Young Leaders from around the world joined together with Manchester City coaches via Webex by Cisco to discuss the importance of healthy, active lifestyles, and promoting gender equality and inclusivity through their programmes.
The quarterly Forums provide a regular opportunity for Young Leaders to connect with each other to share learning and innovation on using the power of football to uplift the health and wellbeing of young people in their communities.
Delivered in five different languages, this month’s Forum featured a live 90-minute interactive discussion, coaching tips from City coaches, and an educational task for Young Leaders to highlight International Women’s Day in their communities.
To mark International Women’s Day, OSCAR Foundation in Mumbai, India, who Cityzens Giving and Cisco have supported since 2019, organised several events across the city around the theme of DigitALL, Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality, inviting mothers of programme participants to take part in workshops to learn how to use tablets, mobile devices and basic applications, followed by fun football activities.
Shruti, a Young Leader in Mumbai said: “It’s great that we’re teaching mothers to play football and use mobile devices. Growing up, I saw that our parents were not comfortable using mobile devices despite how important they are in daily life. I’m happy to be part of these unique Women’s Day celebrations.”
Gareth Hughes, International Programmes Manager at City’s global foundation, said: “It is amazing to see so many Young Leaders around the world engaged in discussions on using football to uplift and empower young people in their communities. Our projects are run by female and male role models, who inspire children to get involved in football. In particular, we’ve seen girls’ participation grow year on year as young girls look up to the Young Leaders providing these opportunities.”
Christina Leong, Global Sports Sponsorships Marketing Manager at Cisco, added: “Supporting City Football Foundation and the quarterly Digital Forums are truly a highlight of our partnership with Manchester City.
“There’s no better use of our Webex technology than to be used to bring together young people from around the world of diverse backgrounds who are committed to making a positive impact on their communities.
“This is a wonderful manifestation of Cisco’s corporate purpose to power a more inclusive future for all.”
The remaining Forum of this season will take place in early June and focus on creating safe, healthy and inclusive spaces for young people to play, connect and learn.
The Digital Forums are a key part of Cityzens Giving’s digital learning network, powered by Cisco, which drives year-round connectivity across projects and Young Leaders globally.
