Autographed England team football lands in the net for UN refugee agency

World sports stars are playing hard to promote United Nations causes, with England’s World Cup football team autographing a soccer ball for auction to help refugees and Asian cricketers teaming up with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to boost girls’ education and fight HIV/AIDS.

“During a time when so many nations come together and converse in the international language of football, this auction is a rare opportunity to get a prized England ball and help ease the serious problems faced by people forced to flee their homes,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative to Britain Bemma Donkoh said of the auction being conduct on eBay until July 4.

The football, on sale during the World Cup, is one of two donated by UNHCR goodwill ambassador Giorgio Armani and is signed by the England team’s captain David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and many more stars.

“As England prepares to face Portugal in the quarter-final of the World Cup (on Saturday), a lucky bidder has the chance to win an incredible England team football and thus help ease the plight of refugees around the world,” Ms. Donkoh said. “A significant number of refugees around the world are children and youths who, like their peers in other countries, dream of playing one day for their national side in the World Cup.”

The UNHCR ball should soar in value if England reaches and wins the final in Berlin on 9 July.

Meanwhile half a world away the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and UNICEF renewed their international partnership for children, this time not only promoting girls’ education in South Asia and the right of all children to enjoy healthy recreation, but also supporting the Global Campaign on HIV/AIDS – Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS.

“UNICEF’s partnership with the Asian Cricket Council is very important to us,” UNICEF Regional Director Cecilia Lotse said. “Children are often overlooked in the AIDS agenda as well as in the response.

“There are still also too many children, particularly girls, out of school and an uneducated person is more at risk from avoidable diseases including AIDS. In South Asia cricket can help get over vital messages that could save the lives of millions and improve the lives of billions,” she added.

The agreement, first signed in 2004, has led to major events promoting girls’ education in Pakistan, Bangladesh and at the Asia Cricket Cup that year. A full ‘Meena’ film promoting the right of girls to play and go to school featuring the cartoon character and school friends playing cricket against other girls was produced by the UNICEF Regional Office.