Football for Peace is a growing approach across the world that brings people together through the World Game to promote peace and human rights.
UNSW’s Football United program has been running football for social cohesion and peace in Myanmar since 2013, having reached thousands of children and youth in more than 300 communities with their award-winning grass-roots football for good activities. The program works in collaboration with local universities and the National Red Cross.
Current and recent events since the military-led coup on Feb 1, 2021 are devastating the country. UNSW’s Football United is joining the Burmese Community Development Collaboration (BCDC) to hold a Football for Peace Festival in Sydney to show solidarity with the people in Myanmar, and raise funds for humanitarian assistance such as food, shelter, medical assistance to people affected by the current crisis in Myanmar.
The Myanmar Football for Peace Festival will be run as a fun -filled 6-a-side soccer festival. Teams from all communities and all ages groups are welcome to join in, and families to come along and enjoy the fun. The Festival will feature fair play football.
The BCDC and Football United are joined by the following groups in support of the Festival : Western Sydney Wanderers, STARTTS, Collective Leisure M-Futsal, UNSW, FNSW.
The BCDC has been supporting Burmese communities in Sydney and carrying out humanitarian aid work in Myanmar ever since its founding in 2011. BCDC is a nationally registered charity in Australia, http://bcdcaustralia.org.au/.
Register
Teams can register here. The festival is also seeking volunteers - you can register here if you are interested.
If you are not able to join on the day, donations can be made through this page.
Contact
Dr Anne Bunde-Birouste (ab.birouste@unsw.edu.au)
Dr Tun Aung Shwe (tun.shwe@unsw.edu.au)