Today Is Peace Day!
September 21st 2016. Today is Peace Day. This UN recognized day, facilitated by Peace One Day, is a day to promote peace and international cooperation through events and activities. One of the key Peace Day initiatives is One Day One Goal. This initiative uses the power of soccer to unite people, strengthen peace-building efforts and educate about social inclusion. Some of the biggest supporters of One Day One Goal include global sporting ambassadors Gary Lineker, Victor Wanyama and Fabrice Muamba. As part of One Day One Goal over the past few years, we provide a Peace Day resource packet to organizations in over 130 countries. This packet helps them play games to teach youth about understanding forms of violence and avoiding stereotypes. To see a recent example of the reconciliatory nature of the CAC curriculum and sport check out this recent blog from Indonesia which united two conflicting communities. This topic is especially important in the current global climate of ethnic divisiveness often stoked by fear and paranoia. No matter your medium, promoting peace and social inclusion for Peace Day will send an important message of unity.
Today and over the next week organizations will be running events and activities using sport to promote peace. For example, our partners in DRC Malaika, ran sports sessions, dance events and theater at their community center. Training4ChangeS our partner in South Africa ran problem solving games on Peace Day with key community leaders. In Uganda, Soccer Without Borders Uganda had their children, many of whom are refugees; sing songs; play sport; and make crafts. Naz Goal in India ran events to promote peace between their young people. This is just a small sample of the Peace Day activities- there will be many more over the next few days. If you are running Peace Day 2016 events please send the pictures and stories to and we will promote your inspirational work.
Who will you make peace with this Peace Day?
CAC’s 2015: A Year In Review!
April 26th 2016. Coaches Across Continents is delighted to present our Annual Review 2015! This incredible document, developed with the Taiji Brand Group, brings our record-breaking 2015 to life. It details the highlights of our year from developing our ASK for Choice curriculum as a Clinton Global Initiative member to the inspirational work of our partners on key global days such as Peace Day. The review provides more information on some of our community partnerships which address topics such as disaster recovery in Nepal, refugees in Uganda and child rights in Brazil.
This year we are giving twenty lucky CAC supporters the chance to win an ultra-durable One World Futbol. All you have to do is read the Annual Review and complete this simple questionnaire (Hint: if you don’t know the answers you can find them in our Annual Review 2015!). Anyone who answers the questions correctly will be entered into the draw to win!
Once again here is the Annual Review 2015.
And click here for the form and a chance to win a One World Futbol.
We want to thank each and everyone of you for your ongoing support of Coaches Across Continents. We hope you enjoy reading this review as much as we enjoyed doing the work!
Tomorrow is World AIDS Day
November 30th 2015. Tomorrow, December 1st, is World AIDS day. Since CAC was founded in 2008 we have been a proud supporter of the day which is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. It is estimated that 34 million people worldwide currently live with HIV. Since 1984, 35 million people have died of HIV/AIDS.
This year we have given all of our global partners an HIV/AIDS packet of educational games for them to use within their community. In total this packet will be used by 830 organizations in 87 different countries. These games teach youth how to prevent HIV/AIDS and how to support people living with HIV/AIDS through sport. Many of the partners we work with across the world focus specifically on HIV/AIDS within their community such as Rumah Cemara and VAP. They use sport to educate children about HIV prevention and promoting regular testing through sport. Over the past eight years many of our partners have run testing events and tournaments on World AIDS day.
World AIDS Day is one of the three global days we ask all of our partners to participate in alongside International Women’s Day on March 8th and Peace Day on September 21st. These days bring attention to some of the biggest issues in the world today. They highlight groups and communities of people who have often been marginalized. CAC is delighted to continue supporting these powerful days and these underserved communities.
It’s Peace Day Today!
September 21st 2015. For the second straight year, Coaches Across Continents has teamed up with Peace One Day to promote international peace through football. Today, CAC join millions of others across the world by taking part in this international day of ceasefire and nonviolence.
As part of the One Day One Goal campaign, Peace One Day has issued a challenge to football players around the world to organize a game of football today, in order to symbolize the potential peace that the sport can bring. Whether big or small- with a few friends, or the whole community- these games will be instrumental to the overall impact of Peace Day, so we hope you are joining us on the pitch!
For this special campaign, CAC has created a unique set of Peace Day games that emphasize the importance of promoting peace through out every community across the world. Over the last two months we’ve been hard at work sending these games out to as many people as possible to get them prepped and ready for the big day. As a result, football activities are expected to take place in over 100 countries to celebrate Peace Day today.
Today, we are contributing to making this year’s Peace Day the biggest and best one yet! There is still time for you to help. If you can’t join us on the field, don’t worry,there are other ways to help. We’d love for you to spread the word to anyone and everyone that you can about this special day. While just talking about the event may seem simple, the awareness and recognition of Peace Day is as important as anything!
If you do choose to join us in the movement for world peace, we’re interested in seeing how you celebrate Peace Day by sharing any quotes, photos, or videos from your activities over social media. For any Peace Day related activities you post, remember to tag Coaches Across Continents and Peace One Day so that we can share the amazing work that you’re doing in your communities!
Opening The Door Into Europe
September 14th 2015. We recently started our first ever Hat-Trick Initiative partnership in Europe with The Door in Albania.
Coaches Across Continents is an organization with a long and deep connection to Europe. The founder, Nick Gates, is from the UK. We are a registered non-profit in the UK as well as the US. Over the course of eight years we have had staff and volunteers from across Europe and our current staff are citizens of places such as Belgium, Germany and the UK. We have developed many partnerships with other European organizations such as Peace One Day and streetfootballworld and regularly speak at and attend European conferences like Beyond Sport in London, Peace and Sport in Monaco and Trust Women in London.
Despite this, we have never partnered with another European organization to implement our three year Hat-Trick Initiative. Until this year. We were delighted to accept The Door, from Albania, following their application as part of our Peace Day competition earlier this year.
The Door is an organization based in picturesque Shkoder in Northern Albania. They have an extensive soccer academy including a girls team (one of the few in Albania). They also run a social integration program with local children and facilitate sessions every year to coincide with Peace Day on September 21st. In this part of Europe there are many tightly packed countries. Decades of conflict has forced great crossover between the many nationalities, religions and social groups which co-exist in the region. Organizations such as The Door, which promote integration and inclusion are integral to the ongoing peace in Shkoder, Albania, and the surrounding countries.
We began our first On-Field week with The Door in unusual circumstances. We met the participants for the week at The Door’s eco-social farm which, despite still being in development, was home to many farm animals and a playground where children who are in need of a safe space visit. It was clear from the first day that our participants would not disappoint. They were all keen to learn more about how children can be taught through sport. This led to an impactful week during which these local coaches demonstrated not only their coaching ability but also their willingness to protect the rights of children and to improve their community. We observed passionate opinions on the problems in their community and the importance of sport, music and art in addressing these issues.
The Door will be running a Play for Peace tournament in Shkoder to celebrate Peace Day this year. We made sure to teach a number of CAC’s Peace Day games which can be used to educate children taking part in the tournament about the issues of stereotyping, violence and discrimination. At the end of the week the participants showed great ability and passion as they coached some of the games we had shown them. It was our pleasure to initiate this partnership between CAC, Peace One Day and The Door. Having opened the door to Europe through Shkoder, Albania who knows where we could end up!
Peace Day Preparations in Full Swing
August 22nd 2015. For the second straight year, Coaches Across Continents has teamed up with Peace One Day to promote international peace through football. On September 21st, CAC will join millions of others across the world by taking part in this international day of ceasefire and nonviolence.
As part of the One Day One Goal campaign, Peace One Day has issued a challenge to football players around the world to organize a game of football on Peace Day,in order to symbolize the potential peace that the sport can bring. Whether big or small- with a few friends, or the whole community- these games will be instrumental to the overall impact of Peace Day, so we hope you can join us on the pitch!
For this special campaign, CAC has created a unique set of Peace Day games that emphasize the importance of promoting peace through out every community across the world. Over the last few weeks we’ve been hard at work sending these games out to as many people as possible to get them prepped and ready for the big day.
So with less than one month left until September 21st, the countdown is on to make this year’s Peace Day the biggest and best one yet, and we need your help! If you can’t join us on the field, don’t worry,there are other ways to help. We’d love for you to spread the word to anyone and everyone that you can about this special day. While just talking about the event may seem simple, the awareness and recognition of Peace Day is as important as anything!
If you do choose to join us in the movement for world peace, we’re interested in seeing how you celebrate Peace Day by sharing any quotes, photos, or videos from your activities over social media. For any Peace Day related activities you post, remember to tag Coaches Across Continents and Peace One Day so that we can share the amazing work that you’re doing in your communities!
