The link between sports and children's rights has become the topic of a new project launched in Cyprus by the International Charity Foundation – Parimatch Foundation together with its partners: Commissioner for Children's Rights and the International Organization Peace Players.
The project was presented on October 22, 2022 at the Lanitio Gymnasium in Limassol (Cyprus).
The idea of the B-RIGHT project is to raise children’s awareness of their constitutional rights, which were developed and approved by the Geneva Convention, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989 and entered into force in 1990. This project is unique as through sports and a comprehensive series of basketball activations it aims to explain children’s rights by simple actions and clear language.
The goal of the B-RIGHT program is to make children fully aware of their rights and acquire the necessary skills to protect them, develop critical thinking, foster respect for each other, and use their rights, including through implementation and explanation during physical activity and sports activities. Physical education teachers and basketball coaches from Limassol and nearby cities were invited to the presentation of the project. Participants had the opportunity to learn about short and simple basketball exercises that can be implemented both as part of the official school curriculum and basketball academies’ training sessions to explain children’s rights. Each of the participants received a training manual developed within the project. It will soon be available on the Parimatch Foundation’s website in several languages.
The content of the B-RIGHT project is intended for children aged 9-12, but can be easily adapted for younger or older children.
The guidelines are designed for use by physical education teachers or coaches who can explain children their rights through lessons or basketball training sessions.
Increased stress levels, any abuse, alienation, and stigma are some of the negative experiences a child can have if they are not in a safe and supportive sports environment. B-RIGHT aims to overcome these negative phenomena against the child and connects sports with human rights through the development of sports skills and a creative interdisciplinary methodology.
It is precisely because traditional sports practices contribute to the development and improvement of physical, psychomotor and social skills of children, but are not aimed at respecting human rights, that we have developed this project, which is relevant not only for Cyprus, but also for Ukraine, where children’s rights are now being extremely affected.
The project says that the most important education that a child can receive is to be informed about their rights and be able to implement them.
Further presentation and distribution of the content of the B-RIGHT project is planned both in Cyprus and in Ukraine.
