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April 8, 2022
At Beyond Sport, we firmly believe that when used with intention, sport provides strong solutions to the complex social issues that divide us – across all communities, countries and conflicts. In this context, it is a powerful tool to advance human rights in the direst of circumstances. Building on April 6’s International Day of Sport for Development and Peace theme of “Securing a Sustainable and Peaceful Future for All: The Contribution of Sport,” today we’re starting a series to highlight just a few of the sport for development organizations in our network who are providing vital support, safe relocations, equipment and resources to those directly affected by crises around the world.
The world of sport for social change has always supported inclusion, human rights and peace. Today, read the latest on the lifesaving efforts and hope that the League of Tolerance and Fundacja dla Wolności are delivering during the current invasion of Ukraine. Both have turned their efforts to alleviate the immense suffering in the face of this conflict and are helping its refugees re-settle and rebuild their lives. We’ve also included links provided by the organizations with ways you can help. #SameTeam
THE CRISIS IN UKRAINE
On February 24, Russian president, Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and since then reports estimate that over four million have fled Ukraine and 6.5 million civilians are thought to be displaced internally. The escalating number of dead and wounded varies widely. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine dates back to 2014, and overall, to the 18th and 19th centuries when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union empire.
Current hostilities have been growing since the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity in 2014 and Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and support for pro-Russian separatists. Throughout 2021 and 2022, a Russian military buildup on the border of Ukraine escalated tensions between the two countries and strained their bilateral relations. Discussions of Ukraine potentially gaining NATO membership seem to have spurred Putin.
This invasion has forced thousands of Ukrainians and others living in the country to fight for their lives and take shelter where they can – in basements, shelters and metro stations – or to flee the country altogether, contributing to the global refugee crisis. An IOM study notes that many of those internally displaced are particularly vulnerable, pregnant and breastfeeding women, elderly persons, those with disabilities, chronic illnesses and people directly affected by violence. Over 53% are women and more than 60% of heads of households are accompanied by children. The greatest humanitarian needs are medicine, health services and financial resources.
LEAGUE OF TOLERANCE (LOFT)
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, our partners at LOFT have been working tirelessly to help despite limited resources and with only a small team of six. In speaking with Oleksandr (Sasha) Fomichov, the organization’s founder and CEO, he explained that their immediate efforts are focused on emergency support services for families with children, and particularly children with disabilities.
Sasha, who recently celebrated his birthday with his family, knows intimately the cost of a divided nation. He is an ethnic minority and internally displaced person himself, having been uprooted from his native Donetsk in 2014. When we contacted him last week he had this message to share:
“I want to share that every war can be countered by human diversity, its beauty and passion for mutual development. Standing in solidarity now sends a very strong message that the global order needs to change in a positive way, to respect human rights, avoid populism and fake democracy. By combining our efforts during times of humanitarian challenge, we can attain peace eventually and share it with the next generation with an open heart.”
Over the last decade of civil unrest, political controversy and armed insurgency in Ukraine, LOFT has successfully used sport to unite through diversity with a focus on youth and children with disabilities in Ivano-Frankivsk. The non-profit addresses marginalization, disadvantage and inequality head-on, creating sport-based models for respectful intercultural dialogue within communities with the ultimate goal of tolerance. Their Play for Human Rights campaign, for which they were shortlisted in 2020 for a Beyond Sport Global Award, uses sport to promote human rights education in an inclusive and accessible way.
So far, LOFT has been able to help 127 families and 73 individuals (around 500 people overall), surpassing their initial goal of 100 families. They are assisting with transportation, hot meals, diapers, medicine, warm clothes, physical support during border crossings and to enter special trains from Lviv to Przemysl in Poland. They also provide legal and psychosocial support to the families afterward. Through their partners, they are also finding sports opportunities so that displaced kids can still play.
Sasha also told us that he hosts families for two to three weeks before they are re-settled and that he’s in touch with LOFT participants who are, all things considered, safe and doing well. The organization created a set of chats on Viber and Facebook to keep in contact with LOFT youth. Through them, they raise awareness of available support and ask participants to share with their friends and neighbors to spread the news. This quickly evolved and now 100 requests come in each day across 2000 members. They are keeping track of eight to 15 new families on any given day.
“The situation on the ground is difficult because it’s not just one-time support these families need. There is a continued need for food and documentation support.”
Please consider donating to help League of Tolerance reach their €10,000 goal and milestone of aiding 200 families – CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT LEAGUE OF TOLERANCE
FUNDACJA DLA WOLNOSCI
To date, Poland is the top country harboring Ukrainian refugees, with numbers totaling around 2.3 million. Fundacja dla Wolności or “Foundation for Freedom” operates out of Warsaw and is supporting the influx of Ukrainian refugees into the country. They have been meeting refugees at train stations to provide medical care, legal assistance and shelter. Fundacja dla Wolności CEO, Krzysztof Jarymowicz explained that the work they and other NGOs are doing is essential to keep things running as the government isn’t organized well enough to cope.
He told us that the non-profit is helping around 100 refugees daily, totaling approximately 3000 since the conflict began. They are looking for support so that they can carry on their efforts for those most in need and in order to sustain their emergency activities till the end of the year. He shared a plea to “endorse our mission and enable all Ukrainians a fresh start in Poland.”
Since 2005, Fundacja has used football and fair play games to break down prejudice and counter discrimination. They “fight for the equality of every human being regardless of their origin, race, gender or religion” and actively promote inclusion for asylum seekers through sport and cultural integration projects. Since 2012, they have supported asylum seekers mainly originating from Chechnya, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Tajikistan.
Even now, the non-profit is expanding and continuing to serve the refugee population in Poland with sports programming in refugee camps, workshops for youth at risk of radicalization, cross-cultural training for teachers and schools and sports events. They believe that migrant integration is one of the greatest challenges of modern days, with their “proper functioning in a new country and adapting to a new reality challenged by cultural, language, legal and psychological barriers.”
“Two million Ukrainians came to Poland within a month. An unprecedented number of Poles are hosting asylum seekers in their homes, feeding them, clothing them and helping as best they can. The war changed both nations. We are part of this huge movement with our emergency daycare spot for families, help desk and free store. As a football community, we also welcome all asylum seekers to free workouts, of course.”
Please consider donating to Fundacja dla Wolności and help them reach their goal of €20,000 – CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT FUNDACJA DLA WOLNOŚCI
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