Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year, or you’ve taken residence on a different planet, you’ve undoubtedly caught wind of the civil war taking place in Syria, and the consequential influx of refugees flowing from the Middle East into Europe. There’s been plenty of backlash, fear mongering and general antipathy toward these refugees all over the world, but one nation has proven to be the leading example of empathy and humanity in these uncertain times. That nation is Germany.
Germany’s government has already promised to accept over 1 million refugees looking for safety and relocation. Some German club teams are taking it upon themselves to provide programs for Syrian refugees. In September, Bayern Munich stated that they would invest 1 million euros for projects aimed at refugees, including training camps, German classes and food. That same month, German club team Borussia Dortmund invited 220 refugees to watch their game against Odds BK as part of a city-wide project aiming to break down barriers and make relocation within the city as streamlined as possible.
Rival German club team Schalke invited 100 refugees to their opening home game of the fall 2015 season. Schalke also started a program, Kumpel-Kiste (“friend’s box”), which aims to collect toys and clothing to be sent to refugees. As if this weren’t enough, Schalke uploaded a video to their Twitter page, where the players talked about the importance of humanity and uniting in defiance. Even Dortmund, their rival team, commended them for the action, saying “[we are] separated by color, but united on this.”
Hanover and Hoffenheim have collected and delivered clothing items and shoes to refugees. Ingolstadt are partnering with schools in the region to combat racism. Cologne has continued their longtime work with refugee groups. Werder Bremen formed the Bleib am Ball (“stay on the ball”) project to provide assistance to refugees. Leverkusen started a project called “Bayer 04 macht Schule” (Bayer 04 Does School), where they help refugee children become acclimated to life in German schools and joining extra curricular clubs and sports. Fortuna Düsseldorf invited 150 refugees to watch their match against Freiburg, while Dynamo Dresden gave away 300 tickets to refugees as part of a welcoming program.
Germany’s club football teams are leading the world by example. While these efforts cannot offer permanent solutions to the Syrian refugee crisis, it goes to show that a little bit of empathy and humanity can go a long way, especially in a world where cash is king.
Germany’s government has already promised to accept over 1 million refugees looking for safety and relocation. Some German club teams are taking it upon themselves to provide programs for Syrian refugees. In September, Bayern Munich stated that they would invest 1 million euros for projects aimed at refugees, including training camps, German classes and food. That same month, German club team Borussia Dortmund invited 220 refugees to watch their game against Odds BK as part of a city-wide project aiming to break down barriers and make relocation within the city as streamlined as possible.
Rival German club team Schalke invited 100 refugees to their opening home game of the fall 2015 season. Schalke also started a program, Kumpel-Kiste (“friend’s box”), which aims to collect toys and clothing to be sent to refugees. As if this weren’t enough, Schalke uploaded a video to their Twitter page, where the players talked about the importance of humanity and uniting in defiance. Even Dortmund, their rival team, commended them for the action, saying “[we are] separated by color, but united on this.”
Hanover and Hoffenheim have collected and delivered clothing items and shoes to refugees. Ingolstadt are partnering with schools in the region to combat racism. Cologne has continued their longtime work with refugee groups. Werder Bremen formed the Bleib am Ball (“stay on the ball”) project to provide assistance to refugees. Leverkusen started a project called “Bayer 04 macht Schule” (Bayer 04 Does School), where they help refugee children become acclimated to life in German schools and joining extra curricular clubs and sports. Fortuna Düsseldorf invited 150 refugees to watch their match against Freiburg, while Dynamo Dresden gave away 300 tickets to refugees as part of a welcoming program.
Germany’s club football teams are leading the world by example. While these efforts cannot offer permanent solutions to the Syrian refugee crisis, it goes to show that a little bit of empathy and humanity can go a long way, especially in a world where cash is king.