Fourth Annual Children's Rights Soccer Tournament for the Children Parliament Cup
Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.
Andrew
Simon
The Democracy School
The Democracy School
, SN
, SN
As soccer matches and volleyball meets draw to a close, youth facilitators from the Children’s Parliament, an elected delegation of children from across Yemen’s provinces, mix and match children from every team into small groups. Those who were competitors on the field, now become partners off of it. Once everyone has learned everyone else’s name, the peer volunteers will begin to engage the children by asking a series of questions, including:
• If you were the leader of the world, what would you do to help children?
• What is the role of the United Nations in protecting children?
• What should you do if someone is abusing you? Who should you call?
• Who can you trust?
Thus, the children are directly engaged and gain a greater understanding of their rights and how to protect them.
The tournaments have reached out to more than 600 Yemeni youth. Many of the former participants have gone on to become leading voices for children's rights, as well as mentors to other Yemeni children. A number of participants have also volunteered at other children's rights events sponsored by the Democracy School.
The project's mission, message, and infrastructure are all in place, but the main concern over the next three years is funding. According to my projections, the tournament will cost $3,994 to conduct over the course of five days/300 participants.
When I returned to Yemen in the summer of 2008, word of the 2007 tournament spread quickly throughout Yemen's streets. There was an air of excitement and children yearned for updates as to when the 2008 tournament would be held. This excitement endures and the only way to ensure the future of the soccer tournament is to secure a long-term sponsor.
The only foreseeable obstacle to the success of my project is a deficit in finances. The tournaments have succeeded historically and will continue to do so as the volunteers remain committed and the clear message endures. The only question is whether or not funding will be at the Democracy School's disposal.
101‐1000
$100 ‐ 1000
Yes
Operating for 1‐5 years
Yes
The Democracy School
More than 5 years
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
The Democracy School's partnerships with organizations such as "Save the Children" and "UNICEF" are important, but do not affect my soccer tournament. Funding has always been derived from outside of these international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), who often sponsor other projects.
The three most important actions are to secure a long-term sponsor; to reach out to a greater number of Yemeni youth from across Yemen; and, to ensure that civil strife in the country will not negatively impact the children's participation in the tournaments.
Following my freshman year at Duke University, I participated in DukeEngage, a revolutionary program that offers Duke students the opportunity to transverse the world to implement service projects. I spent eight weeks in Sana'a, Yemen and worked at the Democracy School, a Yemeni non-government organization (NGO). The group's main focus is to protect human rights, with particular attention to women's and children's rights. As an intern at the Democracy School I was asked to plan a service project - one that would be carried out and executed by the NGO. Having already participated in several children's rights workshops, where no children were present, I returned to my hotel room night after night searching for a more effective way to reach Yemeni youth. Watching children playing soccer outside of my bedroom window 24 hours a day, it dawned on me, teach children about their rights through the medium of soccer.
The social innovator behind this idea is simple. Soccer is the beloved past time of Yemeni sports and a medium to reach out to Yemeni children, many of whom do not attend school and are ill-educated on their rights. By using soccer as an arena for cooperation and teamwork, the tournament draws in children to participate in insightful and engaging children's rights workshops.
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