THESE ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE #FOOTBALL FOR PEACE PANEL
Our #Footballforpeace panel with representatives of UNHCR, SCORT Foundation and FC Shakhtar will share their experiences related to helping refugees, helping people in conflict situations and the role of football organisations to start a campaign to raise donations for those in need.
MARC-ANDRE BUCHWALDER – SCORT FOUNDATION
Marc-Andre Buchwalder, Co-founder and CEO of the Scort Foundation, is the next confirmed speaker at our 17th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference in Liverpool on 9 & 11 May 2022.
Marc-Andre Buchwalder is based in Basel/Switzerland, where he is playing a key role in developing multi-stakeholder partnerships and advocacy. In his earlier professional life, Marc has served in the NATO Mission SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1997 as well as a scientific assistant in the “Research Team Olympia” of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz. In this role, he conducted sociological studies at the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City in 2002 and Athens in 2004. Marc later joined the United Nations as UN sports advisor for the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport in Kosovo (UNMIK).
During his time in Kosovo, 2004 to 2006, Marc specifically promoted the rights of ethnic minorities, monitored good governance of the Sports Department in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and helped find solutions to include Kosovo sports into the international arena. He gave thought to the question of how professional sports (especially football) could get linked more sustainable and more systematically with the international community in the field of international development cooperation. In January 2007, this resulted in the formation of the Scort Foundation and the partnership programme “Football Club Social Alliance”, a network of socially committed professional football clubs. The aim of the foundation is to support young people in post-conflict environments through specific football initiatives and leadership education
COLIN KAMPSCHOER – UNHCR
Colin Kampschoer is an External Relations Officer for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. He started his career working in civil society in Brussels, before joining the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) where he spent three years in Jerusalem and Gaza, supporting humanitarian efforts for food assistance. He then worked over a year in North Korea as the UN’s only communications staff in the country to raise funds to reach women and children with nutrition support. In 2019, Colin joined UNHCR’s Goodwill Ambassador team in London focused on managing football stars that want to get behind the refugee cause including those who have experienced displacement first-hand, with a focus on raising awareness for refugees, fundraising and advocacy. He is the focal point for Alphonso Davies, Ilkay Gundogan, Eduardo Camavinga and Asmir Begovic as well as working with Mohamed Salah as part of UNHCR’s Instant School Network School programme with Vodafone Foundation.
The primary purpose at UNHCR, United Nations Refugee Agency is to safeguard the rights and well-being of people who have been forced to flee. Together with partners and communities, the UNHCR works to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another country. They also strive to secure lasting solutions.
In the light of the rapidly evolving humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, UNHCR is working with authorities, UN agencies, displaced community groups and partners to provide desperately needed humanitarian assistance.
UNHCR is on the ground in Ukraine and neighbouring countries to protect and assist people forced to flee. UNHCR has declared Ukraine a Level 3 emergency – the highest level there is. Over 5 million refugees are estimated to have fled to neighbouring countries since 24 February and rising.
For these people, shelter like in the Lviv Arena, is a vital survival mechanism in times of crises or displacement and key to restoring personal security. UNHCR’s core part of our protection mission is to guarantee access to adequate shelter in humanitarian emergencies.
YURIY SVIRIDOV – SHAKHTAR DONETSK
Yuriy Sviridov, graduated in Enterprise Economics at the Donetsk State University, has managed a variety of projects since 1995. He was appointed Head of FC Shakhtar Marketing and Communications Department in 2010.
Football Club Shakhtar itself is a Ukrainian professional football club originally from the city of Donetsk. In 2009, FC Shakhtar became the first club in Ukraine to win the UEFA Cup. FC Shakhtar Donetsk is one of two Ukrainian clubs, who have won a major UEFA trophy. The club formerly played its home matches at the Donbass Arena, however, due to the conflict in Ukraine starting in 2014, Shakhtar moved to Lviv and Kharkiv before residing in Kyiv where now the headquarters are located.
Shakhtar Social is a non-profit foundation established by FC Shakhtar in 2018 to implement the club’s social and charitable projects, as well as to develop children’s grassroots football in Ukraine. Its objectives are promoting healthy lifestyles, instilling the right values and creating equal opportunities for all those who like and play football.
MATEUSZ ANDRZEJCSAK– FUNDACJA LEGIA
From the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the Legia Foundation has been running the campaign #GotowiDoPomocy refugom from Ukraine, organizing a job counselling point and – in cooperation with EFDN – storing the necessary material items and food donated by clubs from Western Europe that will go to Lviv. The Legia Stadium operates a logistic bridge between the clubs related to the network and the Shakhtar shelter.
As part of the joint action of the Legia Foundation with Shakhtar Donetsk and EFDN, the first transport with items collected by European clubs reached the shelter for 10,000 people at Arena Lviv. The truck has been loaded, with the help of Legia players Benjamin Verbić and Joel Abu Hann.
Legia’s charity project also aims to create a safe and comfortable space on the Legia facilities, where children and parents fleeing the war in Ukraine will be able to spend time together and adjust to the new reality faster.
