Volunteering and Inclusion
(EUPA 2017)
Judo is not just a sport, but a philosophy, an education system and a way of life. The Malta Judo Federation with its Partner Countries will take it a step forward by developing more awareness on the need for social inclusion of persons with some form of disability and those with fewer opportunities and to promote active citizenship and mutual understandings of different cultures. Sports Associations are still run on a voluntary basis. One of the biggest challenges faced by event organisers is human resources, especially when funding is limited, or as is frequently the case, nil. Nonetheless, there are many of us who can give a little time and share our knowledge to make that difference in sport. But volunteering is not just helping the community! Volunteering is a way of non-formal learning, Character Building, Skill development, Personal growth, making friends, active citizenship etc etc…. During this exchange our participants will explore and discuss the benefits of Volunteering both for the community and one self and how one can promote it in a fun way. Exclusion of disadvantaged groups of young people is absolutely a reality in all Countries, where intolerance and discrimination has been constantly growing in the latest years. Sport has the ability to promote respect and teamwork and the power to unite people. Investing in community sport is a key tool to tackle racism, sexism and breaking down social barriers and creating a healthy society. Youngsters taking part may approach the game as black or white, one religion or another, but whilst on the sports field, they are only team-mates.
The material for this project, can be downloaded through the following links:
Relive the experience
View photos on the federation's facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pg/MaltaJudo/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10155130118936952
Or visit the project's website: https://sites.google.com/site/judovolunteeringandinclusion/
The logo
The colours in the logo represent diversity. To then interpret inclusion within the diversity, the designer, Matthew Agius put an open hand, receiving another hand. The black belt at the bottom represents Judo.