Discrimination, violent extremism and forms of social exclusion are still a significant phenomenon in Europe. They are not a new phenomenon; however, its most recent manifestations and its scale present new challenges that call for innovative approaches to social inclusion and increased efforts in raising awareness on the issue.

Sport if properly structured, enhances social inclusion by promoting tolerance, respect for others, cooperation, loyalty and friendship, and values associated with fair play.

The European Youth Engaging in Solidarity and Sport (EYESS) intends to encourage social inclusion, tackle discrimination and intolerance through sport by transferring the good practice of Mondiali Antirazzisti in a new partnership between civil society and the academic environment in Greece, Hungary, Austria, Italy and Denmark .

In this framework, the project aims to:

– Enable key organizations to replicate Mondiali Antirazzisti’s model and methodology in their local areas involving academic environments;
– Raise awareness among local institutional stakeholders and local civil society about sport as a tool for social inclusion and the potentialities of the local replications to this purpose
– Foster participation of migrants and local young people in sports and to create a constructive dialogue between different social groups
– Train operators, youth workers and similar profiles to a better awareness raising activity and proper skills to use sport as a pedagogical tool to foster social inclusion of “vulnerable” target groups
– Develop a “bridge” between the world of high-level education and non-profit organizations that are dedicated to volunteering and the inclusion of disadvantaged people through the engagement of its members as its institutions
– Promote exchange of good practices and networking between subjects who in various capacities contribute to generate and disseminate a policy of sport and social living that responds to the principles of non-discrimination, social inclusion and individual commitment with respect to the problems and needs of the community.

The path foreseen by the EYESS project consists in:

• A practical and theoretical training to increase the ability of partner organizations to replicate Mondiali Antirazzisti and similar sporting events in their local areas
• 5 pilot events of the model of Mondiali Antirazzisti to put into practice the know-how and skills acquired during the training sessions, to test the training material developed so far and to create other tools to enrich the final output of the project (toolkit)
• A toolkit able to show and multiplicate the results of the project in terms of know-how acquired.
• Evaluation of the impact of the project
• Dissemination

the project represents a complex training process not only where theory and practice go hand in hand, but where active learning and co-creation of the final project outputs (pilot events and toolkit) will enhance the engagement of the partners in tackling discrimination and racism through sporting and cultural activities.

a new partnership between civil society and academic environment for social inclusion through sporting events recognizing the role played by the engagement of its members and its representatives. Indeed, if the role of civil society and non-profit organizations is widely recognized in the field of tackling social discrimination, the same does not happen with universities and academies. The academic environment, especially those departments related to motion sciences and social work have huge social potentialities in the promotion of anti discriminatory attitudes and in social inclusion. This is the leverage EYESS intends to value.

The project is especially addressed to youngsters, students and migrants and related organizations (ie. non-profit organizations specialized on antidiscrimination and inclusion, youth organizations and universities especially departments related to sport and social work). This results will affect the following targets:

• 20 young people from the participating organizations taking part to Mondiali Antirazzisti in Italy (Erasmus students, local students in the field of sport and social work, migrants and disabled youth).
• 150 youngsters involved in the replication phase (ie. local pilot events), where a pilot version of Mondiali Antirazzisti will be implemented in each country (about 30 participants per country, 6 teams, 5 players per team)
• 3.000 people involved in the pilot events as audience
• 2 universities and 1 Academy,1 youth organization, 2 non-profit organizations specialized in Sport and social inclusion will be engaged in Mondiali Antirazzisti and local pilot events
• at least 10 other non-profit entities (working in the field of sport, social inclusion and academic environment) will be involved in the local pilot events.
• 15 local authorities and institutional stakeholders will be involved in dissemination activities
• Online communication and dissemination activity will reach the following target:
  • 45 K young people 15-29 year-old (25 K in Italy, 5 K in each country Greece, Hungary; Austria, Denmark)
  • 1 K Teachers and Professors in 5 partners country
  • 200 non-profit organizations specialized on antidiscrimination, youth and inclusion