Peace Field and Slavia Assistance to Ukraine
Home match of the 3rd round of the UEFA Europa League against Ukrainian Dnipro-1 will have a symbolic significance for Slavia and our opponent. During the joint lunch of both clubs, there will be an inauguration of Eden as the first "Peace Field" in the Czech Republic, and both teams dedicate their pre-match ceremony in the evening to supporting the war-torn country.
First Peace Field in the Czech Republic
The project of the International Children´s Football Association (ICFA) "The Peace Fields" is inspired by the events of 1914 when Germans and Britons on the Western Front of World War I agreed to a so-called Christmas truce. In addition to singing carols togehther, both sides played several football matches. Although they returned to fighting afterwards, this act of humanity in a difficult moment is a symbol and inspiration to this day. Football has the power to change lives and influence society.
"We are proud that Eden is the first Peace Field in the Czech Republic and Slavia has joined our project. We look forward to supporting young people across communities and using football to build a relationship with fair play," said Ernie Brennan, director of the International Children´s Football Association.
The inauguration of Eden as a "Peace Field" will symbolically take place before the match against Ukrainian Dnipro-1. The team from a country that has been a victim of Russian aggression for the second year needs our support.
"From today, we can symbolically remind ourselves every day of the values of peace, human rights, and fair treatment in interpersonal relationships. Not just in football. At the same time, we welcome the new cooperation with the Football for Development platform and look forward to joint projects focused mainly on developmental and leisure activities for children and youth," said Michaela Schejbalová, CSR Manager of SK Slavia Prague.
The status of Eden as a "Peace Field" doesn´t obligate Slavia in any way but aligns it with the other 67 sites that not only symbolize the events of Christmas 1914 every day but also extend the message of peace to the current events in the world around us. Additionally, the club will gain official partnership with ICFA and the opportunity to develop further community projects within its scope. Not only in the Czech Republic but also in the rest of the world.
The patron of the project in our country is the Football for Development platform, which since 2006 has connected at-risk children and youth, organizations from all over the world using sports for education and development, the academic sphere, and football communities across society. Together with this organization, we will support activities that will lead future generations to recognize peace and freedom as fundamental human values.
"We value the cooperation with Slavia in activities with a positive impact on our society. We appreciate that the discussions do not stay at the table but lead to concrete actions and direct support for those in need. By inaugurating the Peace Field, we symbolically start our collaboration and will continue to look for opportunities to help and develop young people through football," commented Veronika Dobrovská, Communications Manager of Football for Development.
Our Activities to Support Ukraine
Immediately after the Russian invasion, Slavia started helping in all areas. Employees, players, fans, and our club partners got involved. We have highlighted the main points of our support:
Accommodation for refugees. Since March 2022, Hotel Slavia has become one of the largest emergency accommodations for refugees from Ukraine. Mostly women and children. We helped more than a hundred refugees obtain visas, insurance, or medical assistance. Moreover, thanks to cooperation with the city district, children have started attending school here.
Maksym Kravchuk. The fourteen-year-old orphan lost his parents due to the war and came to the Czech Republic thanks to the work of volunteers from Team 4 Ukraine and his sister. Based on a tweet about the young goalkeeper by Adam Nenadál, the Chairman of the Board of SK Slavia Prague, Jaroslav Tvrdík, contacted him and became his guardian.
Purchase of generators. Slavia, together with other European clubs, joined the European Football Powers Up Ukraine project initiated by EFDN and Shakhtar Donetsk. As part of this project, we donated five generators to a humanitarian centre in Lviv and other publicly accessible places throughout the country.
Charity auctions. A collection auction, in which Slavia players participated before the UEFA European Conference League match against Fenerbahçe Istanbul, raised more than 300,000 CZK. Ukrainian defender Maksym Talovjerov also organized a charity auction. Funds were raised for a heart pump that helps doctors intervene directly in the centre of the conflict. In total, hundreds of thousands CZK were raised for a good cause.
Before the match with Dnipro-1, Slavia will provide financial support to the Pomagayem organization, which will use it to help severely ill or war-affected Ukrainian children directly in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
"The history of humanity is about symbols. Small and big. We believe that each one has meaning. We want the whole world to see that we stand with Ukraine. We have been supporting it since the beginning of Russian aggression and will continue to do so. In addition to supporting charitable activities directly in Ukraine, there will be another auction of ´We Stand with Ukraine´ shirts after the match," added Jakub Splavec, Director of Strategic Communication at SK Slavia Prague.
