Fifa World Cup 2010: Respect and Diversity

Narrator: The 19th FIFA World Cup is being held in South Africa from June 11, 2010. After competing with fellow African nations Morocco and Egypt, South Africa will become the first African country ever to host the World Cup.

In South Africa, playing soccer is a way that young people learn respect and tolerance. Community organizations use the game as a way to bring together youth who normally would not interact with each other. Organizations like Grassroots Soccer, which operates in 14 African countries and uses the power of soccer to fight HIV and AIDS and provide African youth with the knowledge, life-skills and support to live free of the HIV virus.

Soccer is an integral part of local cultures across the world. Even in the poorest areas, you find soccer teams and leagues. Professional soccer players are heroes to the kids who watch them play. Soccer organizations help increase community involvement through youth outreach, long-term partnerships and special events.

Speaker:

Kids in Harare, there are so many challenges that they're facing. It feels great to play an important role, a positive role in their lives. My name is (inaudible). I'm a skills coach.

Narrator:

Soccer is like a universal language that all young people from different backgrounds and nationalities immediately recognize. Kirk Friedrich is a co-founder and managing director of Grassroots Soccer.

Kirk Friedrich:

I mean, I think anytime you show up with a soccer ball, you immediately have 20 friends kind of surrounding you ready to play a game. And I think it's really exciting to see that play itself out all over the world.

Narrator:

Grassroots Soccer was founded by former professional soccer players in 2002. The organization trains African soccer stars, coaches, teachers, and educators in the world's most HIV-affected countries. They conduct interactive HIV prevention and life skills programs for youth. Building on the excitement around the 2010 World Cup, Grassroots Soccer engages young people through schools and community outreach. It has educated more than 270,000 kids and is a leader in the sport-for-development movement.

Grassroot Soccer's curriculum focuses on building basic life skills that help boys and girls adopt healthy behaviors. Through interactive activities and discussions, the students learn about HIV and AIDS and are able to practice the important skills needed to make healthy decisions, avoid risks, build support networks, and address gender issues.

Streetfootballworld is another innovative social profit organization that has more than 80 local initiatives worldwide in the field of Development through Football. Katrin Elsemann is streetfootballworld's African project manager.

Katrin Elsemann:

I think the language of football is so powerful because it can be applied to what's happening in life. You cannot score a goal without the team behind you.

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Olympic gold medalist Mary Harvey is the chief operating officer of Women's Professional Soccer in the United States.

Mary Harvey:

You look at what sort of the planet, if you will, has in common, other than humanity, the next thing, even possibly before gender, might be the sport of soccer.

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Basketball legend Dikembe Mutumbo is a Global Ambassador for the National Basketball Association.

Dikembe Mutumbo:

I learned a lot and I was able to apply everything that was given to me through the soccer field and when I went into pro basketball. You have to learn to work as a team in a society. You cannot learn how to work by yourself. I think if you can work as a team, your chances of success will be much higher.

Kirk Friedrich:

One of things that I see around the world, whether it be here in Africa or in the United States is that, in a lot of times you see young people who, you know, put each other down, or disrespect each other and that kind of thing and I think one of the things we really try and teach is the opposite of that behavior. Respect is one of the key tenets of the curriculum. One of the first things the young people do when they join the Grassroots Soccer team or join the "Skillz" team is they sign a contract to respect one another and I think that's key to providing that safe space where young people can really talk.

Narrator:

In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Bola Pra Frente Institute promotes the development of children and young people through cultural activities, training, and sports, including soccer. 700 young people attend the institute every year. Successful experience shows how the love of sports can be used to develop social actions for sustainable development. Tatiane is a student at the Bola Pra Frente Institute.

Tatiane:

I'm here to show you a bit about the Bola Pra Frente Institute. The goal of the Institute is to train young people and children for the future job marketplace through educational sports. Here we play soccer, and it helps youth and children to get off the streets and gives them more motivation. Here I learned various things like teamwork and motivation through sport. Like leadership and respecting others.

Narrator:

Teaching skills that can be applied in all areas of children's lives is a big part of the Institute's program. The children are from high-risk social areas where they would otherwise not receive the guidance to make healthy decisions. Joao de Silva is a skills coach at the Bola Pra Frente Institute.

Joao de Silva:

My work here is with sports and sports education where we try to work with them - discipline on the field, so they can take it to school and for life.

Here we are always looking to learn. And know that in soccer and other activities, you are here to learn to respect the differences, whatever they are.

Narrator:

Gustavo is another student at the Bola Pra Frente Institute.

Gustavo:

Here at the Bola Pra Frente we learned to interact with people different from ourselves. Different colors, different races. And soccer itself helped to share life experiences, in this case cultures and other things.

Tatiane:

Here is a part that I really love, which is the soccer field. Here is where we play sports, like soccer. Here through sport I learned a lot about leadership, about teamwork, and especially how to respect the various cultures. Like having better interpersonal skills. Like relating better to society and it's been very good for me and it has helped me a lot. I know it will help me much more in the future. Here I also learned a lot about how to respect people regardless of race, color, or financial condition.

Narrator:

Respect and diversity are values that these young people can take into their lives and improve their futures. Many top-level professional soccer players agree - such as Carlos Alberto Torres, soccer legend and captain of Brazil's 1970 World Cup-winning team.

Carlos Alberto Torres:

Everything I've learned through soccer is applicable to my life. Respecting others, respecting time commitments ... it's very important for others to feel respected by me, and I try to make this my lifestyle.

Narrator:

This podcast ( http://stream.state.gov/streamvol/libmedia/usinfo/4770/en/en_061010_wc_respect.mp3 ) is produced by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs.