BBC presenter Zeinab Badawi endorses London 2011

We're proud to announce that Zeinab Badawi, who currently presents World News Today on BBC Four and BBC World News, has given Football Beyond Borders: London 2011 her official endorsement.

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The Sudanese-British presenter was delighted to endorse a project that she has called 'a great student initiative'. Badawi graduated with post-graduate degree on the Middle East from the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies.

The endorsement was timely, as the action kicks off tomorrow at 1pm with the University of London FC defending their home turf against the visiting Paysandu University team from Uruguay and SOAS University squaring off against the University of Helsinki, who have travelled from Finland. At 3pm, the well-organized AUC squad from Egypt go head to head with Adnan Mederes from Turkey. The games will take place at The Hive Football Center in Edgware - please come down and support the teams!

England National Disability Team Coach Added to Lineup of Speakers at London 2011

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Football Beyond Borders: London 2011 is proud to announce that Lyndon Lynch, the current England National Cerebral Palsy (CP) Head Coach, has been added as a keynote speaker in the schedule of events.

Lynch, who is also a PE teacher, has been involved with the National Disabilities Team since 2008 and has taken the CP squad around the world, competing in tournaments in Japan, Australia, and most recently, Holland. In 2009, the CP squad won the Arafura games, defeating the hosts Australia 2-0 to claim gold in their first competitive tournament win.

Over the next year, Lynch will be drawing players from his England squad to add to Team GB for the 2012 London Paralympic Games.

On the evening of Monday the 25th of July, Lynch will join Let's Kick Racism Out of Football to speak in a seminar on discrimination in football.




Source: www.thefa.com

New Website for Partner University of London FC

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The University of London Football Club has just increased their organization of their club with an upgraded website - www.ulfc.co.uk

The website will serve as the foundation and home-base for the club moving forward, providing players with increased exposure, match records, club information, and giving fans a reference for the Purples.

The club Chairman, Colin Hancock, has provided a page offering an insight into his background history and experience with the prestigious University of London FC.

Like the SOAS Football Beyond Borders squad, the University of London FC are gearing up over the next two weeks to prepare for the London 2011 International tournament. The tournament is surely to spur inter-competition between the students of the University of London. Follow this blog for updates on the tournament, highlights and stats, and also check the ULFC website for updates on their performance in the London 2011 tournament!

denticare Ltd to partner Football Beyond Borders: London 2011

We are delighted to announce that Denticare Ltd have officially agreed to become the main sponsor of Football Beyond Borders: London 2011.

Denticare was set-up by former University of London FC player and King’s College alumni Colin Hancock, who has built it up into one of the UK’s most successful and well-trusted dental companies.

Colin played for ULFC in the glory days of the 1960′s, when the Purples would regularly play Arsenal, West Ham and Spurs. A quick and skillful inside-forward, Colin regularly put goals past the likes of Bob Wilson (Arsenal), and in 1965 came up against a Geoff Hurst just coming into form, as Hurst bagged a brace against the Purples down at Motspur Park.

Denticare have been strong supporters of the University of London Purples since the side was resurrected four years ago, and we are delighted to have them on board with us for this groundbreaking project.

NUS backs Football Beyond Borders: London 2011

 

More great news for Football Beyond Borders, as the NUS has officially declared their support for the project.

International Students Officer Christina Yan Zang said the NUS were pleased to offer their support to the project, which she says;

"is a great development following your previously successful trips in both 2009 and 2010. From the planning and development you have already put in we are sure that this will be a fantastic event and provide a wonderful platform for football but more widely promoting cultural exchange and celebrating diversity.

With the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games coming to London next year this project embodies the values of respect, excellence, friendship, courage, determination, inspiration and equality. This will prove a great opportunity to celebrate the global Games and provide an opportunity to inspire fellow students about the power of London 2012, especially given the global appeal of Football."

More good news to come soon, as the full line-up of participating teams is almost in place! In the meantime make sure to follow us on Twitter and 'Like' us on Facebook!

CARA and Para Siempre FC come on board Football Beyond Borders!

 

More great news for Football Beyond Borders: London 2011 as the CARA (Council for Assisting Refugee Academics) comes on board the project, along with Para Siempre FC.

CARA was established in 1933 in response to the persecution of academics across Europe by fascist regimes. It was founded as the ‘Academic Assistance Council’ by leading figures such as Sir William Beveridge; Lord Rutherford; John Maynard Keynes; A V Hill, Lionel Robbins; and Margery Fry.

78 years on, CARA awards grants to enable refugee academics to achieve employment in the UK at a level commensurate with their skills and experience in the long term. Academics are frequent targets of state-sponsored violence and repression. In times of conflict, academics and intellectuals often suffer intimidation, torture, and imprisonment.  Grants can support refugee academics to re-qualify in a range of professions in the UK such as teaching, academia, engineering, law, the charity sector and medicine.

CARA has established a UK University Network of 66 Universities, in order to facilitate cooperation and collaboration between UK higher education institutions in support of refugee and threatened academics and in defence and promotion of academic and university freedoms worldwide.  SOAS has been a significant member of this initiative by means of a fellowship scheme and internship program.

CARA's mission is most definitely one in which everyone involved with Football Beyond Borders believes, and we are all thrilled to be working with such a prestigous organisation.

Para Siempre F.C., sponsored by CARA, comprises of academics, lecturers, postgraduates and undergraduates from an array of social and cultural backgrounds. Their aim is simple yet powerful; campaigning for the right of children to have an education. Para Siempre F.C. are using football as a universal language to promote sustainable education for those in the most impoverished regions of the world, to facilitate support for existing educational charities and maintain development through schemes of self-sufficiency.

Para Siempre F.C. is not just a football club. It is striving to create a different model of the traditional sports club. A football club with its’ foundations built on values of altruism and generosity, real sustainable change and essentially, improving the lives of the impoverished.

The values of Para Siempre tie in perfectly with those of Football Beyond Borders, and we are all thrilled to be working with such a great project.

CARA and Para Siempre FC will host one of the evening's discussions, based around how academics specifically serve as a catalyst to cross borders, and how football within universities does the same, but again full details of our partnership have yet to be finalised, so watch this space!

Make sure to check out http://academic-refugees.org for more information on CARA and http://www.parasiemprefc.co.uk/ for more information on Para Siempre.

 

Elevation Networks teams up with Beyond Borders

Football Beyond Borders London 2011 is delighted to announce that they will be partnering with Elevation Networks for the International Universities Tournament this July.

Elevation Networks is a student-led enterprise who "aim to inspire, challenge, and positively influence a generation of young people into a belief system that challenges the impossible, overcomes barriers, and provides a gateway for aspirations to become tangible goals".

This aim fits in perfectly with the ethos, and we are understandably thrilled to be involed with such a great organisation.

Watch this space; more details on how Elevation Networks will be involved are coming soon!

In the meantime check out their website:

www.elevationnetworks.org

 

Pearson pledge £3,000 to become a partner of Beyond Borders

Beyond Borders: West Africa 2010 is happy to announce that we will be working with Pearson to champion dialogue and development. Pearson Diversity have become a Media partner of Beyond Borders: West Africa 2010 through pledging £3,000 towards the project. Pearson Diversity maintains the argument outlined by John Stuart Mill that ‘Diversity leads to a progressive and innovative society’.

Each year between July and September Pearson run the The Pearson Diversity Summer Internship Programme*), a positive action programme which offers bright and talented final year students and graduates from ethnic minority backgrounds the opportunity to work within one of Pearson’s world leading companies, including Penguin, Pearson Education and The Financial Times. There are internships in a range of areas including: Journalism, Marketing, Publicity/PR, Sales, Finance, Human Resources, Production, Editorial, Research, Product Management, Product Development, Rights, Internal and External Communications.

To find out more information or to apply click below.



http://summerinternships.pearson.com/summer.htm