ATHLETICS AS A MEANS FOR PROMOTING EQUALITY FOR ALL:
SPORT EVENTS FOR CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS AND CONDUCT OF ATHLETIC
GAMES “WE PLAY TOGETHER”
The action ”We Play Together” started in September 2012 and
was completed in June 2013. It was financed by the European
Fund of the Integration of Third-Country Nationals and from
the Ministry of Interior under the framework of priority 1: “im-
plementation of the actions for the practical application of the
common basic rules for the political integration of immigrants in
the European Union”, Action 1.4.c/11 Athletics as a means for
promoting equality for all – athletic events for children of immi-
grants and conduct of athletic games.
The project was targeted to children of Greeks and immigrants
aged from 8 to 18 years old, since integration is a bi-directional
procedure of mutual adjustment of the immigrants and citizens
of the country. The project’s was to facilitate the exchange of
experiences between the young Greek students and the third-
country nationals through sport, which is both an international
language that helps to bridge differences and a means for the
normal integration of immigrants; it would further create dia-
logue andpromote cooperation and friendly competition. In ad-
dition, the specific action aimed at the promotion of communi-
cation and the cooperation between the local and immigrant
communities, promoting multiculturalism, highlighting the cul-
tural characteristics of the immigrant communities and aiming
at the awareness of the local citizens toward the problems that
immigrants face in their everyday lives, the removal of the phe-
nomena of xenophobia and racism, the formation of a demo-
cratic conscience and the reinforcement of a sense of social
solidarity in the local community.
The project was conducted in Athens, Patras and Thessaloniki,
three cities with large concentrations of immigrant populations.
PRAKSIS undertook this project in the city of Athens. During
the implementation of the project, mixed groups of students
were created for three sports, football, basketball, and table-
tennis, and these groups participated in a three-month training
that concluded with a mini tournament for local teams of cor-
responding age categories in every town (friendly matches).
Parallel with the training, the groups held intercultural meetings
fortnightly to enable the children to become acquainted with
one another and build bonds thorough interactive games.
During the final games and after the end of the sporting events
and the awards ceremony, there were simultaneous intercul-
tural events, entitled “We Live Together,” that included art ex-
hibitions, interactive games and music from the participants’
countries of origin.
In the Athens athletic program, 80 children participated in total,
22 from Greece, 29 from Nigeria, 14 from Albania, 5 from Egypt,
3 from Moldova, 2 from Banglandesh, 2 from Sri Lanka, 1 from
India, 1 from Georgia, and 1 from Syria.
PROGRAM PARTNERS:
• Center for Training and Care of Family and Child
“Platon” of Nafpaktos (Coordinator).
• BEE GROUP S.A.
• PRAKSIS
The program was co-financed with 25% National Contribution and
75% Communal Contribution. Yearly program 2011 for the period from
September 2012 to June 2013. PRAKSIS was financed with the approved
amount of 49,000.00 euros.
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PRAKSIS - ANNUAL REPORT OF ACTIONS 2013
WE ADD THE SIGNIFICANT ‘A’ IN ΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΣ
DIGNITY | INDEPENDENCE | SELF SUFFICIENCY | SELF RESPECT
