UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye have launched the “Supporting Through Sports, the Peace and Protection for Refugee and Host Community Youth in Türkiye” project in collaboration with the Barça Foundation. The opening ceremony was held in the Manisa Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry 100th Anniversary Conference Hall.
The one-year project supporting social cohesion between the youth under temporary and international protection and the host community members through sports will be implemented in Manisa and İzmir. Young people aged between 8 and 16 will participate in volleyball, basketball, handball, or football trainings organized by the Manisa Provincial Directorate of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in 3-month periods. At the conclusion of each training period, friendly tournaments will be organized among the teams.
On the morning of February 13th, the program started with a training session on child protection and the use of sports as a tool for child protection for coaches who will be working within the project.
Following the training, representatives from UNHCR, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and Barça Foundation came together for the opening ceremony held after the training.
At the opening remarks, Mustafa Buldu, Provincial Deputy Director of the Ministry of Youth, Manisa Provincial Directorate, thanked Barça Foundation and UNHCR and quoted, “As Manisa Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports, we are very proud of the implementation of this comprehensive project in our city. We aim to discover the richness of living together by increasing communication between communities through sports activities to be held with the participation of a total of one thousand children and young people residing in our determined districts. We believe that we will work together to build a future that will touch the lives of our children, strengthen them and contribute to social peace by using the power of sports.”
UNHCR Deputy Representative Daniela Cicchella expressed that “Sport can be transformational; create new opportunities, build friendships, and even establish careers. With the generous contribution of Barça Foundation and together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, UNHCR aims to reach 1,000 targeted refugee and host community youth to support their peaceful coexistence, social inclusion, and protection through sports.”
İnanç Özçakmak, Deputy General Director of International Organizations and External Relations, stated: “Ensuring the sustainable support of the international community is of utmost importance in finding permanent solutions to the refugee problem, which has been ongoing since 2011. As the Ministry, we use sports as a tool to encourage peaceful interaction and social cohesion, as well as to alleviate potential social tensions that may arise between refugees and the host community. We highly value the cooperation of UNHCR and the Barça Foundation in strengthening the role of sports in developing young people’s conflict resolution and mediation skills. On behalf of the Ministry, I would like to thank them for their efforts.”
Speaking at the launch, Marta Segú, Executive Director at Barça Foundation, stated: “As FC Barcelona, we use sports as a tool to improve the lives of children. Sport is a magic tool to improve innovation, health, and protection. We appreciate the efforts of UNHCR and the government of Türkiye not to leave any children behind.”
Mevlüt Özmen, the deputy governor of Manisa, expressed: “I believe that this project, which will positively affect the participation of young people from both temporary and international protection and the host community in social life through sports, will be of great benefit. I wish success to the UN Refugee Agency and the Ministry of Youth and Sports”.
Türkiye continues to be one of the countries hosting the largest number of people in need of international protection in the world, with more than half of this population comprising young people. Thanks to the financial support from the Barça Foundation and close cooperation between UNHCR and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye, the activities planned within the scope of the project will empower young people to engage meaningfully and positively in social life, foster the development of their social skills and provide the motivation necessary for active participation in peacebuilding and decision-making processes through sports. Sports activities, to be conducted at the facilities of the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ Provincial Directorates will serve as a tool for the youth and their family members to access protection mechanisms in their provinces.
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