Soccer Balls to help refugee kids play

20 June 2001 is the first World Refugee Day recognized by the UN general assembly to mark and celebrate the contribution of refugees throughout the world. Many countries have previously celebrated a refugee day, but this year marked the first internationally celebrated day.

Since then World Refugee Day has become an annual commemoration marked by a variety of events in over a hundred countries.

According to the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR or United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are some 20.8 million refugees in the world, of which 9.2 million are children who need help in one way or the other.

This event was celebrated at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C yesterday. Its centerpiece of the presentation was the launch of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' ninemillion.org project, a global campaign dedicated to giving the world's estimated nine million refugee children a chance to learn and play.

Currently ninemillion.org partner Right to Play has 40 active projects in 23 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. It organizes soccer games and other sports events to bring communities together for immunization drives against measles, tuberculosis, and other preventable diseases.

The Nike Foundation announced a matching grant for the first US$1 million donated to ninemillion.org. The sportswear company has produced special T-shirts featuring the campaign logo and has donated 40,000 colourful and durable balls for refugee kids.

The love of play may be universal, but for children living in refugee camps around the world, play is often out of bounds.

Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo, a goodwill ambassador for UN who knew poverty growing up said, playing sports teaches discipline, builds character, and fosters competitiveness.

The problem of refugees is much more than just fun and play. The children deserve to play and have meaningful lives. The millions of children displaced from their homes by the actions of warlords, dictators and despots need to be addressed by the international community so that every human being has the dignity and the opportunity to a respectable living.