Football Federation Australia and SBS today launched ”The Harmony Game” resource kit which will allow young people from across Australia to share their stories through football.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) and SBS today launched ”The Harmony Game” resource kit which will allow young people from across Australia to share their stories through football.
FFA CEO David Gallop said: “Football is the face of Australia and is a sport that truly reflects the cultural diversity of our nation.
“As Australia-s most inclusive and accessible sport, with 1.7 million participants, football bridges gender, age, linguistic, ethnic and religious divides.
“The Harmony Game is an extension of the Harmony through Football initiative that aims to help foster inclusivity across all cultures through football.”
SBS Chief Football Analyst, Craig Foster today joined school children at Redeemer Baptist School in North Parramatta to showcase The Harmony Game, a free resource kit produced for schools and community groups nationwide which seeks to support cultural harmony and respect through football.
Football, or soccer, represents Australia-s multicultural diversity with a connection to more cultures, languages and ethnicities than any other sport. With more than 250 million registered players globally, football is the most widely played game in the world.
SBS Managing Director Michael Ebeid said: “SBS has always championed the sports which contribute to building strong communities. We are proud to be driving this great initiative which will provide a year-round resource to help teachers use the game to inspire our younger generations of Australians from diverse backgrounds to understand the importance of diversity.”
The Harmony Game was conceived by Craig Foster as a way for young people from all cultural backgrounds to develop their appreciation, understanding and skills for living harmoniously and respectfully in Australia-s diverse communities.
The resource kit provides lesson plans, player clips, posters and facts about football which promote understanding and acceptance that can be incorporated into school curriculums throughout the school year for students from years 3 to 10.
Foster said: “There is no doubt that football changes the lives of kids everyday both in Australia and around the world. Through football, we come to know different ways of life and this understanding breeds tolerance and respect. That-s what the game gives us all: experiences, friends, memories and new perspectives.”
The Harmony Game forms part of a new ‘Harmony through Football- initiative being delivered with the FFA including over 150 events for more than 17,000 participants in NSW and Victoria.
The Harmony through Football initiative culminates with three marquee fixtures incorporating the Harmony message -Melbourne Heart v Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory on 16 March and Western Sydney Wanderers v Sydney FC on 23 March.
Click here to download The Harmony Game resource kit.
For more details on the Harmony through Football program visit www.footballaustralia.com.au/harmony to find out more about Harmony Day visit http://www.harmony.gov.au/