SPORT FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Education through sport

Education is a fundamental right and it is also the most powerful tool we have for sustainable development. We cannot escape poverty without an education if all students in low income countries left school with basic reading skills.

Did you know that sports program in schools support active learning, complement cognitive skills and give students increasing amounts of responsibility and increase their level of concentration and participation.

The basis of sports education starts in school. Sports education is a curriculum of physical education in schools which aims to provide children and youth with enjoyable sports experience. Sports teaches the students many important things such as leadership, discipline, honesty, sharing, teamwork and many more. Most of the schools are aware that education is not just academics but general development of a child and sports plays a vital role in it.

Schools in Tanzania are gradually beginning to realize the importance of sports in the development of children. Previously in schools the focus was entirely on academics but now the awareness of how sports contribute to the growth of children in terms of life skills is growing.

http://www.michaeljohnsonyoungleaders.org/

EXPERIENCING HUMANITY

December 24th 2016 in Mysore, India.


This was my first time working with children with disability at Deaf and Dumb school. During my preparation for the session I had no idea what to expect working with children who cannot see, speak and hear even though I visited them several times.

At around 10 am, I met with the principal of the department of visually impaired children Mr. Satheesh who was also visually impaired.
He told me so much about the school including the visit of Mahatma Gandhi (father of the nation) on 1933.. Now, the school is 116 years old from 1st to 10th standard in the department of 40 visually impaired children. The school curriculum includes almost all subjects such as English, Kannada, Hindi, Mathematics, Science and Social science. Syllabus is same for normal and blind but the only difference is in script discovered by Louis Braille, a French educator and inventor of a system of reading and writing for use by the blind or visually impaired, who was a also blind.

Some of the alumni from this school are musicians, lecturers, PHD holders etc. The students have participated in many sports competitions including the one organized by the Indian Blind Sports Association conducted conducted in Delhi, India and finally won a fourth place. The school also won many trophies and prizes through sports in National Athletics and State Athletics.

And finally it was time to coach. I've done some coaching before but this time was different, less coaching more watching because they played their own games specially for visually impaired children and I'm not an expert on that, so I was learning. They enjoyed the games they played including blind cricket, frog run, long jump (in and out) etc. I was really inspired by these kids in spite of being blind, they are great, ambitious and full of energy.

After the games I had a short nutrition session talking with the children about healthy eating and physical fitness including playing sports. The last thing was demonstrating healthy eating when I shared packets of milk with all the children and our good byes for that day with full of beautiful smiles.

Then, I went to another building of deaf and dumb children and found them bored as it was a Christmas eve holiday. We played few games just for fun as the teachers were not around to help translating in the sign language. It was really fun even though they couldn't hear my voice and I couldn't use their sign language but we spoke the language of humanity. One smile at a time!

The most satisfying part was after the games, the kids expressed how happy they are by showing their dancing skills, how cool when someone is dancing without hearing the music!

Humanity Is Life.

www.michaeljohnsonyoungleaders.org

Education in a changing world.

I want us to live in a world where every GIRL is given an opportunity to fully take control over her rights (Human Rights). Towards the road to 2030, working on the 17 goals of Sustainable Development.    

                                           

I strongly stand for Goal no.4 "Quality Education - Ensure quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all".
Education is a fundamental right and it is also the most powerful tool we have for Sustainable Development.

-  Can we escape poverty without education?
If all students in low income countries left school with basic reading skills.

- Can we end hunger and improve nutrition for our children without education?
If all mothers in low income countries had secondary education, children would be safe from stunting.

- Can we recognize the signs and symptoms of sickness and disease in our families and communities without education?
If all women had secondary education there would be fewer child deaths.

- Can we prevent mothers from dying in child birth without education?
If all women completed primary education maternal mortality rate will decrease.

- Can we stand up for girls and women's rights without education?
If all girls had secondary education, there would be fewer early marriages and early pregnancies.

- Can we achieve sustainable development that protects our planet and builds equal and peaceful world without education?

WE CAN'T

I believe that Sustainable development begins with education...

Education and Health rely on each other as we cannot get good heath and wellbeing without education and we will never manage to take care of women and children's wellbeing.
Today I call up on you all to stand for Education and Health, to make this possible we need everyone involved.
If we invest in education, we will live in a world where everyone goes to school and education gives us the knowledge and skills for a fulfilling life.


Fatma S. Ahmed
Founder of Stand For Humanity Tanzania.

Contacts
Email: standforhumanity@outlookcom
Instagram: stand_for_humanity
Facebook: Stand For Humanity
Twitter: Sfh_Tz
Founder of Stand For Humanity Tanzania.

International Day of Peace

        21^st September, 2016

Mysore, India      

   INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September to recognize the efforts of those who have worked hard to end conflict and promote peace. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and people.

The Day’s theme for 2016 is ‘’The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace.’’

What People Do

On the International Day of Peace, also known as Peace Day, people around the world take part in various activities and organize events centered on the theme ‘’peace’’. Events vary from private gatherings to public concerts and forums involving large audiences. Activities include:

§  Interfaith peace ceremonies.

§  A toast for peace.

§  Lighting candles.

§  Peace prayers.

§  A peace convoy of vehicles.

§  Tree planting for peace.

§  Art exhibitions promoting peace.

§  Picnics for peace.

§  Peace walks etc.

Public Life

The UN’s International Day of Peace is a global observance and not a public holiday. It is a day when nations around the world are invited to honor a cessation of hostilities during the day.

It is a beautiful feeling to find on-field connection with participants especially children regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or social status. It was such an amazing experience and I was happy to share it with the kids that I found at the park, Mysore-India.

It was a group of amazing almost 10 kids (boys) who speaks less English and I don’t speak their language (Kannada) but we managed to get along and have fun.

The following are the games that we played:

WARM UPS

- Running around with different movements (High knees, butt kicks and skipping).

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

THEME: Use your voice = Confidence.

LIVERPOOL VS MANCHESTER UNITED LINES GAME

THEME: Solving problems as a team.

OLD TRAFFORD TAG (CHAIN TAG)

THEME: Finding solutions together.

HEAD CATCH

THEME: Speed of reaction.

RIGHT TO INFORMATION (INFORMATION GAME)

Theme: Right to information and sharing information, be honest and deliver the information as it is.

MINGLE MINGLE (Numbers)

THEME: Communicating in a non violent way.

STAMFORD BRIDGE TAG

THEME: Working together and communicate.

The training was successful and I was able to coach nearly ten (10) children within 2 hours on a windy day and address special social issues such as; Child rights, gender equality, working in pairs and finding solutions together, solving problems, communicating in a non-violent way etc.

‘’Let us all work together to help all human beings achieve dignity and equality; to build a greener planet; and to make sure no one is left behind.’’ --- UN Secretary –General, Ban Ki-moon.

NEW GENERATION QUEENS

CAC and New Generation Queens assisted a group of high school soccer players on a trip to Zanzibar. Ben Kahrl and Toni Lansbury wrote about their visit.

When the Zanzibari women came to the field, I recognized several of them and felt like I was meeting movie stars. In fact, I was. Riziki, Little Messi, their coach. I was living what I had seen only on the screen. But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself.

On a very snowy winter afternoon, eighteen months before, two varsity college soccer players had come to my classroom to talk about their experiences volunteering with Coaches Across Continents. I had seen a story about the two women on Harvard’s Athletic Department website and invited them to come and talk. They were inspiring, just a few years older than my students and going off around the world and using soccer to bridge cultural divides. They spoke of how soccer was helping break down cultural barriers, change traditions, and help gain equality in parts of the world that held traditional beliefs about the role of women in society. Then, I heard about women soccer players on Zanzibar and wondered if we could go there too, meet with them, and play a little bit of the beautiful game. Coaches Across Continents had helped Meg Shutzer make a film, “New Generation Queens” about one of the few women’s soccer teams on the island of Zanzibar. Throughout, we could see many of the challenges, and successes, of these women, in playing the game they loved. My own daughter, just thirteen, and several of my own students loved the game. I asked Meg and Nick Gates if we could take a small group of Americans to Zanzibar and play a few games. Indeed, we could and more.

And so, a year’s worth of planning later, here we were, walking onto Zanzibar’s national stadium. We met with staff from the Ministry of Sport before taking the pitch ourselves with a group of schoolboys. The next hour was full of boisterous play, even while few of the boys spoke English and none of the Americans spoke more than two words of Swahili, but play together we did. A soccer ball in our midst, a few bilingual instructions from the coach, and we were off.

That night, we drove to the field next to the prison, a scene that looked suddenly very familiar.

We arrived to find energetic young boys running around, who immediately engaged our players. The sheer joy of seeing our players kicking the ball with a group of adorable six year old boys set the tone. Slowly, the Queens showed up, and there was a little bit of magic in the air. Onto the field strutted Riziki, a powerful presence in the movie and on the field. There was Messi too—another movie “star” who we were now meeting in person, almost seven months after we’d met her on screen. We mixed up the teams so that Zanzibaris and muzungus from America were on both teams, tossed the ball into the middle and were underway. The soccer was fast paced, and attracted a big crowd of passers-by –women in colorful hijabs dotted the perimeter. Men and children were cheering and clapping.

Five minutes into the game, I found out that, however good-natured these women were, this was not just for fun, as my feet got swept out from under me and my opponent went zipping off with the ball that was no longer in my possession.  At age thirteen, my daughter was the youngest player, and, at age forty-nine, I’d lost more than a step or two. After what seemed like an hour, their coach, who was our referee, blew the whistle to signal halftime….

One of the parents who was part of our group watched her daughter from the sidelines, as she had countless times before:

As a parent whose daughter has been playing soccer since she was five, on recreation teams, travel and town teams, club teams and high school varsity teams, and will be playing in college this fall, I have been on the sidelines of hundreds and hundreds of soccer games. This one was different, and one I’ll always remember. With the sun beating down on us, the dirt kicking up, the little boys running with big smiles all around the field, this moment illustrated what I’ve always known to be true– that soccer is a bridge. It’s like a language everyone can speak, as soon as they can kick a ball. It matters little if the players are the same color, come from different geographical places, or religious ones, whether you’re a spectator or a player, soccer breaks down impenetrable barriers and makes a safe place for people to communicate.

The African sun was making it hard on us, but on we played, back and forth, chattering away in Swahili and English, most of which we didn’t understand, but conversing in soccer, which we all did together. Finally, the whistle blew with a 5-5 tie. We pulled together for pictures and noticed a large crowd had gathered to see the strong woman playing soccer and the American muzungus who had joined them.

It was the first, but not the last, game we would share.

Two days later, Fatma Ahmed, our wondrous guide, took our team bus to another field, this one smaller, with a telephone pole planted almost exactly in the middle. A few minutes later, the Women Fighters team showed up. Again, we mixed the teams. Again the soccer was both fun and hard fought. And again, the beautiful game was the common language with us all. Afterwards, as we began to gather in the fading light for a picture, Fatma introduced us to a friend, and casually mentioned she was the coach for the Zanzibar women’s national team. Indeed.

World Humanitarian Day 2016

World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is held every year on 19 August to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to mobilize people to advocate for a more humane world.

This year, WHD follows on one of the most pivotal moments in the history of humanitarian action: the World Humanitarian Summit, held from 23 to 24 May in Istanbul. During the Summit, world leaders came together to declare their collective support for the new Agenda for Humanity and commit to bold action to reduce suffering and deliver better for the millions of people in need of humanitarian assistance.

WHD 2016 will continue communications around the World Humanitarian Summit. The #ShareHumanity campaign kicked off last year on 19 August, beginning a global countdown to drive awareness for the Summit. In April, the campaign ‘Impossible Choices’ was launched with a call to world leaders to attend the Summit and to ‘Commit to Action’. The final phase of the campaign will launch on 19 August and run up until the Secretary-General presents the Summit Report at the UN General Assembly in September.

2016 Theme: One Humanity

Under the overarching theme of ‘One Humanity’, WHD will promote how the world came together in Istanbul around the Agenda for Humanity, and how the commitments made at the World Humanitarian Summit will help the 130 million people around the world who need humanitarian assistance to survive. One Humanity speaks to how our shared human experiences bind us across divides, and create a common responsibility to demand action for the most vulnerable and at risk of being left behind.

WHD Digital Campaign ‘The World You’d Rather’


Following on the ‘Impossible Choices’ campaign earlier this year, the WHD digital campaign ‘The World You’d Rather’ will launch on 19 August. Featuring a quiz based on the popular game ‘Would you rather’, the digital campaign will bring to light the very real scenarios faced by people in crisis. After being confronted with challenging choices, users will be able to share a personalized graphic on social media, tweet their world leader and learn about the Agenda for Humanity.

One Humanity Events

WHD is marked every year with events held around the world. Under the banner of ‘One Humanity’, the UN and its partners are organising events that will raise awareness of the Agenda for Humanity and inspire people to demand greater global action for the 130 million people affected by conflict and disaster.
In New York, a special event will be held at the General Assembly on 19 August from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. Hala Kalim and her four children, who were featured in the documentary ‘Children of Syria’, will attend. Alongside talented musicians and high-level speakers, they will tell their story of the impossible choices they faced living in and fleeing Syria through four short films. A wreath laying ceremony will be held on 19 August at the Visitors’ Entrance at UN Headquarters to honor the aid workers who lost their lives in humanitarian service.

Photographic Exhibition: ‘When I Grow Up’


The photographic exhibition ‘When I Grow Up’ will be held at the General Assembly Visitors’ Hall at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 8 August to 14 October and at Photoville. The exhibition features moving photos that reveal the hopes and dreams of young people affected by humanitarian crisis in Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Jordan, Mali and Niger.

WHD Films

A virtual reality film ‘Home’ will be launched on 19 August, which documents the Secretary-General’s travels to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jordan, Lebanon and South Sudan as part of his ‘Mission for Humanity’. On the day, the Secretary-General will also release a video statement on the Day and OCHA will launch a three-minute film on this year’s WHD.

Other activities

A Humanitarian Film Festival is being organized by Conscious Good in recognition of WHD, with the four winning films set to be announced on 25 August.
During the WHD and until mid-September, a call for nominations is open for the Aurora Prize, a US$1 million award for inspiring humanitarians.

What can you do?

WHD is a day for everyone to come together and take action for a safer and more humane world for the communities affected by crisis and the people who devote their lives to helping them. Here are a few ways you can get involved:

• Learn about the Agenda for Humanity and the five core responsibilities
• Use the #sharehumanity hashtag to advocate for the Agenda for Humanity and the more than 130 million people affected by crisis
• Attend or organize a WHD event on 19 August

5 Reasons Girls Should Play Sports

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Why play sports? You might say "to get exercise" and you'd be right. To have fun? That's true, too. But there's more. In fact, there are at least 5 more reasons. According to the Women's Sports Foundation, girls who play sports get a lot more than just fit.


Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time. But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don't. Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active girls an advantage in the classroom.

Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills. Sports teaches valuable life skills. When you working with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you're learning how to be successful. Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life.

Sports are good for a girl's health. In addition to being fit and maintaining a healthy weight, girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis.

Playing sports boosts self-confidence. Girls who play sports feel better about themselves. Why? It builds confidence when you know you can practice, improve, and achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help girls get in shape, maintain a healthy weight, and make new friends.

Exercise cuts the pressure. Playing sports can lessen stress and help you feel a little happier. How? The brain chemicals released during exercise improve a person's mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being on a team creates tight bonds between friends. It's good to know your teammates will support you — both on and off the field!