Foundation University’s Institute of Youth Sports for Peace will inaugurate another corporate social responsibility to be staged on Sept.22-23 at the IYSPeace gymnasium. September is the International Month of Peace.
The “Children Futsal for Peace” derives inspiration from two sources: a) Goles por la Paz (Goals for Peace), and b) Robert “Big J” Jaworski.
Prof. Alexander Cardenas of Bogota, Columbian, founder of Goals for Peace International, Sports for Development & Peace, was a recent visitor of the University Town. He conducted a two-day workshop attended by sports stakeholders and organized by the Master’s in Peace program of Silliman University, and a forum for student leaders at the Foundation University on the subject of Sports for Development and Peace.
Prof. Cardenas says that the Golez por la Paz is a sports and development project aimed at empowering young people in Bogota, Columbia…utilizing three-pronged approaches: a) a sports training component using soccer being the world’s most popular sports as well as transformative to educate young people in the importance of teamwork and respect; b) capability-building and leadership seminars; and c) media information campaign.”
I was one of the participants in the workshop and I noted the similarities in the advocacy espoused by Prof. Cardenas in the Goals for Peace International that he founded and IYSPeace own peace-building initiatives through children sports.
Utilizing soccer, he gets children to play together, and as they play, they are reminded to play in the spirit of teamwork, friendship and respect for the rules of the game.
This is the same values that the IYSPeace has been advocating since 1908 in its futsal competition as part of its anniversary celebrations in the month of July. Instead of using soccer or football, IYSPeace will focus on futsal as its main sport to promote the values and virtues among children that are conducive to peace-making and peace-keeping.
We will continue to explore partnership with Prof. Cardenas in promoting shared-aspirations and dreams of a peaceful world for children and future generations using the concept behind Sports for Development and Peace.
The other inspirational poster boy for Children Futsal for Peace is our own basketball great, former Sen. Robert Jaworski who, on the occasion of the retirement of his jersey number “7” said, “I believe it is the duty of those who lead to nurture excellence, integrity, and honesty among others…Alam niyo, yang word na “honesty”, malamang sa basketball nagsimula yan dahil kapag naglalaro tayo ng one-on-one, two-on-two or three-on-three sa mga barangay, hindi naman laging may referee. Hindi ba naglalaro tayo ng honesty?”
Jawo also said that he dreams of playing in, or seeing a league where “there are no referees.”
The Big J’s dream will come true in the forthcoming Children Futsal for Peace. The games will be played sans referees! The event will be an experiment where a formal tournament will be conducted without the direct intervention of futsal referees.
Instead, the players (children who as defined by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child shall be under 18 years-old), will play their games honestly as defined by Jaworski.
Furthermore, birth certificates will not be required as each player (and coach) are expected to observe honesty and integrity in the prescribed age categories. There will be three categories, under-18, under-15, and under-13-years old. Honesty, integrity and non-violence will be core values of the futsal tournament.
On another note: The “FU Quarter Marathon Wellness Walk”, a 10.5 kilometer walk which students enrolled in physical education must complete as part of their course requirement, will also be held on Sept 22, at the Dumaguete Business Park, Inc. and Robinsons Dumaguete grounds.
Some 1,000 walkers from the FU community and fitness enthusiasts from the City are expected to join this physical activity conceived as a countermeasure against the potential health and environmental risks that Negrenenses face due to the fact that our locality is the “Motorcycle Capital of the Philippines.” A motorcycle-riding people are prone to living sedentary lives which in turn predisposes them to lifestyle diseases such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, heart and other maladies.
The walk will start at exactly 6am and everyone is invited to join the activity.
Still on another note: The DepEd technical people of its School Sports Events & Activities Unit will visit Negros Oriental on Sept 18-21 to conduct an ocular inspection of the facilities and determine whether we are capable of hosting the Palarong Pambansa 2013.
I hope Paultom Paras and Ike Xavier Villaflores, heads of the provincial and city sports offices respectively, in coordination with their counterparts in the school divisions, have undertaken the necessary preparation to insure a favorable report that will gain for us the right to host the Palaro 2013.
LGU officials compete actively in gaining the right to host the annual school games because of the financial support extended by the government, especially the 2013 edition of the games, since this coincides with the national elections. When the Palaro falls on an election year, it serves as the miting de avance of the Administration because of the presence of delegates from all the 17 regions of the country.
With the forthcoming assumption of Cong. Josy Limkaichong as chair of the House Appropriations Committee, hosting the Palarong Pambansa will serve as a strong justification for the allocation of funds for the Province and City to spruce up their facilities and undertake face-lifting work as befits the host of the number one sports project of the government. Congresswoman Josy will be In a position to insure that funds will be available.
Finally, this good news. In the recent try-outs for the U16 girls for the national team conducted in Bacolod City, four girls from Negros Oriental were selected and are now advised to secure their passports for travel abroad. The girls are: Meril Lee Garcia, Kyla Jan Inquig, and Vera Teves all from Negros Oriental National High School, and the fourth is Kaye Princess Banlat Ysola of Foundation University.
Our University Town is acquiring one of the characteristics of an academic community: a passion for sports. Let’s all join hands to sustain this development.
