"Field of Dreams": The Football United song
The Laureus-supported project Football United has released a music video of their official song.
The Australia-based Football United project, which aims to foster social inclusion and cohesion within areas with high refugee settlement and disadvantaged communities, released their new song called "Field of Dreams" in honour of Australia’s national Harmony week. The song premiered at a Sydney FC game, honouring Football United.
In 2010, Football United launched an award winning documentary, Passport to Hope, which caught the attention of singer/song-writer Brian Elkington. He approached Football United with a proposal to write a song to celebrate the force that unites youth through football. He stated: "I am blessed to be able to share my song in the country that has welcomed me so warmly. I want to spread the message that sport unites."
Football United Founding Director Anne Bunde-Birouste also added: “Other than football, there is nothing like the passion for music to move people. Through Field of Dreams we join these two powerful forces to support youth and promote harmony – in Australia and hopefully across the world."
Naisa Lasalosi, a Tongan immigrant who attends a local high school, and Mandela Mathia, a Football United youth leader and coach from Blacktown, provide vocals for the song and feature prominently in the video. Anne Bunde-Birouste, Football United youth and Sydney FC players Terry McFlynn, Vedran Janjetovi?, Fabio, and Ali Abbas also join in chorus.
Football United began in 2006 with the goal of supporting refugee and newly-arrived young people and families in their transition into Australian society; rapidly it became apparent that many youth from disadvantages situations cannot access the sport they love. Football United evolved to include any child wanting to join. It uses the magic of football to bring people together for the common goal of creating harmonious and cohesive communities. Football is an ideal tool to foster socialisation. It is relatively inexpensive, enjoys worldwide enthusiasm and is designed as a non-violent sport. It is played by both genders, thus is non-exclusive. It provides transferable skills of fair play, tolerance, inclusion and understanding of oneself, team mates and opponents alike. It teaches of responsibility, winning, losing and participation. It can address diverse and complex issues, such as children’s rights, peace building, education, health promotion and anti-discrimination. Most of all, however, it is fun.
