64 nations expected to take part in 2008 Homeless World Cup in Australia

The Homeless World Cup is an annual sports event that has been raising awareness that one billion homeless people live in today’s world and helping individual homeless people change their lives since 2003. The annual international football tournament has united teams of people who are homeless and excluded to take a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their country. Two thirds of players at the Homeless World Cup change their lives. With courage and determination, they come off drugs and alcohol, tackle poverty to get into homes, jobs, training, education, and repair relationships with family and friends.

Seventeen national teams took part in the first tournament in Graz 2003; by the time the 5th Homeless World Cup was held in Copenhagen in 2007, 48 nations and 500 players participated. Melbourne, Australia, is the host city for the next tournament from 1-7 December 2008, where more than 64 nations are expected to participate. Supporters include UEFA, Nike, UN, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Ambassador Eric Cantona and international footballers Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand.

As well as using football as a trigger to inspire and energise people who are homeless to change their own lives, the Homeless World Cup has inspired more than 50 local grassroots football projects around the world that work year-round with people who are homeless and excluded, holding regular training programs and an annual tournament or trials to elect the team representing their nation. In 2007, 31 nations ran or planned to develop a national street league; 48 nations held national qualifications or selections for the Copenhagen 2007 Homeless World Cup; and an estimated 25,000 players were involved in pre-tournament training and trials for the Copenhagen 2007 Homeless World Cup.

Individual stories are inspirational. David Duke (Scotland), who played in 2004, was an unemployed alcoholic living on the streets when he heard about the Homeless World Cup. He trained hard to become a team member, and played for Scotland at the 2004 Homeless World Cup in Gothenburg. In 2005,  he became assistant coach for Scotland, Coach in 2006, and led the team to victory as Manager in 2007. He has studied for a HND in Community Development, recently moved into his own home and now helps other addicts and homeless people to turn their life around as he has managed to do.

The best goal scorer in 2004 Yevgen Adamenko (Ukraine) went on to play in a professional club in Ukraine. Maxim Mastitskij (Russia) studied social management to support the St. Petersburg street paper project,  “Way Home,” Slava (Russia) has his own apartment, a job in a factory and is engaged to be married. Tracey Ford (Australia), homeless for four years as a result of drug addiction, has been reunited with her family after completing drug rehabilitation. Stephanie, USA, had outstayed her welcome at the Salvation Army Women’ Shelter and was camping out in an abandoned building when she joined the team at age 45. Not only was she the oldest player on the team, but one of just three women. Despite never having played soccer, she learned quickly and soon began teaching new team members as well as counselling younger members on how to roll with life's punches.

The Homeless World Cup has helped raise awareness of homeless issues and improve the image of homeless people in the general public. From an audience of 20,000 people in Graz in 2003, attendance has risen to 100,000 in Copenhagen in 2007. Media coverage helps change attitudes. In Graz, street paper vendors, most of them asylum seekers from African countries, reported an atmosphere of sympathy and interaction as a result of the event. In Cape Town 2006 media coverage resulted in government and city funding for street soccer programs. In Russia the first Homeless World national trials saw media discuss the issue of homelessness in the open for the first time.

The Homeless World Cup is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Its president, Scottish homeless advocate and social entrepreneur Mel Young, who co-created the Homeless World Cup in 2001, has nearly 15 years experience tackling the global issue of homelessness.  In 1995, he co-founded the International Network of Street Papers, and in 2002, founded New Consumer Magazine, information and inspiration for consumers to change the world. He is a Schwab fellow and in 2007 was awarded an honorary degree from Queen Margaret's University, Edinburgh.

This story was prepared from information found on Homeless World Cup website. 

 

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For other stories about homelessness and the homeless, see:

Canadian website brings gifts to city's homeless

Young girl's Ladybug Foundation brings hope, support to Canada's homeless

Shining shoes in London offers escape from homelessness

Childrens' bank turns street children into entrepreneurs

Volunteers build home for South African AIDS orphan family

Women 'light the dark' for their families and communities

 


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