Inclusive sporting event at San Lorenzo Beach
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation and Real Sporting Foundation
Expected impact and educational values
The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Spain Foundation (RFK Spain) and the Real Sporting Foundation – Marea Rojiblanca have joined forces in a pioneering project that seeks to educate second-year secondary school students from five educational centers in Asturias about human rights through sport. This educational and social initiative is expected to reach some 300 students from the Real Instituto de Educación Secundaria Jovellanos, Colegio La Asunción, Colegio Corazón de María, Colegio La Corolla, and Colegio Palacio de Granda.
The main objective of the project is to instill in young people the value and importance of defending human rights, using the methodology of the Speak Truth to Power (STTP) educational program, developed by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Spain Foundation. This training is complemented by an inclusive sporting event that took place on the iconic San Lorenzo Beach in Gijón on Saturday, September 27, in which approximately 200 players participated, including students from the five schools and vulnerable minors cared for by local social organizations.
Training and program content
The STTP program that has been implemented is based on the analysis and knowledge of human rights defenders at the global and local levels, providing young people with the tools to become active defenders of human rights in their communities. It focuses on both well-known figures and less visible activists, fostering social awareness and social participation skills among students.
The project includes face-to-face training for teachers, who are certified to teach the program in their schools, and is designed to boost knowledge, stimulate social skills, and promote a generation of young people who are responsible and committed to a peaceful and respectful society. The teacher training took place on September 4 and 5 at El Molinón, where Anthony Verrecchio, executive director of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Spain Foundation, taught the STTP content, from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the identification and defense of local activists.
Inclusive sporting event at San Lorenzo Beach
As part of the promotion and to reinforce learning, the project culminated in an educational-sports event on September 27 at San Lorenzo Beach, one of the busiest areas in Gijón. The event lasted four hours, with educational games and soccer matches distributed in designated areas on the sand.
On the one hand, the first of the areas featured various immersive games through which participants interactively learned about historical references in the field of human rights. At the same time, the second area consisted of two soccer fields where children played with adapted rules that brought them closer to the inclusive practice of the beautiful game, as well as learning about examples of human rights in the world of sport.
The tournament was attended by approximately 250 secondary school students, players with disabilities, and children from social organizations in the city of Gijón, ensuring the inclusion of everyone in a fun and educational space. An area was also set up for teams to warm up, and adapted access was provided to ensure the full participation of people with reduced mobility.
In the words of the president of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Spain Foundation, Dr. María Díaz de la Cebosa: “This project represents a unique opportunity for young people in Asturias to discover how sport can be a powerful tool for the defense and promotion of human rights.” “Through active learning and an inclusive event at San Lorenzo Beach, we seek to shape a generation committed to social justice and equality, promoting values that transform our communities,” she says.
For his part, David Guerra, Executive President of Real Sporting, highlights “the opportunity to develop projects of this magnitude in Asturias, using the power and impact of sport to bring the children of our community closer to an understanding of human rights.”
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation and Real Sporting Foundation
The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation Spain is a non-profit organization that has been promoting human rights education and advocacy in our country since 2018 through programs such as Speak Truth to Power. Using a participatory methodology, it seeks to empower young people to become agents of social change by advocating for their own communities and supporting a culture of social justice and respect.
For its part, the Real Sporting Foundation – Marea Rojiblanca has been working since 2017 to use sport as a tool for social transformation in Asturias. Its work is mainly aimed at children, young people, and people with disabilities and health needs, creating spaces for inclusion and personal growth. The joint project with the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation Spain reinforces its social commitment by combining sport and human rights for a comprehensive and transformative education.
Expected impact and educational values
This initiative is expected to help new generations become more aware of their rights and those of others, developing empathy, social skills, teamwork, and respect for diversity. The combination of theoretical and practical training through an inclusive event promotes the internalization of humanitarian values, making learning effective and experiential.
This project also adds social value by including vulnerable minors to promote their integration into the school and sports community in Gijón. The joint work of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Spain Foundation and the Real Sporting – Marea Rojiblanca Foundation represents a model to be replicated in other territories, placing sports and human rights education at the center of social transformation in Asturias.