Outstanding practitioners and other key players from the field of Development through Football will come together to explore football’s commitment to social development as well as to establish a bold progression for the Football for Hope movement. As an official event of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, the Football for Hope Forum 2009 will take place in Vaal, South Africa from June 23rd to 25th.

Africa will be a special thematic focus of the first Football for Hope Forum in 2009; both as the location of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and the focal point of development activities linked to the achievement of global development policies.

The forum is hosted by FIFA, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee, and streetfootballworld and will feature workshops, panel discussions and training sessions on issues ranging from sustainable HIV/AIDS prevention through football to the relationship between social development and talent identification.

Bringing together the sharpest minds
A selected group of specialists from academia, football, media, and Development through Football organisations will gather for this three-day forum to present ideas for the continued progression in the field. The experts present at the forum will include representatives from organisations such as streetfootballworld, FIFA, adidas, UNAIDS, MYSA Kenya, Espérance Rwanda, Kickfair, the BBC, and the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE).

Tools to further social development
Workshops will include specific discussion on capacity development and management and Development through Football. Panel discussions will highlight topics such as the realities of social development as well as the legacy of the forthcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup. In addition, training sessions will be conducted on fundraising techniques, working with the media, and online networking.

Unique, firsthand opportunities
The delegates attending the forum will have the opportunity to experience all aspects of the game. First, they will be able to watch one of the semifinal matches of the FIFA Confederations Cup. Secondly, a select group will have the opportunity to visit a nearby Football for Hope implementing organisation (a Play Soccer South Africa site in Finetown) where they will see first-hand the impact that football can have on people’s lives.

Football for Hope
Football for Hope is a movement that uses the power of the game for positive social change. It is led by FIFA, world football’s governing body, and streetfootballworld, a centre of expertise that supports a global network of local organisations in the field of Development through Football.

Written by Matt Preston