Keep the Ball Rolling: Homeless World Cup Ends, International Homelessness Does Not

by Danny Jensen · 2010-09-28 08:16:00 UTC
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Brazil's soccer team may not have been able to claim the gold trophy earlier this summer, but the country can now take pride in having won a World Cup that is helping to improve lives across the globe. The Homeless World Cup came to a close this past Sunday with Brazil's men's and women's teams claiming victory in the tournament, and all the participants claiming a victory in the fight against international homelessness.

Of the 64 countries that took part in the eighth annual week-long event, all of the players have been homeless at some point over the past year, are asylum seekers or earn their primary income as street newspaper vendors. In addition to providing a proactive opportunity for the players improve their own lives and change public perceptions about homelessness, the Homeless World Cup has also generated a powerful ripple effect, inspiring local grassroots soccer programs around the globe.

Many of the clubs began with individuals involved with local street papers, which is not too surprising, considering that the Homeless World Cup founders have both had a hand in operating street papers themselves: Mel Young is the co-founder of The Big Issue in Scotland, and Harald Schmied is the editor of Megaphon in Austria.

With an estimated 100 million homeless individuals worldwide, Young and Schmied know the work is far from over, but they sure are optimistic. Young tells The Independent: "We need to create a world where homelessness does not exist ... The Homeless World Cup is a gigantic effort creating real, significant change. When human beings decide to move forward, they can move mountains. More people getting involved will turn the trickle into a torrent and we will change the world forever." 

While their have been some recent inspiring success stories in the international effort to end homelessness, we unfortunately more often hear of upsetting incidents of communities and governments failing to help those in need. The Homeless World Cup offers the opportunity to not only shift public perceptions and end misconceptions about homelessness, but also empowers homeless individuals by connecting them to a vital support network and a chance to improve their own lives. Let's keep the ball rolling.

Photo credit: Katie Brady

Danny Jensen has written for TakePart.com and Intent.com and has volunteered with a variety of homeless organizations and school gardening programs.
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