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NGOs, professional football clubs and national associations meet in Berlin to learn about Germany’s approach to integration through football.

NGOs, professional football clubs and national associations meet in Berlin to learn about Germany’s approach to integration through football.

The refugee crisis in Europe has been met with mixed responses from nations and citizens. In Germany, where almost one million refugees arrived in 2015, an important part of the response has been to use the power of sport to support those arriving. Willkommen Im Fußball (Welcome to Football) is a partnership between the German government, the Bundesliga Foundation and the German Children and Youth Foundation.

The programme encourages professional football clubs to build networks of support for refugees arriving in the country – social alliances. Football in Germany is much more than a sport; it is an intrinsic part of the culture. In this respect, it not only has the ability to engage refugee populations, but to engage and involve German citizens. The programme holds regular conferences across Germany to facilitate knowledge sharing and networking, but the event in Berlin also included an international audience from national associations, NGOs and professional clubs.

After a welcome from Dr. Heike Kahl, managing director of the German Children and Youth Foundation, the audience was given an insight into life as a refugee. Firas Alshater spoke of his journey from Syria and how he came to settle in Germany. He highlighted the social side of football and how he met people and made friends through sport. This was not simply playing football, but by watching football and, becoming involved in the discussion, he better understood the psyche of the nation he now calls home. In his concluding comments, he stressed the importance of the network of actors that work on integration projects and highlighted the role that football plays by saying:

“We can only do it together; football is here for everybody.”

Afternoon workshop sessions were held to allow for the exchange of knowledge. With five different workshops and a diverse range of stakeholders, the real value came during the concluding session where workshop discussions were presented and debated. Some key recommendations highlighted were:

  • Strengthen fan-club relationships
  • Improve communication across the football for change sector
  • Develop more concrete methodologies for measuring integration

There was also a call to hold conferences with a particular focus on how the Welcome to Football project can support, and be supported by, women. As the global popularity of women’s football continues to increase, so too should the grassroots involvement of women in football.

The event continued to be thought provoking during the evening panel dscussion. Panel members included representatives from UEFA, the Bundesliga, member clubs and the German government. There was consensus that while Germany should continue to work toward improving the outlook for refugees through football, knowledge sharing should extend beyond borders to ensure other nations across Europe can benefit from understanding Germany’s approach.

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