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Spreading joy and peace through football!
Play31 utilizes the unifying power of football to bring together people who have been torn apart by armed conflict. By donating footballs and facilitating community gatherings, we contribute to the creation of peaceful societies where children can exercise their right to play.
Play31’s vision is a world where all children are free to play, as stipulated in Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. For us, football is the greatest game in the world: we believe it has the potential to bring people together, to spread joy, and to facilitate healing in post-conflict societies – we call it ‘football for reconciliation’. In countries affected by war and conflict, we have seen how giving footballs to children and organizing community tournaments can be an important part of the reconciliation process. It is about translating peace on the pitch to peace off the pitch.
Play31 partners with existing peace-building initiatives. Understanding reconciliation cannot happen overnight, we believe that, by teaching children to work together and by fostering a sense of community among players and spectators alike, football can have an important place in local peace-building efforts.
To date, Play31 has carried out its pilot program in Sierra Leone, which endured a civil war that left thousands dead and millions displaced. The war ended in 2002, but the healing continues. To bring “football for reconciliation” to Sierra Leone, Play31 partnered with a local human rights organization, Forum of Conscience. They implement community-based reconciliation projects, bringing people together to foster healing by creating safe spaces for dialogue and interaction.
Partnering with Forum of Conscience, a concept was designed to unite former combatants, victims and witnesses to participate in a football tournament, which included matches, as well as community gatherings, to promote healing and dialogue. Since its inception, Play31 has donated hundreds of footballs and organized a tournament that brought together participants from over a hundred villages. Female matches - a first for these communities - were especially powerful.
Currently, Play31 depends on the support of volunteer board members with experience in business, media, and conflict resolution. Board members are based in New York City, Los Angeles and Copenhagen, Denmark. We also depend on contributions—both large and small—from people around the world.
If you would like to know more about Play31, please contact Executive Director Jakob Lund at play31@play31.org.
