Introduction
Football is a game that is played all across the globe; millions of fans watch the game each day and enjoy the experience of watching it. Soccer is more than a game; the game has got everything in it which a person can expect. Ecstasy, emotion, outburst you name it the game has got it. There are so many legends of the game, Ronaldinho, Maradona, Pele, Romario, Ronaldo just to name a few. These players have become household names and this just goes to show the popularity of the game and its global reach. There is no denying that the game has a global reach. It reaches every part of the world that one can imagine. Be it Africa, America, or for that matter any other continent.
“In its broadest sense, corporate social responsibility represents a concern with the needs and goals of society, which goes beyond the merely economic. Insofar as the business system as it exists today can only survive in an effectively functioning free society, the corporate social responsibility movement represents a broad concern with the business’s role in supporting and improving that social order” (Eells, 1974).”
The world cup is the most eagerly awaited tournament of all; it brings a lot of joy to all the spectators. In addition to the world cup, there are so many other tournaments that are conducted all through the year, for instance, the EPL, the Spanish League, the Italian Serie A, and other club-level tournaments. The UEFA Champions League is probably the most difficult to win at the club level. UEFA is the governing body of European Football; it stands for Union of European Football Association. This paper will throw light upon FIFA which is the governing body of Football and is headed by Sir Joseph Sepp Blatter. The activities of FIFA in Africa will be highlighted in this paper.
The federation of the International Football Association better known as FIFA is headed by Sir Joseph Sepp Blatter, football is a global game and in addition to making the game popular each day, the game also tries to reach out to numerous underprivileged people. The social responsibilities are very well fulfilled by FIFA and it is included in the Agenda of FIFA. This is another way of making the game popular and it is the right way to do it too. Poor children are encouraged to play football and FIFA helps such people with Education and other necessities. The Stand-up speak-up Campaign initiated by some of the top players like Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho, Rio Ferdinand, etc caught many an eye. The campaign was against Racism and left a very deep impact and this is what FIFA aims to do, with the help of its global reach it aims at removing the ill practices in society. It also helps in the growth and the development of people all across the globe and especially in Africa.
The likes of Michael Essien, Adebayor, etc are just a handful of names that have made it to the highest level of the game from Africa. They represent Africa and the brand of football played in the country. But there are many challenges they faced in reaching where they have reached today, poverty, hunger, sickness, lack of proper medical facilities are just to name a few. Africa is the poorest continent of all, there are numerous down-trodden people in the continent. So many people and young children die each day in Africa because of hunger.
The Initiatives are taken by FIFA
“The objective of the Football for Hope Movement is to establish a quality seal for sustainable social and human development programs focusing on football as the central tool in the areas of Health Promotion, Peace Building, Children’s Rights & Education, Anti-Discrimination & Social Integration and the Environment, thus supporting best practice in the field. The programs must be aimed at children and young people and use football as an instrument to promote participation and dialogue.” (The Objective of Football for Hope Movement, 15 November 2008). FIFA has launched many a campaign in Africa to make sure that the children and the people there have a better life, in the sense that FIFA has set up many schools and other important buildings which will help the African people to grow as individuals. “The Football for Hope Movement, a key element of the strategic alliance between streetfootballworld and FIFA, builds a solid bridge between development and football. The world of football recognizes that the beautiful game itself is part of the solution and has teamed up to further the cause of development – a huge opportunity and an immense responsibility”(FIFA, 2007).
FIFA has very righty acknowledged that football can be used as a very powerful tool to bring transformation in the lives of the people. 2005 saw FIFA create an international corporate social responsibility department that was responsible for managing duties which included making sure that the development of people through football took place. This is a very brilliant idea FIFA which has worked according to plan till now. The governing body of football has improved the situation of Africa, the new infrastructure created in Africa helps so many children and it is helping and transforming so many children in the continent. This is a commendable step taken by FIFA.
“Following the United Nations’ appeal to industrialized countries for development financing, FIFA agreed to assign at least 0.7% of its total revenues to its CSR initiatives, which as of 2005 are grouped under the umbrella of Football for Hope.” (The Objective of Football for Hope Movement, 2008).
Walsh (2008) speaks of how positive involvement in sports such as football can help children from underprivileged societies and communities can raise their career aspirations.
A certain part of the revenue collected from the 2010 FIFA world cup which will be held in Africa will be utilized to establish more health and educational centers in the continent. An organization by the name Grassroots Soccer in southern Africa founded by soccer professionals has shown great concern and care for the people affected by AIDS. The organization trains young people to educate other people about the deadly disease and how it is spread. This is a great initiative that will prevent many people from getting this disease. Another organization by the name of Mather youth sports association located in Kenya trains young people and makes them socially responsible people. In addition to this, the organization also gives young people training to educate other people about AIDS and how it is caused. AIDS is a very big concern in Africa; it is spreading like a wildfire in the jungle, FIFA is trying its level best to counter this deadly disease from spreading in the continent. The only way this can be done is by educating the people about the same. So many institutes have been established to do the same; the above examples were just a handful of many initiatives taken by FIFA.
Breitbarth (2008) has researched the potential of football as a CSR tool that can be used by the English Premier League to enhance the development of the youth.
FIFA completely realizes the power of football and its social responsibility in Africa, many initiatives have paid a dividend over the past. The governing body of FIFA will continue to do good work in Africa and for that matter in every continent possible. The game leaves a mark on the minds of the people and there is no denying this and the same has been made use of by FIFA to bring development and transformation in Africa. This will continue for a good number of years to come and will only end when Africa is transformed completely.
References
The Objective of Football for Hope Movement. In Football for hope. 2008. Web.
Eells, R., & Walton, C. 1974. Conceptual foundations of business (3rd ed.). Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin.
FIFA. 2007. Blatter stresses football’s social responsibility. 2008. Web.
Walsh David. 2008. Helping Youth in Underserved Communities Envision Possible Futures: An extension of the teaching personal and social responsibility model. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 79(2). pp: 209-223.