Latin America: sports to promote development and peace

The event was organized by Soccer with Heart (FCC, for its acronym in Spanish), an organization that integrates vulnerable youths to society through sports. Experiences were shared together with best practices in projects where soccer promotes positive changes in Latin American communities. 

One of the projects that was shared, was the experience of SOMOS, a CAF initiative that has become a Latin American sports network, which has been working for over 12 years with more than 12,000 children and youths of the region. 

The event emphasized youth empowerment and the role of youths in the construction of harmonic communities through the practice of values such as solidarity, respect, and tolerance, all of them included in sports. 

Silvia Oteyza, CAF's Director of the Social Sustainability Unit, stated, "These events are key to share successful experiences, identify challenges, and generate knowledge that helps carry out increasingly better projects that address the needs of vulnerable children and youths in the region, thus contributing to their inclusion and social development". 

During the event, local initiatives were presented together with experiences in countries such as South Africa, Chile, and Brazil, helping create a context regarding the common elements as well as differences with other programs at a global level. 

Samuel Azout. Executive Director of Soccer with Heart, explained, "The practice of soccer with pedagogical objectives has proven to be an effective and cost efficient solution to pacify individuals with hostile and violent characteristics, giving back a sense or security and normality to the communities".  

The Forum included three important dialogues: the first on the challenges and prospects of soccer for development in Colombia; this was followed by a panel that gathered different successful, innovative and entrepreneurial cases regarding this subject; to close the day, there was a debate with local government authorities in order to discuss soccer for development as a public policy. 

As a special activity, those invited to the Forum visited the heart of the FCC "El Pueblo", where they shared a training day with the children and youths. This allowed them to observe the methodology used by FCC and the valuable work implemented by the leaders of the organization. 

To continue promoting the exchange of experiences and best practices regarding this matter, in September CAF will hold the International Sports for Development Forum in Bogota "SOMOS muchos, seamos más" (We are many, let us be more), ratifying its commitment with the development and social inclusion of children and youths of the region through soccer.