Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council H E Dr Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti (third right); Minister of Sports H E Salah bin Ghanim Al Ali (third left); H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (centre); UK ambassador to Qatar H E Jonathan Wilks (second right) and US ambassador to Qatar H E Tim Davis (second left) during the opening session of Empower 2022 Youth Conference, yesterday.
Doha: The power of football beyond the pitch took centre stage in this year’s Empower 2022 Youth Conference which started at the FIFA Fan Festival in Al Bidda Park, yesterday.
The three-day conference organised by the Education Above All Foundation under the theme ‘Football for Sustainable Development,’ begun in the presence of H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council H E Dr Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti, Minister of Sports H E Salah bin Ghanim Al Ali, UK Ambassador to Qatar H E Jonathan Wilks, US Ambassador to Qatar H E Tim Davis and several other delegates.
The opening session of the conference highlighted the harnessing football’s ability to create unity and integration in communities. The dignitaries and participants also took part in activation by Football for Peace which focuses on how education and football can contribute to world’s most pressing issues.
The role of football as a positive social catalyst for change was empahsised by the co-founder of women’s football in Palestine and first captain of the Palestinian national football team Honey Thaljieh.
“Football has brought hope, resilience, and happiness among thousands of girls and brought them together in Jerusalem, despite the destruction in daily life,” said Honey, the first woman in the Middle East to obtain a FIFA Master and be employed by FIFA as Communications (special projects) Manager.
“Together we can make a difference! If I managed to make this happen, against all odds, then every girl, boy, man and woman in the world can, if they’re given an opportunity,” she said.
“My message has changed over the years, I used to tell girls to dream big and take chances. Now I ask leaders, politicians to give youngsters the chance, the platform to achieve their dreams,” she added.
Executive Director of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 legacy programme, Generation Amazing Foundation (GA), Nasser Al Khori spoke about the role of football in improving lives beyond the pitch.
“Generation Amazing Foundation utilises the power of football to impart crucial life skills including communication, leadership, teamwork and compassion to youth and communities in need across the globe with the goal of advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Qatar’s National Vision 2030,” he said.
“This year’s Empower conference is one more way Generation Amazing boosts those efforts and ensures furthering a positive social legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 that lives beyond the tournament and impact lives for years to come,” he added.
Al Khori also moderated a discussion on utilizing the power of football to improve people’s lives along with a group of four young Syrian refugees who are living their dream of playing professional football in Brazil as documented in the film ‘Chasing the Dream.’ Al Khori said that generation amazing is also supporting the boys to continue their education during the stay in Qatar and helping them to sign-up with local football clubs.
During the discussion Dr. Nadia Nadim, a former Afghan refugee, now physician and international Danish football player said, “Football came to me in my darkest moment, and it changed my life... Football is a tool, it’s a weapon. It can give you a chance in life. We must give access to those in corners of the world that don’t have it.”
“Education and sports is the same. Through sports you educate yourself. But access to it is important - building sports facilities and inspiring kids,” added Nadim who was nominated one of the ‘most powerful women in international sports’ by Forbes.
