by Inter Campus representatives for the Inter Campus Bosnia project took place. This initiative has for years represented a concrete example of sports diplomacy, promoting inclusion, education and peaceful coexistence through football.
The Inter Campus project of the football club FC Internazionale has been active in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1999. Since 2011, it has collaborated with the Sprofondo-Thalia Association in Sarajevo and with the Sportski Club Dubrave Association in Domanovici (Mostar), with the aim of using football to support ethnic reconciliation, assist children from disadvantaged backgrounds, and train local educators through periodic technical and pedagogical updates.
In Sarajevo, approximately fifty children aged between 6 and 13 years from different ethnicities and nationalities, coming from vulnerable families and precarious economic conditions, have been enrolled in the project. “Sport conveys universal values such as respect, fairness and cooperation. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, these values take on an even deeper significance: the process of inter-ethnic reconciliation is not yet fully complete, and every initiative capable of fostering dialogue and encounters among the different components of society therefore represents a valuable contribution,” observed Ambassador Castellani.
The project will continue in the coming days in Domanovici. “All children have the right to play. Through play and sharing, children learn to know and recognise one another, laying the foundations for peaceful and respectful coexistence — a fundamental investment, as they will be the adults of tomorrow,” stated Christian Valerio, Head of Inter Campus.
“Projects like this demonstrate the effectiveness of sports diplomacy as a vehicle for social cohesion and for building lasting relationships between communities,” added Ambassador Castellani, thanking the Inter Campus coordinators, the President of the Sprofondo-Thalia Association, Hajrjia Javirnicki, and all local educators.
Special thanks were addressed to the participating children: “Today you receive a new jersey, a symbol that unites you as a team. Wear it with joy, have fun, and remember that playing together is already a way of building a shared future.” concluded Ambassador Castellani.
