Press release: Annie Lennox and HRH Crown Princess Mary to Nominate last two SDG 5 (Gender Equality) Dream Team Players.
Artist and activist Annie Lennox and Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark will be the ones to announce the last two players on the SDG 5 (Gender Equality) Dream Team ahead of the 2nd Global Goals, five - a – side soccer World Cup Final. Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess will announce her player at the opening of the event.
Today (Sept 18th) Annie Lennox announces her choice of player: Muzoon Al-Mellehan, a Syrian refugee and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
Statement by Annie Lennox:
We live in a world where famous sports heroes are elevated to the heights of bright stars serving as god like role models for their generation. But when it comes to heroic gender equality activists, this level of celebrity is not the case.
They fight their battles behind the lines, uncelebrated and unnamed, often at great personal risk, and with no reward or motivation other than creating the transformative change they want to see in the world.
The Global Goals World Cup has set out to change this.
Young gender activists from all over the world are being nominated to come together at the Global Goals World Cup activist football tournament in New York City on September 19th.
They will become the ultimate Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality) Dream Team. I have been given the honour to nominate one of the Dream Team for Gender Equality, and have no hesitation in putting forwards an inspirational young Syrian woman who demonstrates the tremendous courage and willpower to drive us all forwards towards a more equal and just world.
Muzoon Almellehan campaigns relentlessly to ensure that girls have access to education, and are able to realise their rights. She is a world class champion in her field. As part of the SDG Goal 5 Dream Team, she would receive the recognition and encouragement she deserves to elevate and scale up her exceptional work towards the goal of Gender Equality.
Thank you for your attention.
Annie Lennox
Global Goals World Cup is an international soccer initiative created by Danish Sports organization Eir- Soccer in collaboration with The UN Development Program and other partners.
Global Goals World Cup merges soccer with sustainable development advocacy in a vibrant soccer tournament. Building a global platform for women to set their own development agenda and drive progress towards reaching the UN Sustainable development Goals (SDG’s or Global Goals)
The SDG 5 Dream is an initiative by Global Goals World Cup, the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the UN, UNDP, Save the Children, UN Women and Women Deliver
As a member of the Dream Team, players spend three days in New York City during the UN General Assembly, playing in the Global Goals World Cup, participating in Global Goals Week events and giving interviews and talks. The teams is also being honored by the founders of Shamballa Jewels, who have made a limited edition bracelet for the players, to be received at an an exclusive event at the new Mercer street flagship store on September 18th.
The team will play in the GGWCup Tournament on Tuesday September 19th at Brooklyn Expo Center, 72 Noble Street, Brooklyn. At 4:30 pm. Press event from 3:30 pm (see general press release here. http://ggwcup.com/blogtest/pressrelease15th
More information about the Dream Team here http://ggwcup.com/sdg-dream-team/
To request interviews with players/more information: contact Rikke Rønholt Albertsen
rr@eirsoccer.com
The players are:
Emma Holten from Denmark
Nominated By the Danish Minister for Equal Opportunity Karen Ellemann
-A central voice in the debate that led the Danish Parliament to criminalize revenge porn.
Fatuma Adan from Kenya
Nominated by the Kenyan Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender from Kenya Mrs Sicily Kariuki.
-First Female Lawyer in Mars bit Kenya, and founder of the Horn of Africa Development Initiative.
Khalida Popal from Afghanistan
Nominated by Moya Dodd Australian soccer legend and former member of FIFA Executive Committee.
-Captain of the first women’s soccer national team in Afghanistan, and first female member of the Afghan Soccer Association
Dina Smailova from Kazakhstan
Nominated by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
-Women’s rights activist and founder of the ‘NeMolchi’ (break the silence) movement against sexual violence in Kazakhstan
Tshidi Likate from South Africa
Nominated by CEO of Save the Children International Helle Thorning-Schmidt
- founder of Bet She Can, a movement to empower girls in rural QwaQwa, creating a network of girls who motivate each other to reach their full potential.
Muzoon Almellehan from Syria
Nominated by artist and activist Annie Lennox
-Education activist and first ever refugee to be nominated as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
Assmaah Helal from Australia (Will be announced at the opening of the event on September 19th.)
Nominated by Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
- Recognized as Muslim Sportsperson of the Year in 2012 by the Australian Muslim community for her years of work to provided safe spaces for - and encourage migrant women and girls to participate in sport