AFDP and streetfootballworld sign collaboration agreement

FIFA Vice President HRH Prince Ali and streetfootballworld CEO Jürgen Griesbeck on Wednesday signed a collaboration agreement between the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP) and streetfootballworld at the headquarters of streetfootballworld in Berlin, Germany, according to a statement from the prince’s office. The agreement commits the AFDP and streetfootballworld to join forces, coordinate and complement their support for football and development organisations with a focus on promoting the social dimension of football and the inclusion of youth and women across Asia. “This collaboration agreement is truly a perfect fit. Both AFDP and streetfootballworld share the same vision that football is an excellent platform through which many kinds of social and developmental objectives can be achieved,” Prince Ali, founder and chairman of the AFDP, was quoted as saying in the statement. “We have tremendous respect and admiration for streetfootballworld’s work in bringing about positive social change through football and we look forward to working together with their team to strengthen our football network all across Asia,” Prince Ali added. Griesbeck, the founder and CEO of streetfootballworld, in the statement said: “The strength of football lies in its ability to build bridges and bring people together behind a common goal. Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do and we’re extremely pleased to partner with the AFDP which has an exceptional commitment and genuine passion towards using this unique potential of football for social change.” With football in Asia growing at an exceptional rate, streetfootballworld and the AFDP want to make sure that socially responsible development and concrete support for innovative local programmes are at the heart of the game. The agreement will ensure a coordinated approach in strengthening the field of development through Football in Asia. The AFDP has demonstrated its commitment to this process by inviting streetfootballworld network members in Asia to apply for support for their ongoing programmes. In Cambodia, for example the AFDP is working with the Mighty Girls programme run by the SALT Academy, which provides a safety net and increased educational and leadership opportunities for girls at risk from trafficking. The AFDP is scheduled to launch more projects in the fall including Malaysia, by supporting the Faisal Cup with Dignity for Children Foundation, and Palestine, by assisting the under-14 and under-16 youth leagues. AFDP, an Amman-based non-profit youth commission launched in February 2012, focuses on strengthening and promoting football development across Asia in an innovative and socially responsible manner by collaborating directly with national football associations, clubs, leagues, the Asian Football Confederation, the regional football federations as well as football-based NGOs. AFDP launched two projects focusing on youth and grass-roots football development in both the Philippines and Chinese Taipei earlier this year. The third pilot project, held in Jordan in June, brought together 500 boys and girls from Palestinian, Syrian and Iraqi refugee communities at a grass-roots festival marking World Refugee Day. streetfootballworld supports a worldwide network of organisations that use football as a tool for social change. By connecting grass-roots organisations with partners from the worlds of sports, business, politics and philanthropy, streetfootballworld brings global power to local initiatives. From JT