Meet the finalists 

Sport et Citoyenneté, France: Sport and Refugees: a challenge for European youth!

“Sport and Citizenship, believes that sport is a universal language and that it can therefore be a tool for inclusion to help our society integrate refugees.”

“How is Europe organizing itself to welcome refugees, and what role can sport play?” This was the question which Sport and Citizenship (Sport et Citoyenneté) asked to both refugees and Europeans on 9 May 2023. The idea was that both groups work together to find an answer on this highly relevant question.

In recent years Europe has welcomed many refugees in light of the many crises, such as the unjustified Russian aggression against Ukraine which displaced more than 4.2 million people towards Europe. 

Sport and Citizenship, believes that sport is a universal language that can be used as a tool for inclusion to help integrate refugees. Since 2007, the Think tank is part of the creation of national and European sport policies and studies the social impact of sport in the society.

On 9 May 2023, on Europe Day, Sport and Citizenship organised a day of workshops, exchanges, and sports events on the theme of sports and inclusion in collaboration with the NGO Play International and ANESTAPS, with the support of the European Commission in France.

Bringing together over 300 participants from the sport’s ecosystem for a day dedicated to the theme 'Sport and Refugees: A Challenge for European Youth'. The event featured a special guest: former Ukrainian international footballer and coach, Andriy Shevchenko.

During the event, various conferences, workshops and a solidarity football tournament were organised. This was a chance to bring together French youth, displaced youth, and several high-profile athletes.

Through this project, they raise the awareness of young French citizens to the issue of migration, explaining in a playful way the competence of the EU and its member states, and approaching these issues through sport. 

This was an opportunity to innovate and find solutions to better use of the potential of sport in policies for the reception and integration of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. A topic that they continuously work on through their project FIRE+ (Football including Refugees) and its interactive online learning tool, the MOOC FIRE.

Faino, Denmark: Sports Faino Festival 

“We are proud that we managed to gather hundreds of people together that had a great time and experience together and could make new connections and deeper relationships with each other.”

The organization Faino was founded in March 2015. The main mission of the organization is to help Ukrainians and Danes to build stable social relations, with equality, respect, and doing everything "short and simple" as main values.

Faino activists have organized and participated in various programs and activities to promote the creative potential of young people. They aim to increase their involvement in public life in Denmark since the foundation of the organisation.

Especially since the invasion, many collaborations and events were carried out to help with the integration of newly arrived Ukrainians in Denmark, introducing them to Danish culture, social norms, and traditions. Faino took an active part in supporting and popularizing the intercultural exchange of language and traditions between Ukraine and Denmark.

The nominated project started with the idea to organize an event dedicated to the Ukraine Independence Day in Copenhagen, Denmark for Ukrainian refugees, and their Danish friends. 

The project aimed to organise sports activities for children from both nationalities and different ages that could unite people despite language barriers. The sports games were arranged based on traditional outdoor activities for kids from both nations helping mutual understanding of the culture and mentality of each other and enriches better relationships. 

Faino managed to gather hundreds of people together that had a great time and experience and could make new connections and deeper relationships with each other. The Ukrainian refugees could feel themselves comfortable surrounded by their compatriots, but also by Danish people welcoming them.

It united the local Copenhagen community of Ukrainians and their supporters in difficult times.

Champions Factory, Bulgaria: Together4Ukraine

“Being involved in Project "Together4Ukraine" offers numerous reasons for pride and satisfaction mainly because of its direct positive impact on individuals and communities.”

The Champions Factory, based in Bulgaria, was founded in 2011. Its objective was to use sports as an educational tool to promote equality, combat juvenile delinquency, and encourage the development of stronger, more robust communities. 

Champions Factory has collaborated with various sports federations, ministries, foundations, and nonprofits worldwide since its creation. They have implemented more than 300 impactful sports initiatives across over 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

The project "Together4Ukraine" was initiated in response to the urgent need for promoting intercultural dialogue and promoting social inclusion, particularly focusing on the Ukrainian refugee community in Bulgaria.

The project was structured to promote social inclusion through sports in a concise, impactful way. It involved the training of coaches from 7 Bulgarian cities to adapt their sports activities to include Ukrainian refugees effectively, focusing on inclusion, engagement, and overcoming language barriers. 

In 2023, these coaches started to organise inclusive sports sessions in rhythmic gymnastics, indoor climbing, boxing, kayak paddling, volleyball, basketball, and dodgeball in their cities.

Thanks to the initiative, more than 250 Ukrainian refugees and Bulgarian youths were engaged. This has helped promoting intercultural dialogue and community building. A manual was created for sports organizations on how to use sports for social integration. 

The project, through sports, education, and collaborative efforts, aims to unite communities, encourage understanding, empathy and promote social inclusion and cohesion.