Manchester City School of Football brings Lebanese youth together

July 2012
Beirut, Lebanon

Palestine refugees were among the 80 young people who completed a football training camp run by Manchester City in Lebanon this month. In partnership with UNRWA, the Manchester City School of Football brought two coaches from the United Kingdom to a refugee camp in Central Lebanon to bring professional sports training to boys and girls from both the refugee and Lebanese communities.

Between the ages of 6 and 16, the refugee youth came from the Dbayeh and Shatila camps, and were joined by their Lebanese peers from the surrounding areas. The training, dubbed “Play with dignity, live with dignity”, was a rare opportunity for children from the two communities to meet each other in a recreational setting.

The Manchester City School of Football handed out certificates to the participants at a ceremony today. In attendance were the Mr. Robert Hurt from UNRWA, Ms. Abda Sharif, Deputy Head of Mission from the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Lebanon, Mr. Firas Abil Mona from the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, Mr. Khaled Abadi from the Palestinian embassy in Lebanon, Mr. Mohammad Al Kaabi representing the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, and Vincenzo Schiano Lomoriello from the Italian embassy in Lebanon.

In 2010, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) launched the “Dignity for All” project in Lebanon, advocating for the rights and dignity of Palestine refugees living in Lebanon. Events such as Manchester City’s football training fulfill many of the campaign’s goals, such as fostering dialogue between Palestine refugees and the Lebanese community.

For further information please contact UNRWA’s public information office in Lebanon:
Tel and fax: +961-1-840468 or by e-mail: [email protected]