Basket for Change

Background Social inclusion of poorer EU citizens and immigrants represents today one of the most pressing challenges in the European countries. The lack of adequate and effective integration measures can result in violent social conflict,.This challenge is very strong in the countries of the project partners, each for a different group at risk: Belgium for second generation immigrants, Italy for new immigrants, and Greece for poorer citizens. Sport can represent an effective too to facilitate integration Objectives The strategic objective of the project is to encourage social inclusion of disadvantaged young people in their communities. Those disadvantages are multiples (e.g. poverty, first and second generation of immigrants). It aims at increasing the capacity of the three international partners to exchange good practices, confront ideas and methods on the approaches and strategies to encourage social inclusion and promote equal opportunities of disadvantaged people through sport (namely basketball). Implementation One kick off meeting and 3 international events were organised during the project targeting different categories of sport club stakeholders (managers, coaches, athletes).Meetings were organised in the three partners’ countries, namely Venafro (Italy), Athens (Greece), Brussels (Belgium).All the activities planned in the project were implemented with success. Achievements All the planned results were achieved such as i) improved skills of sport club managers and coaches; ii) young athletes with improved international experience ; iii) a booklet main challenges for sport integration activities; iv) the creation of an international network among basketball clubs; v) an increased awareness regarding the relevance of sport to integrate disadvantaged persons; vi) an increased awareness regarding the support that EU institutions are giving to sport and sport operators.