Roots of Peace-Afghan Girls Soccer in Italy

AFGHAN GIRLS’ SOCCER TEAM; GOAL TO KICK THE “ACE” BACK IN “PEACE”

Roots of Peace Girls Soccer Team Travel from Kabul to Rome to Play International Soccer Match

October 11, 2008—San Patrignano, Italy—The Roots of Peace Afghan Girls’ Soccer Team will travel from Kabul, Afghanistan to Rimini, Italy, in support of the San Patrignano DRUGS OFF DAY which has reached over 150,000 young people in Italy. Since 2002, both organizations have shared mutual goals in supporting healthy bodies which play team sports rather than choose drugs. This team represents hundreds of Afghan girls who have practiced on the Roots of Peace soccer field every Friday in Kabul. The team is coached by a landmine survivor who lost his leg to a Russian cluster bomb, and led the Roots of Peace Afghan Girls’ Team to victory on the same field where women were hung for not wearing their burkas—coaching on “three legs”—two crutches and a leg to stand proudly upon.

The Roots of Peace Afghan Girls’ Traveling Team includes three young Afghan girls who recently returned from the Olympics in Beijing, China, as they shared the pride of fellow athletes who won the first “Bronze Medal” for Afghanistan in Taekwondo. The spirit of sports continues in Italy.

The San Patriganano community has generously invited these young girls and their coach for a game of fair play on the European fields. Today, Afghanistan is riddled with an estimated 10 million landmines and unexploded ordinance which often maims or kills innocent children while playing in war-torn fields. In the case of the Roots of Peace soccer coach, Mr. Fawad Ahmad, lost his leg at age six years old while playing a game of soccer. After spending nearly a year in the hospital, he never thought that he would walk again. Years later, Fawad, age 18, was visiting the ICRC Clinic in Kabul, when he met Ms. Kyleigh Kuhn, age 18, Co-founder, Roots of Peace Penny Campaign, who was visiting Afghanistan to help landmine victims. Sharing his story and passion for soccer with a peer, Fawad was ultimately hired as the Roots of Peace Soccer Coach – a tribute to future generations seeking peaceful solutions.

The DRUGS OFF DAY seeks to establish “Best Practices” from international civil society to face a variety of social issues to meet and exchange experiences and methodology. Those present are asked not only to share knowledge about their work, but show concrete examples of value and social impact on their activities, so that new opportunities for partnership and development may occur.

The Roots of Peace Afghan Girls’ Soccer Team will play the Italian Teams in games of Exhibition sports and participate as panelists throughout the day on October 11th.

Roots of Peace is a California-based non-profit organization with a mission to turn “MINES TO VINES” by establishing alternative agricultural crops to poppies. Since 2002, Roots of Peace has raised the funds to remove over 100,000 landmines and UXO from Afghanistan and train over 100,000 farmers to grow fresh grapes, raisins, pomegranates, cherries, almonds, and other fruits of the vine.

Roots of Peace has joined the San Patrignano community on several occasions, as they have imported an Afghan agricultural products in support of the GOOD FOOD initiative and Squisito! In addition, both American and Italian students have joined together to raise over 25 million “pennies” for peace—building schools and soccer fields on former minefields in Afghanistan.

For further information, please visit www.rootsofpeace.org and www.sanpatrignano.org.