January 09, 2015 at Testing Grounds in Melbourne, VIC.
with A Film Screening too (TBC)
You’re invited to participate in an historic moment in World Football, Politics and Art.
You have the chance to kick a goal for Palestine during the WHOLE Asian Cup Football Tournament Period! All ages and skill level welcome!
A set of mini football goals will be placed in the TESTING GROUNDS public art space during the whole period of the
AFC Asian Cup, January 9th to January 31st, 2015. (see below for further participation instructions)
The open air art space is just behind the Arts Centre Melbourne (Just off St Kilda Road, Melbourne) – a set of steps will lead you there.
Brief History of Palestinian football.
The AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Asian Cup tournament is coming to Australia in January 2015. There will be approximately 800 million viewers watching the tournament from around the world. There will also be eyes on a specific team: Palestine. Not only has Palestine qualified for the first time in a major international football tournament, but professional football players have been waging a struggle for acceptance and self determination against a crippling apartheid system forced upon it by the state of Israel over the past several decades. The Palestinian Football Association, founded in 1928, was only recently legitimised by football’s world governing body FIFA in 1998, and many of the team members come from various parts of the world including Sweden and Chile as a result of years of Israel’s brutal military occupation.
THE SIMPLE STEPS TO PARTICIPATE:
1. It’s easy – just kick a soccer ball into a goal at TESTING GROUNDS. Goals and ball provided, but bring your own if you wish.
2. Document your action through still photograph or video and post to this page if you wish
3. Peoples’ goals will be logged. All done!
POLITICAL MILESTONES:
1. Once 7 people have kicked goals – the milestone represents the 7 times Jawhar Nasser Jawhar (teenage Palestinian Footballer) was shot in the left foot by the Israeli Defense Force at a checkpoint.
2. Once 22 goals are reached – the milestone represents the age of professional Palestinian footballer Mahmoud Al Sarsak when he was imprisoned by Israel for no apparent reason.
3. Once 96 goals are reached – the milestone represents the number of days Sarsak was on hunger strike in an Israeli prison, which eventually secured his release.
There will be more milestones to be worked out if needed!
More announcements will be made on this page.
Other groups that support Palestinian Football are welcome to work alongside this project!
Any questions, please contact Van T Rudd through personal message.