The grounds of the Chilean Professional Footballer’s Association (ANFP) were full of colour on Tuesday evening as day two of the Football for Hope Festival South America 2008 came to a lively close. After a second day of activities the participants put on an impressive display of drumming and dancing in practice for Wednesday’s public grand opening of the Football for Hope Festival and the start of the street football tournament.

Having overcome language barriers, the participating young people from nine different countries spent Monday and Tuesday making new friends through team work exercises and fun activities. Divided into teams of mixed delegations, their first task was to come up with a team name and create a suitably eye-catching team flag… all of which have been flying high since the first morning.

Different backgrounds, same enthusiasm
The energetic young people, all aged between 15 and 21 and representing social development organisations that use football as a tool for social development, are themselves proof that playing football can be a fantastic way to cross social and political barriers. With backgrounds varying from growing up in the southernmost city on the planet to being a former member of a street gang to living in a community torn apart by HIV/AIDS, the young people revelled in the opportunity to encounter new experiences and strike up new friendships.

On Wednesday, however, the delegations will once more be wearing their true colours when the first matches of the street football tournament kick off at the Plaza de la Constitución in front of the Chilean government building.

Street football rules
A three-day, five-a-side tournament including both male and female participants, these matches will not be decided on the final score alone. Street football rules mean that there is no referee. Instead, the players themselves decide on the rules and award the opposition points for their behaviour on the pitch and their solidarity towards both team mates and opposition alike. With such a prominent city centre location, the organisers are hoping for a large crowd to join the festivities – indeed, perhaps even one or two members of the government.

The tournament will then move on to the disadvantaged neighbourhood of Cerro Navia, home of local organiser CHIGOL, before taking over the streets near the Parque Forrestal to stage the climax of the festival on Saturday. With no Latin American teams left in the U-20 Women’s World Cup, we can be sure that at least one South American team will be represented in this final!

Read the December 1st article

Read the December 4th article

Read the December 8th article (with slideshow)