Friendly matches with local clubs will be combined with educational field trips to teach refugees about Greek and European societies and lifestyles, with a view to helping them adapt and integrate more easily. Refugees and Greek people from all backgrounds will play together, regardless of politics, religion or ethnicity, thus bridging possible divides between refugees and locals and creating the ideal opportunity to get to know one another.
An annual tournament (Cosmos Cup) will also be organised, involving either national or local clubs depending on the funding available, with the aim of combatting social exclusion and negative perceptions about refugees in society.
Objectives
- Improve refugees’ living conditions and securing their fundamental right to personal development through sports and social interaction
- Build a stable environment in which young refugees can overcome psychological disorders and build self-confidence
- Cultivate a spirit of teamwork and solidarity
- Integrate refugees into a European society and mainstream football
- Reach female refugees, most of whom did not have the chance to play football or any other sport in their country of origin, because of the cultural and/or religious context
- Combat social exclusion and negative sentiments about refugees in society
- Use regular training and tournaments to create opportunities for refugees and locals to play together
- Act as a pilot programme, raising awareness and encouraging and supporting other clubs to launch similar programmes, particularly on the other North Aegean islands (Samos, Chíos) that accommodate large number of refugees
Activities
- Knowledge-sharing between Cosmos FC and Aiolikos FC, the only professional football club on Lesbos
- Regular football training for 300 unaccompanied minors and teenage refugees aged 13 to 18
- Educational field trips combined with friendly games with local teams
- Cosmos Cup tournament
- Encouraging other clubs and refugee camps to launch similar projects, especially on the other North Aegean islands (Samos, Chíos), which also accommodate a large number of refugees
Expected results
- Regular football training held for at least 300 unaccompanied minors and teenage refugees aged 13 to 18
- One annual Cosmos Cup tournament
- At least four educational field trips combined with friendly games with local teams each year
- Increased participation of girls
- Development of similar programmes at other football clubs
Sekou Soumah, 19 years old.
''My name is Sekou Soumah, I am now 19 years old and I come from Guinea. I never met my parents and I grew up with my grandmother in a very hostile environment, because of the political and religious problems between the citizens of my country. When I was 15 years old, my grandmother died. I was alone
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