A little Respect goes a long way towards inclusion
Reflections from the UEFA Respect Forum and the second edition of the UNHCR-UEFA Unity Euro Cup.
By Nick Sore
One of my highlights of the 2024 was participating in the UEFA Respect Forum at DFB Headquarters in Cologne which included as a demonstration of the potential of football for social impact the second edition Unity EURO Cup, jointly hosted by UEFA and UNHCR.
The forum brought together a diverse group of leaders and practitioners committed to exploring how football can address wider social challenges across UEFA's RESPECT social impact strategy. The Keynote given by the Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees touched on the power that football has for inclusion across societies. The following day, those conversations came to life on the pitch as refugee and host community teams from across Europe competed side by side in the Unity EURO Cup.
Watching the tournament was a powerful reminder of why sport remains such an effective tool for inclusion and belonging. Football can create spaces where people connect through shared experiences, teamwork and mutual respect, often transcending barriers that can seem difficult to overcome elsewhere.
It was inspiring to see the advancing role of football in promoting social inclusion and strengthening communities across Europe, and a testament to what can be achieved when the sport world and the social development worlds come together.
