Thursday video: bringing the World Cup to Haiti
Elizabeth Kiem is the online producer of unicefusa.org.
We've written a few times now on Field Notes about the World Cup's power to uplift. Soccer is the beautiful game in all parts of the world, particularly in some of the least beautiful places to be a child. That's why UNICEF is psyched to screen World Cup games in outdoor venues in some of the most remote communities in Africa, where television and electricity are hard to come by.
Today's video tells the story of another World Cup delivery. FilmAid, with coordination and support of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and the Government of Haiti, brought the World Cup to a community in real need of diversion.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"378","attributes":{"class":"media-image","typeof":"foaf:Image","height":"245","width":"420","style":""}}]]UNICEF has long promoted the tremendous benefits soccer and other sports have on the development of children. And we're not alone. FIFA, the Federation of International Football Associations and the organization behind the World Cup, has partnered with UNICEF since 1999. Together we launched UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE FOR PEACE during the last World Cup in Germany to promote children's rights to a life free of conflict and abuse.
Sadly, such things persist-- in spite of soccer. This year, UNICEF is blowing its own vuvuvzela against child abuse and exploitation with its Red Card campaign in South Africa. The Red card campaign is targeted to kids, with tips on how to protect themselves from potential exploitation, trafficking.
As for Film Aid, the group bringing the World Cup to Port-au-Prince's largest stadium, which today is home to thousands of displaced families -- they plan to keep their projectors around long after the World Cup is over and the donated giant LED screens have been dismantled.
We thought we might start a list of our family favorites that transcend geographic and cultural boundaries ... got any recommendations?
