The Kick Project

Pic.Reuters.com We just received an update from FIFA on how the football body proposes to regain credibility after what it says were "the difficult challenges of the past year." As the linked video above shows, the body aims to delineate its reforms into four areas: Governance, Transparency, Accountability and Diversity. It also seeks to overhaul the structure at the heart of the organisation. Part of this is the use of "fully independent" processes in areas like remuneration and eligibility for the new 36-member Council. On first glance, it's a PR response to a cultural problem. They are using all the right terms and buzzwords, but how these noble goals will be actualised seems to remain a grey area. For us, two areas stand out. Firstly, there is an avowed commitment to honour human rights in all areas, including programs and funding, sponsorship and commercial deals. This appears promising. But this is unlikely to go beyond national laws in ...

Those who've been paying attention will note that we are fans of the Ivory Coast national team. They warmed our hearts with their efforts to heal their troubled nation earlier this year when they won the African Cup of Nations. We at The Kick Project, have also long been fans of the Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba, star of Chelsea, Marseille, and Galatasaray among others. Arguably the best ever African footballer (argue away!), Drogba has always had a seemingly enduring belief in the power of football to generate peace. With war in his homeland exploding across the country in 2002, the formerly stable nation was split in 2, largely along ethnic lines. This left one area dominated by government forces and another by rebel forces. Many suffered and those in rebel held areas, especially so as they were isolated from the country and more or less under siege. In 2007, as the war flared again, Drogba and his team mates organised for an international game to be played in the r...

Pic:Motortradesindustry.co.uk Recently, I (James) was asked by Ray Gill, editor of The Daily Review, to write up a piece on The Kick Project, what it's about, and why anybody should be interested. Here's what I wrote .

Great insight into the latest African Cup of Nations champions - The Ivory Coast - and the work being done to heal tensions and to divert conflict there and elsewhere through the power and focus of football. The Kick Project is supportive of these efforts and is actively seeking to work with local groups to develop global/local initiatives. We would be keen to hear from local groups worldwide looking to partner up. Maybe we can build a super team for peace-building and reconciliation..... Article from Insight on Conflict here

                                                                                Credit: New York Times Op-Docs

Pic: Jessica Hilltout, taken in Burkina Faso Not entirely sure I can say what The Economist is truly on about here . But, clearly, when that mag starts talking about football and big money, bringing in fancy stats and data, you know the business side of the world game is getting more and more prominent. This piece in These Football Times also picks up on the increasingly powerful commercial trends in football and details the activities of Red Bull as it levers its way into European high level football - and elsewhere. We all know its there and since at least the beginning of the EPL in 1992,  football money has gone stratospheric. My concern is this. While the money players earn and corporations can take out of the game is a problem, the bigger problem is how the money skews the game away from its roots. Where's the money in junior football? Even more pertinent, where is the money to support struggling football leagues in developing countries and to fund youth systems? It r...