2006 Special Projects
Refugee Soccer Development Program
The Mary MacKillop Foundation supported the UNSW Refugee Soccer Development Program (RSDP) by enabling the program to run its first coaching certification course in December 2006.
The RSDP is an innovative program seeking to assist young refugees in their immigration and integration to Australia by providing a supporting and enjoyable environment through a soccer development program. While the focus is particularly on youth, the program will contain elements designed to contribute to building community cohesion among the different refugee communities, but will also explore potential for bridging across different Australian communities.
The coaching clinic was designed specifically for youth from the refugee communities, and corresponds to two of the overall program objectives of contributing to capacity building and providing empowering activities for participants. Enabling young people to become certified coaches enables them to access new opportunities and build leadership and mentoring skills.
The Coaching clinic builds on other activities which started in the Liverpool, Parramatta, Auburn, Fairfield and Blacktown areas last year.
“Sport is increasingly being looked to as an effective way of bringing people together, to promote not only health, but social cohesion and even peace-building,” said Anne Bunde-Birouste, from the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at UNSW, who started the program.
“We are thrilled with the successes the program has already achieved and are very grateful to the Mary MacKillop Foundation for its support,” she said.
To learn more about this program please click here.
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