Does the Solution Lie in a Soccer Ball?

Today, our world is ridden with conflict: with war, famine, and political upheaval… and our world leaders spend decades trying to find a solution.   

Did they ever think that the solution could be as simple as a soccer ball?

Today, April 6, is the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, a day to celebrate the role that sports can take in encouraging cooperation and solving conflicts.  Sports are universal activities that promote values such as fair play, discipline, and teamwork, values that contribute to a more peaceful and cohesive society. 

Breaking Ground uses sports to address critical development issues in Cameroon, especially those concerning gender equality and women’s empowerment.  In collaboration with Coaches Across Continents, Breaking Ground is currently organizing our annual Girls Soccer Tournament, held in the city of Ngaoundéré, in the Adamaoua region.  This year’s tournament will take place on the week of June 12^th.A girls' soccer team in Ngaoundéré

The Adamaoua Region is a region that is predominantly Muslim and culturally conservative, meaning that young girls are often married at a young age, preventing them from finishing their education and burdening them with the responsibility of managing a household and children.  Men are considered the head of the household, and women are often barred from leaving their compound without the permission of their husband.  Our program aims to provide address these issues through soccer as a social development program; through participating in sports, these women will develop a sense of independence and leadership that challenges their traditional patriarchal society.  We, at Breaking Ground, believe that soccer can help create a more just, equal world, which is why we sincerely wish you, our readers, a Happy International Day of Sport for Development and Peace!