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Mel Young at the World Economic Forum
Mel's blog:
Mel Young, the chief executive of the Homeless
World Cup, writes: For the very first time in
the history of the World Economic Forum sport is
one of the themes on the week's agenda. This is
a priceless opportunity for the Homeless World
Cup to be involved in discussions about how
sport can make a greater impact on social change
with key people from the sporting world.
On behalf of the Homeless World Cup I was
invited to join today?s Plenary Session, 'Can a
Ball Change the World?: The role of sports in
development.' This involved Joseph S. Blatter,
President, Federation Internationale de Football
Association (FIFA), Charles Denson, Co-President,
Nike Brand, Nike, Edson Arantes do Nascimento
(Pele) World Cup Soccer Champion, Jacques Rogge,
President, International Olympic Committee (IOC),
and David J. Stern, Commissioner, National
Basketball Association (NBA). |
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fot: HWC |
It was a key
moment to highlight that sport can and does make a huge
difference to our world. We have proved this through the
impact and growth of the Homeless world Cup. At least 72
per cent of players change their lives forever following
participation in an annual street soccer tournament,
going on to find jobs, housing, come off drugs and
alcohol, go into education and even become football
coaches or professional and semi professional football
players. So to be on this stage with the key figurehead
in Sport was extremely important to us to take this
debate forward. Companies and governments are yet to
recognise the power that sports development has to
create real lasting change.
There are many sporting initiatives in different parts
of the world that are making a social impact. For
example, Tegla Loroupe, the first African woman to win
the New York marathon has set up the Tegla Peace
Foundation through which she dedicates her life to
creating races that stop people fighting and start
running, united. It is at WEF that these sporting
development programmes get the opportunity to talk to
each other and work together to create lasting change
faster.
What we have
to remember is that sport is not all about superstars.
This is what the media likes to focus on and we need to
partner with the media to communicate the power sport
has to inspire and create change. Sport is about the
millions of people who participate. And the impact can
be substantial not only for individuals but also in
terms of tackling social problems on a local, national
and global scale.
Nike has partnered and supported the Homeless World Cup
since its inception. During the plenary we both spoke
about the joint benefits to our organisations that comes
from such a strategic partnership. Sport is a way in
which business can easily become involved in making a
big difference to their own organisation and to the
world.
The feedback the Homeless World Cup received following
this plenary session this morning has been
overwhelmingly positive. I have found it to be very
moving and inspiring. It is now a question of developing
joint strategies to bring sports development to the fore
and to take the practical action that is needed to
create a world we are all proud to be part of. |