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\u00a0On 26 June 2015, UNHCR and its partner, KASA Swiss Humanitarian Foundation, accomplishing \u00a0integration and youth projects, organised a\u2018\u20192015 World Refugee Football\u2019\u2019 initiative on the occasion of this year\u2019s World Refugee Day campaign. Hence, \u2018\u2019Mika\u201d football stadium in Yerevan hosted Blue and White teams with 24 players, among them asylum-seekers, refugees and displaced persons from Iraq, Syria and African countries, as well as, local players, among them UNHCR partners \u00a0and volunteers from European countries.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Alfa Amir Bah<\/strong> is an asylum-seeker from\u00a0Conakry, the capital of Guinea: -\u201cI am very happy that today many people from different nationalities and backgrounds have gathered to play football. This occasion grants us the opportunity to get together and show that we can and want to be united. Football is a great game! We can play together, win or lose, but anyhow make friends\u201d – Alfa says and adds: \u2018\u2019I loveplaying football\u2019\u2019!<\/p>\n \u201cFootball is a popular game in Guinea. We would always play football after school hours at home. When I was small I was a great football player and a fan leader at football clubs. My friends would call me Christian Panucciin honor of the famous Italian footballer player\u201d. \u2013 Alfa smiles.<\/p>\n Artyusha Movsisyan<\/strong>, one of the social workers of UNHCR partner, Mission Armenia NGO, specialised in emergency assistance projects for refugees and displaced Syrians, said that he accepted the call for participation in the football game with great enthusiasm.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u2018\u2019With the support of \u00a0UNHCR, our organisation has been carrying out a number of crucial assistance projects for refugees in the last few years: home care and social assistance, rental subsidy and medical assistance,legal aid, financial support and distribution of household items\u2018\u2019. Artyusha said and added that 2015 World Refugee Day football game they enjoyed was an excellent opportunity to play with and for refugees.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe play in a teams composed of refugees and locals. It demonstrates our good work, what we do for refugees; where we head to and what our goal is\u201d.\u00a0 \u2013 \u00a0Artyusha said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nazaret Pekejyan<\/strong> moved from Syria to Armenia some 11 years ago. \u201cThis football match reminds me of my childhood when we used to play football with our friends and neighbors: \u00a0“Such sweet memories I have of those days… It is also very important that people come together and get to know each other, and this football game gives us this opportunity\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Azat Muradyan is<\/strong> a refugee from Iraq. His family moved to Armenia in 2007 when he was a little boy.Azat is a future dentist: \u201cI graduated from the University two years ago, and I have even managed to do medical internship. But it\u2019s hard to find a good job here in Armenia. However, I grew up in this country, so I feel happy and fully integrated in the Armenian society. I just long for better opportunities for myself, mainly, a well-paid job in Armenia\u2019\u2019 \u2013 Azat says.<\/p>\n Anahit \u00a0Hayrapetyan, External Relations and Public Information colleague at UNHCR mentioned the following about the \u2018\u20192015 World Refugee Football\u2019\u2019 initiative. \u201cThe world witnessed the Armenian Genocide a century ago, and Syria was one of the countries which hosted thousands of Armenians, the survivors of those sorrowful events. Unfortunately, the story repeated after one century has passed: many Syrian-Armenian families, the children and grand-children of the survivors had to move to Armenia because of the war in Syria. This football game is just a good initiative in the frame of World Refugee Day to demonstrate refugees\u2019 talent in sports, their willingness to play together,socialise with locals and foreigners and make new friends.\u00a0 Football as a team-game promotes cooperation, friendship and respect towards each other. Similar occasions, like sport games, public activities, exhibition-sales and concerts which UNHCR and partners organise encourage and inspire displaced persons, at the same time, such occasions give us the opportunity to pay tribute to the refugee and displaced families in Armenia and worldwide for their courage, resilience, optimism and willingness to continue live and create. This initiativeaims at uniting people, be it locals, foreigners or displaced persons\u2019\u2019. Anahit Hayrapetyan concluded.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lilit Kochinyan<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read more \u00a0on our site:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cArevik-Armenia\u201d has opened doors for children with disabilities from Syria<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n UN creates International Day against Sexual Violence in Conflict<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Even one person forced to flee is too many\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n UN creates International Day against Sexual Violence in Conflict<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sold for a packet of cigarettes<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The fourth generation of refugees: photo exhibition having history of a century<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Zaruhi Babayan and her little ambassadors of peace<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The best thing is that it is peaceful here and not war: Children paint \u201cMy Old \u2013New Yerevan\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOpen our hearts\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The war broke down our ground\u2026 a story of one family<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Men start the war and women bear its consequences for many years<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00abWhere an Armenian lives, he is hardworking and can create his business out of nothing\u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n New life in a new place from a new page\u2026 only memories are suffocating<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Three sisters \/ video<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Living a difficult life in peace\/ video<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n UN creates International Day against Sexual Violence in Conflict<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sold for a packet of cigarettes<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSome of the countries most able to help are shutting their gates to people seeking asylum\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n UNHCR Armenia Key messages for World Refugee Day 2015<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Global cost of war reaches $14 trillion<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n UN warns of \u2018record high\u2019 60 million displaced amid expanding global conflicts\/ video<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Statement on the situation in Syria<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Angelina Jolie\u2019s Powerful Speech On What Women Really Need From Men<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tell Your Friends! World Refugee Day-2015<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/archive.womennet.amwp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/futbol-8.jpg\")
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