The frightening war scenarios across the world are currently leaving millions of people stranded close to the war zones or in the middle of Europe. Some are still living in a conflict region in the middle of Europe under desperate conditions, like in Ukraine, others fled to our neighborhoods from war zones to save their lives, e.g. from Syria.
Most of them are left with nothing more than the set of clothes they were wearing when they left. We believe that giving these people all possible support is one of the most pressing issues of our time. Many football fans all over Europe are already active in supporting refugee projects as matter of social responsibility in many different ways: be it through organizing clothing collections for refugees in war zones or in the countries they had to flee to, be it by providing logistical help to them, or by getting them to watch or to play football and thereby integrating them in their new communities.
The initiative “SECOND FAN SHIRT” is not intending to reinvent the wheel – we’d much rather bring different fan initiatives involved in clothing collections together across Europe, and encourage more fans to engage in similar actions, to do our bit as football supporters in Europe to make the life of refugees and the football lovers among them at least a little better. It could literally affect any of us one day, too, so we should help one another already today.
IT’S YOUR TURN! GET INVOLVED! DONATE YOUR SECOND FAN SHIRT!
We are calling all football supporters all across Europe to get active and donate or organise clothing collections for all sorts of fan and football merchandise that has been getting dusty in your cupboards for ages: jerseys, scarves, blankets, training jackets, woolen hats, football trousers, footballs, bed sheets…literally any football or fan merchandise that you don’t need anymore but that could be useful for at least brightening up the days of kids or adults in the refugee centers.
The situation of refugees is different from country to country. Some countries in Europe are more directly affected and closer to the actual wars than others. Hence, it is down to the national or local initiative, which kind of support/donation scheme they want to adopt - some might want to organise clothing collections at their club, others will do the same at national level in cooperation with first aid charities, some might want to send things to refugees directly in refugee camps in the war zones, others might want to go to refugee centers in their communities or sell their donations in auctions to support local refugee aid projects financially.
It is easy to take part, and every form of donation initiative is welcome! Let’s show together that football supporters stand side by side in support with the refugees as the most tragically affected victims by the current conflicts around the world.
PARTICIPATING GROUPS - ACTIONS AND CONTACTS
SECOND FAN SHIRT ACTION DAYS 2014! PICTURE GALLERY
Austrian coordination:
pro supporters - coordination Fanwork Austria
David Hudelist
hudelist[at]vidc.org; +43 713 35 94 -72
Möllwaldplatz 5/3
A-1040 Vienna