A simple answer to some of the problems behind war and towards reconciliation is that people need to find a common ground, and they need to do it from a young and impressionable age. Encouraging participation in football for peace projects is one natural and viable way to steadily plant the seeds of peace. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has long been using the power of football, among other sports, in its programmes and policies to facilitate refugee reintegration and to ensure tolerance and understanding between and within war-conflicted communities.

In this direction and as much as possible on the practical level, the partners of the Football for Hope Movement promote peace at any level and any form, with remarkable outcomes.

More specifically, this field of action includes processes of:

  • war prevention
  • peace keeping/conflict resolution
  • mine awareness and post war trauma management (incl. issues on war refugees)

An element of utmost importance within peace/war issues is the psychological factor which, one way or another, is integrated and addressed within relevant initiatives and in most cases is the primary type of support a target group might need, whether regarding populations in foreign refugee camps or children in their normal environment, during or after a conflict.