Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan, a leading candidate to take over as the head of world soccer, has outlined his plans to clean up the ‘world game’ and use it as a focus for helping refugees.

Writing in TIME Magazine, The Prince – currently President of the Jordan Football Association – tells of his plans to redesign FIFA to achieve “support of development programs”.

Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan has outlined his plans to use the world game as a focus for helping refugees

He says he intends to use these reforms and redirection of funds and revenue to provide assistance, support and hope to Syrian and other refugees, many of them living in exile in Jordan.

According to the Prince, Jordan currently is home to over 600,000 refugees from Syria, a number which is increasing by 3000 daily.

“Jordan is struggling to cope and actively assist with the integration of refugees into the community,” he said.

“The camps set up to support refugees are hot, dusty and challenging places”, and exist in “desolate and treeless stretches of desert” within Jordan, according to the Prince.

He said Jordan was also struggling to cope with the influx of refugees, seeking access to basic necessities such as “food, shelter and medical care”.

Approximately half of the refugees in Jordan are children who, in an unstable and harsh environment, would greatly benefit from values that the game of football teaches.

The Prince says that soccer has the ability to play an important role in the support of child Syrian refugees currently in Jordan.

He says under his presidency it can act as a “global unifying force for good”.

In the TIME article Prince Hussein emphasised the need for an increasingly open and transparent approach to the presidency and laid out his plans to reform FIFA, recently at the centre of allegations of corruption.

He said some of the organisation’s $US2 billion-plus annual revenue would be put towards resources to support future worldwide development of the game and refugees.

The prince plans to set up regional development offices in conjunction with existing FIFA staff. The future program would allow for flexibility and deliver international support and assistance when necessary, according to Hussein.

This approach will not only rebuild the levels of trust that FIFA has lost due to its history of corruption, but will allow for real benefits to Syrian refugees, he said.

While the children’s future remains uncertain, Hussein emphasises how football can assist in not only bringing joy to the children, but also providing much needed structure to their lives.

”Football can transcend race, culture, religion and ethnicity can be truly universal,” the Prince said.

He said football could then assist in instilling values of “teamwork” and “personal discipline” into the children’s lives.

“Football has the distinct ability to deliver so much more than a simple sporting contest; it can provide happiness, relief and normality for children,” the Prince said.

Gabrielle Chen
AMES Australia Staff Writer