FIFA Foundation partners with Generation Amazing and QF

Vice-Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy HE Hassan al-Thawadi with other dignitaries after the agreement signing ceremony.

FIFA Foundation is teaming up with Qatar Foundation (QF) and Generation Amazing (GA) to deliver a range of football initiatives to empower youth and the community of Qatar that go beyond the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The announcements came during the Doha Forum, where FIFA Foundation signed agreements with QF and GA, a human and social legacy project of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC).As part of the agreements, the entities are working together on rolling out the Football for Schools (F4S) programme in Qatar. The initiative, run by FIFA in collaboration with Unesco, aims to contribute to the education, development and empowerment of around 700mn children globally, and seeks to make the sport more accessible to both boys and girls around the world by incorporating football activities into the education system.Speaking after the signings, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “It is with great pleasure that FIFA Foundation partners with Generation Amazing and Qatar Foundation. To be able to positively impact society through the power of football is a shared goal and responsibility between each of our organisations, and using sport to reach the next generation is something all three place at the forefront of everything they do. We look forward to working together over the coming months and years in many common projects, and particularly to deliver Football for Schools in Qatar.”In addition to the MoU signings, FIFA Foundation, QF and GA also hosted a launch event at the Generation Amazing Community Club – a short distance from Lusail Stadium, the venue where the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final will take place on December 18. Joining more than 80 schoolchildren from across Qatar to participate in the football and education activities were three FIFA World Cup stars – FIFA Foundation CEO Youri Djorkaeff, as well two FIFA Legends: Australia’s Tim Cahill and the Netherlands’ Nigel de Jong.The F4S programme also utilises a free digital application – accessible via Google Play and the Apple App Store – which includes various training modules, and is intended to help physical education teachers, coaches, and parents to better support and manage F4S activities in their schools and communities. QF and GA have contributed to the inclusivity and sustainability modules, with the inclusivity sections offering guidelines on how to promote accessibility within the programme and the sustainability modules providing information on regenerative education.HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, Vice-Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation; HE Hassan al-Thawadi, Secretary-General of the SC; and Infantino attended the ceremonies and signed the agreements. HE Sheikha Hind said: “Hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is a momentous occasion for our nation, and for the region as a whole. Working alongside our partners, FIFA Foundation and Generation Amazing, we are harnessing the power of football to affect positive change among young people and promote social progress that stretches beyond the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.“At Qatar Foundation, education is at the core of our mission, our ecosystem, and our beliefs. As we work together with our partners to reach our shared goals, we will offer our unique insights, expertise, and knowledge on the topics of inclusivity and sustainability – both of which are values that drive our efforts.”The partnership between FIFA Foundation and GA enables both parties to make collaborative efforts to work on the enhancement of football for development initiatives, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and jointly develop sport education initiatives to further build human capital and skills regionally and globally. The partnership provides a platform for the two organisations to work on the implementation of these initiatives with a vision of social inclusion and cohesion.“We are very proud to present this strategic partnership with FIFA Foundation, which highlights our belief in the power of football as a truly global and transformative tool that advances sustainable development and provides youth with unique opportunities to better their lives,” said al-Thawadi.“As Qatar prepares to host the first FIFA World Cup, we aim to utilise our partnership with FIFA Foundation to leave a meaningful human and social legacy in the region and beyond.”The F4S programme, which contributes to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, was launched in mid-2019 with pilot projects in Puerto Rico and Lebanon, and the Qatar Football Association and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education have been instrumental in launching the initiative in Qatar.