Multinational Soccer Tournament Promoting Ceasefire in Conflict Zones
The recently launched men’s and women’s 6-a-side Futsal competitions co-hosted by ARK-VIC and HWPL at the Werribee Indoor Sports Centre is providing the local Wyndham community with the best of camaraderie and competition. Supported by big players in the community such as the Football Federation of Australia, IPYG, IWPG, Junubi, and the Wyndham City Council, it was a great success with everyone showing the power of the community of Wyndham.
The tournament finals took place on the 25th of May, sporting a generous first place prize andsaw local teams comprising youths and seniors from Chin Myanmar, Karen, Karenni, South Sudanese, Somali and Taiwanese backgrounds. Following close matches with strong competition, it was a thrilling and meaningful event. The sports day gave an opportunity for peace to form through diversity, and further promotion and support of the DPCW (Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War), created by co-organiser HWPL aiming to cease wars globally.
“Sport is a honeypot for the conversation and the thought around world peace, such a critical world issue. And we really have to get our heads about around what it means to be human, what it means to be a part of humanity, what it means to find peace within ourselves and peace with each other. So we have HWPL (Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light) here today beginning to really push that thinking in the culture. And we also have our friends of Reclink Australia and ARK-VIC (Random Acts of Kindness Victoria).” — Peter Cullen, founder and director of Reclink Australia.
This event played a role as a platform for advocating for peace and a call for ceasefire for the Israel-Palestine conflict through the HWPL campaign “#NoWinnersOnlyVictims”. Players expressed solidarity and support for peace by contributing messages of peace on the message board. HWPL, an international peace organisation working for legislation of peace and religious harmony, has been focusing on intimate relations with local communities since its branch initiation in Victoria. Its main work in Australia opens chances for locals to join in the form of volunteering or sports events.
The events also provided an opportunity for attendees to connect and build lasting relationships. Whether cheering from the sidelines or competing on the pitch, everyone embraced the spirit of sportsmanship and mutual respect. The success of the tournaments would not have been possible without the generous support of the organisations involved, HWPL, IPYG, IWPG, Junubi Wyndham and Football Federation Australia.
Looking ahead, this partnership plans to create future initiatives built on the momentum generated by the tournaments throughout the state of Victoria with HWPL. From grassroots development programs and community outreach initiatives, both parties are looking forward to providing opportunities on the horizon to further engage and empower individuals through sport.
