Introduction
 Of all the good work FIFA does worldwide to promote the brotherhood of man, its efforts to protect the rights of children are perhaps the most noteworthy. In its capacity as a global sporting organisation, FIFA works from the premise that it has a moral obligation to come to the aid of the world's children.
After all, football occupies a huge part of children's imagination, helping them to dream of a better life. And the core values of our sport (respect, tolerance and fair-play) should be encouraged at every turn - for football is education for life.
In November 2001, FIFA and UNICEF joined forces to highlight the plight of children around the globe. The 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™ was dedicated to children under the banner of "Say Yes for Children" - the first time a FIFA World Cup has ever been dedicated to a humanitarian cause.
The aim of the "Say Yes for Children" campaign was to use the competition's massive media presence to good effect by turning the focus of attention onto children's rights. A number of initiatives were launched during the tournament, most notably a campaign on FIFAworldcup.com (the competition's official website) to heighten awareness, which involved people pledging commitment to 10 imperatives needed to improve and protect children's lives and then voting for the top three imperatives. Shirts and other memorabilia were also auctioned on FIFAworldcup.com, with all proceeds from sales going towards the campaign.
Two "Say Yes for Children Football Days" were staged on 19 and 20 June 2002, and were marked by a number of heart-warming events such as a mini-FIFA World Cup in Kabul (Afghanistan), a mini-final in Sierra-Leone, a penalty shoot-out in the United States, football tournaments in Bangladesh and a whole host of other initiatives in Korea and Japan. The goal behind these days was to remind the people of the world that every child has the right to play football and to grow up in good health, peace and dignity.
FIFA now intends to pursue its alliance with UNICEF and will continue to work with other humanitarian organisations that strive to improve the lot of children in our world. Because when it comes to the kids, football is a force for change unlike any other.
Official Site - UNICEF |
