【Project Activities】

Participants—elementary and junior high school students, as well as adults—formed mixed teams regardless of nationality and competed in a football tournament, with separate divisions for youth and adults.
More than 70 people took part, including Kurdish residents in Japan, Rohingya residents in Japan, and Japanese participants, creating meaningful exchanges across nationalities and generations through football.

【Project Background】

Through football—often called a universal language—we aimed to move beyond the man-made differences that fuel discrimination and division today, and to restore genuine connections between people.

【Project Objective】

1. Build a world where people connect with one another as teammates.
2. Ensure that today’s discrimination and divisions are not passed on to the next generation.

【Project Area】

Peacebuilding through Sport

【Methods】

【Outcomes】

1. Individuals: Go beyond divisions and prejudice rooted in superficial differences such as nationality, language, and religion, and learn—through experience rather than theory—the value of authentic human connection.
2. Society: Create a tangible step toward a society where relationships freed from discrimination and bias enable people to work together as allies in addressing today’s social challenges.

【Voices from Participants and Partners】

Although many children were quiet at first and tended to stay with others of the same nationality, once the tournament began they cheered, interacted, and came together as one team across nationalities and ages—the field was filled with laughter. (Comment from a tournament collaborator)

【Challenges and Lessons Learned】

Review recruitment approaches and operational planning, including securing venues and other essentials.

【URL】

https://www.seedsfootball.com/program