by numerous incidents. In the youth league, there were a total of 519 suspensions and games were stopped 19 times. The association Zweikampfverhalten was founded the following year, with the aim of training youngsters in “coolness”, in the sense of learning to keep one’s head cool and to react positively to conflict and crisis.

ObjectiVES The purpose of this training is to enable youngsters to properly deal with conflict situations and unconscious aggressive attitude by teaching them social and practical skills that they can use in their daily life, at school and when practicing sport. The broader objective is to facilitate integration and prevent violence.

Strategy and Activities The Coolness Training in Team Sports is based on social-cognitive learning theory (Albert Bandura, 1979) and anger management and coolness training (Dr Michael Heilemann and Gabriele Fischwasser-von Proeck, 1984). Courses last between three and six months. They include social and educational instruction and sport activities. The main themes are respect, fairness, tolerance, and constructive conflict resolution. Students practice fair play and team spirit in sport and in their everyday life. Apart from tutors, volunteers and sports professionals also take part in the programme. Furthermore, the educational team also meets with parents and other attachment figures.

now better able to manage conflicts in a constructive manner.

“The number of expulsions and stopped games has noticeably decreased in Hamburg.”

Partners The association’s official partners (financial and other) are: e.g. achtung! GmbH, Boston GmbH, and the foundations Hoth Stiftung, Kids & Friends Stiftung, and ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius.

The association cooperates with several national league football teams and various sports associations, as well as a number of civil society non-profit organisations and private partners.

Results Since 2008, 555 youngsters have taken part in the programme, of which 466 (84%) have ‘graduated’ successfully. Among these graduates, there were 376 boys (81%) and 90 girls (19%), and 356 (76%) came from an immigrant background (statistics as of July 2016).

According to the football association Fußball-Verband, the number of expulsions and stopped games has noticeably decreased in Hamburg. Teachers and coaches from co-operating schools and associations confirm that unfair behaviour, exclusion, and violence decrease when children and youths attend coolness training. Participating youths also act as mediators on the playground or sports field. Furthermore, teachers and trainers who take part in the advanced trainings are

In the long term, the association Zweikampfverhalten aims to bring about a domino effect in society, with participants transmitting what they have learned to their own social spheres.

Zweikampfverhalten received a Wirkt-Siegel award for their effectiveness, following a study of 104 charitable sports organisations by the non-profit analysis and consulting company PHINEO. Only 21 other charities have received this award.

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The 2015 Tricolour International Sports Games

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Organisation The Tricolour Games are organised by the province and municipality of Reggio Emilia, Italy, in cooperation with the Italian National Olympic Committee (INOC), the Reggio Emilia Chamber of Commerce and the Reggio Emilia branches of several national sport associations.

CalendAR The Games were first held in 1997 and there have been five events so far, the most recent one in 2015.

Target Group The Games are reserved for young amateur athletes aged 11-19 from all over the world, but particularly from cities that are twinned with Reggio Emilia. The audiences targeted are young people from Reggio Emilia, but also the general public.

Further Information giochideltricolore.it Giochitricolore

Background The Games were conceived in 1997 as a celebration of the bicentenary of the Italian flag (called in Italy il Tricolore, the Tricolour), which was first officially used in Reggio Emilia (then in the Cisalpine Republic) in 1797.

Inspired by the Olympic values, the project was originally designed to promote active citizenship and intercultural exchange. Today, Reggio Emilia (pop. 170,000) is a multicultural city with inhabitants of 123 nationalities. It is also the Italian city with the most sport facilities per inhabitant. For the 2015 Games, the organisers decided to strongly link the event to the themes of social inclusion, multiculturalism, and local culture. Hence, they chose to move them from the original venues outside of the city to dozens of locations inside Reggio Emilia and throughout the province.

Objectives The project aims to promote sport and physical activity as a means to foster not only health and well-being but also social inclusion and the respect for different cultures.

Another important objective is to promote volunteering, particularly among youths.

Strategy and Activities The Tricolour Games are an international youth amateur sports event in the same vein as the Olympics (albeit on a much smaller scale). During one week, the 2015 Games featured 33 sports as well as paralympic competitions. The event was held in the city of Reggio Emilia and throughout the eponymous province, in a total of 50 venues.

Apart from championing cultural diversity, friendship, and social inclusion, the organisers also want to use the Games to promote local culture. To this end, a food festival was held in Reggio Emilia during the week of the event to showcase local produce and gastronomy.

Furthermore, local and regional authorities took advantage of the event to organise three conferences on the theme of social inclusion that gathered professionals, academics, decision-makers, and citizens.

The Games are based on a wide partnership involving a number of departments within the City Council and the Province, as well as numerous civil society organisations and the local migrant community.

“Some 3,000 young athletes from 14 countries competed in some 400 sports events at the 2015 Tricolour Games�

Partners Thirty provincial sport federations (management of 50 sport facilities), the department of Youth of the municipality of Reggio Emilia, the Foundation for Sport, and 21 private sponsors.

In 2015, eighty chefs and local producers took part in the street food festival with the help of several associations: Chef to Chef, the Italian Sommelier Association, APT servizi srl, Street Food Valley and Confesercenti. Three musical associations also took part, as well as local resident associations.

Results Some 3,000 young athletes from 14 countries competed in some 400 sports events at the 2015 Tricolour Games, and about 80 volunteers from 30 amateur sports clubs took part. The attendance over the week reached 10,000, including 6,000 for the opening and closing ceremonies.

The street food event drew some 30,000 visitors over five days. The three conferences on the topics of social inclusion, the importance of health, and equal opportunities for all gathered a total of some 700 people.

The event also raised the profile of the city of Reggio Emilia we, thus enhancing the feeling of belonging among the population, notably because it received significant press coverage.

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Organiser and jury Founded in 1987 under the auspices of the Council of Europe, the European Forum for Urban Security (Efus) is the only European network of local and regional authorities dedicated to urban security. Founded by mayors, it now includes almost 250 regions and cities from 16 countries. Efus' objectives are as follows: • P romote a balanced vision of urban security, combining prevention, sanctions and social cohesion, • S upport local and regional authorities in the conception, implementation and evaluation of their local security policies, • H elp obtain recognition for the role of local elected officials in the development and implementation of national and European policies.

Efus provides support and inspiration for locally elected officials and their teams who are convinced of the necessity of working together, transcending political differences for the benefit of long-term security. In accordance with the principle of “cities helping cities”, Efus fosters the exchange of experience and practices between its members.

Founded in 1542, the University of Zaragoza is the only public university in the autonomous community of Aragon.

Throughout its history, the University of Zaragoza has been considered a centre of excellence for both teaching and research, where lecturers and renowned scientists, including a Nobel Prize laureat, teach. Today, the university has almost 35,000 students in its 22 departments. These include over 1,800 international students from more than 75 different countries and dozens of professors and researchers all contributing to its international character. www.unizar.es

Its expertise and influence are recognised both at the European and international levels. Efus also holds a participatory status with the Council of Europe and a consultative status with the European Commission and the United Nations (UN).

The Higher Institute of Police Sciences and Homeland Security (ISCPSI) is the only Portuguese public institution of higher education for the police sciences and homeland security, in accordance with the Bologna Declaration. The objective of the Institute is to lead scientific research and studies on security, generally in partnership with other police institutions and universities. Internationally, the Institute is a member of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) and the Association of European Police Colleges (AEPC). Furthermore, it develops cooperation with the police and academic organisations in Portuguese-speaking countries as well as with other European countries.

www.efus.eu

www.iscpsi.pt

With a network of experts from universities, institutions and NGOs, Efus works on all topics related to urban security and crime prevention.

The Fan Coaching Association was created in 1990 in partnership with the city of Liege, the Standard football club and the University of Liege, with the support of the King Baudouin Foundation and the Department of Prevention from the Belgian Home Office. It carries out scientific research on sport-related violence, more specifically in football, as well as on-the-ground prevention actions with a team of professionals specialised in social work and education.

Since 2003, the organisation has extended to the international level by creating the ASBL Fan Coaching-Eurofan which aims to promote the transnational exchange of information and best practices and also to develop cultural and social projects. fancoachingliege.blogspot.fr

The Italian Forum for Urban Security (FISU) is an association created in 1996, in the footsteps of the European Forum for Urban Security. By bringing together more than 40 cities, provinces and regions of Italy, its aim is to promote urban security policies.

The Italian Forum recognises the central function of cities and mayors in the development of integrated security policies and, since it was founded, has been working to build an urban security vision shared by cities, provinces and regions. The FISU also collaborates with the National Association of Cities and the Conference of Presidents of Regions and Autonomous Provinces to promote national urban security legislation, integrated security policies and local police training. www.fisu.it

The aim of the Knowledge Centre for Sport Netherlands (Kenniscentrum Sport) is to increase the positive impact of sport through better use of knowledge and a better understanding of physical activity. The Kenniscentrum Sport works with sport and health professionals, trade unions, employers' organisations and businesses.

The Kenniscentrum Sport is a member of international networks such as TAFISA and HEPA and takes part in European cooperation projects. www.kenniscentrumsport.nl

www.efus.eu