Grassroots Football/Sport for Sustainable Border Regions
The Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) explored various ways to cooperate a few years ago. Our exchanges have concentrated during the last months on football and other sports as vehicles for social inclusion and integration of special sectors of the population. This is particularly important in already challenging areas, such as cross-border territories with no systematic cooperation schemes. Sports, notably football, could be used as a major instrument to involve citizens in overcoming physical, geographical, political and other boundaries at grassroots levels.
Both organisations have therefore organised on 12 December 2022 an online workshop for their partner and members to explore further cooperation possibilities. Some AEBR’s members presented their best practices on CB football and other sports, and UEFA and partners presented their model of sport for sustainable development, a specific proposal (outcomes contracting) and a practical example. Further exchanges are foreseen, including an on-site event in early spring 2023 in Trebinje (Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina), close to Dubrovnik (Croatia).
Agenda
Opening speeches:
- Martin Guillermo-Ramírez, AEBR Secretary General
- Liam Mc Groarty, UEFA Strategy Manager
PAMINA Football Committee: 11 years of cross-border cooperation in football, Victoria Hansen & representative of PAMINA Football Committee, Eurodistrict PAMINA (DE/FR)
Social inclusion through football, Josep Gili Garcia, Rubí City Council, Catalonia (ES)
Sport for Development – designing a sustainable model, Liam Mc Groarty, UEFA Strategy Manager
The origin, model and current status of outcomes contracting, Mara Airoldi, Director of the GO Lab at the University of Oxford
The new financial model implemented by BrightStar boxing club, Joe Lockley, Founder of BrightStar Boxing Club
Cross-border football experience between Brazil (Barra do Quarai) and Uruguay (Bella Unión): Short video presentation
Q&A session
What’s next
You can watch this workshop anytime on the AEBR YouTube channel and on the AEBR Facebook page.
Please get in contact with us if you want more information on this initiative: info@aebr.eu, ananikolov@gmail.com
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