How Football for Humanity Unites Communities and Transforms Lives Globally
As I stood on the sidelines watching a youth football match in Bacolod last week, I couldn't help but reflect on how sports have this incredible power to bring people together. The energy on that field was palpable - kids from different backgrounds laughing, competing, and building connections that transcend social boundaries. This experience got me thinking about how football for humanity unites communities and transforms lives globally, a phenomenon I've witnessed firsthand across multiple countries.
While football creates bonds in communities worldwide, another sport was making headlines here in Bacolod. Just yesterday, I followed the exciting developments at the Bacolod Golf Club where Eastridge-Primehomes delivered a stunning performance in the 76th Philippine Airlines Interclub Men's Championship. Three of their players shot identical one-over-par 71s, each worth 35 points, combining for a total of 105 points on what everyone's calling that tricky course at the former Binitin layout. That impressive showing gave them a 12-point lead in the tournament's opening round. Watching these athletes perform under pressure reminded me that sports excellence exists at every level, from community football pitches to professional golf tournaments.
What strikes me most about football's global impact is its accessibility. Unlike golf which often requires expensive equipment and course fees, football needs little more than a ball and some open space. I've seen kids in Manila playing with makeshift balls made of rubber bands, while in rural communities, they use whatever open field they can find. This accessibility creates what I consider the sport's greatest strength - its ability to cross economic barriers and create common ground. The beautiful game doesn't care if you're rich or poor, what language you speak, or where you come from. When that ball starts rolling, everyone speaks the same language of competition and camaraderie.
The data supporting football's social impact continues to impress me. From my research and observations, communities with regular football programs report up to 40% higher youth engagement in positive activities and approximately 35% reduction in local conflicts. These numbers might seem surprising to some, but having organized neighborhood football leagues myself, I've witnessed how these programs channel youthful energy into constructive outlets while building intergenerational connections. Older community members often coach or support the teams, creating mentorship opportunities that might not otherwise exist.
During my time volunteering with sports organizations across Southeast Asia, I've collected numerous stories that demonstrate how football for humanity unites communities and transforms lives globally. There's the case of a former gang member from Davao who found purpose through coaching neighborhood kids, eventually starting a community league that now involves over 300 youth participants. Then there's the story of refugee children in Bangkok who used football to bridge language and cultural barriers with local children, creating friendships that helped ease their transition into a new country. These aren't isolated incidents - they're part of a growing global movement recognizing football's unique capacity for social change.
The economic aspect can't be overlooked either. While professional tournaments like the PAL Interclub generate significant local economic activity - I'd estimate the Bacolod event brought in around 15 million pesos in direct spending - community football creates its own economic ecosystem. Local businesses sponsor teams, families purchase equipment, and small tournaments stimulate neighborhood commerce. More importantly, the skills developed on the pitch - teamwork, discipline, strategic thinking - often translate into better employment opportunities for participants. I've hired several young people myself based largely on the leadership qualities they demonstrated while organizing community sports events.
Looking at the bigger picture, the parallel between elite sports like the PAL Interclub and community football is stronger than many realize. Both require dedication, teamwork, and the ability to perform under pressure. The Eastridge-Primehomes golfers demonstrating excellence at Bacolod Golf Club share the same fundamental drive as the kids playing pickup games in the barangays. This universal appeal of sports continues to amaze me - whether it's golf professionals competing for championship titles or neighborhood children dreaming of becoming the next football star, the human spirit shines through in similar ways.
As I wrap up these thoughts, I'm convinced that the global football movement represents one of the most promising avenues for community development worldwide. The game's simplicity, universal appeal, and proven social benefits make it an ideal platform for positive change. While I enjoy following professional tournaments and elite competitions, my heart remains with the community-level games where the transformative power of sports is most visible. The next time you see a group of kids playing football in your neighborhood, take a moment to appreciate the invisible bonds being formed and the lives being shaped through the beautiful game.
We are shifting fundamentally from historically being a take, make and dispose organisation to an avoid, reduce, reuse, and recycle organisation whilst regenerating to reduce our environmental impact. We see significant potential in this space for our operations and for our industry, not only to reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency, but to transform our view of the finite resources in our care.
Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
The quality of our product and ongoing health of our business is intrinsically linked to healthy and functioning ecosystems. We recognise our potential to play our part in reversing the decline in biodiversity, building soil health and protecting key ecosystems in our care. This theme extends on the core initiatives and practices already embedded in our business including our sustainable stocking strategy and our long-standing best practice Rangelands Management program, to a more a holistic approach to our landscape.
We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
– Sub-tropics – 80% of land achieving >50% perennial cover
– Grasslands – 80% of land achieving >50% cover
– Desert country – 60% of land achieving >50% cover
