04.12.2008 12:24
MÉS, a new challenge for solidarity
www.fcbarcelona.cat
FC Barcelona, in association with ACNUR and Nike, have joined forces to promote a new charity project called MÉS that seeks to foster education through sport for vulnerable children and refugees around the world.
Based around the slogan of 'Més que un club', a new solidarity campaign has been launched today,
involving the Fundación FC Barcelona, sportswear multinational Nike and the UN agency for refugees,
ACNUR.
The best team
The three organisations wish to form an unbeatable team as they promote a project aimed at
supporting some of the most vulnerable children and refugees in the world. To do this, they have
created the MÉS brand, and exclusive range of sports clothing and goods especially designed by
Nike. The profits from the sales of these products will be distributed by the Fundación FC
Barcelona and ACNUR.
Ninemillion.org
Since
the agreement was established between the Fundación FC Barcelona and ACNUR in January 2008, the two
entities have been working to improve the conditions of refugees in such countries as Rwanda,
Ecuador and Nepal. The new MÉS project seeks to make them the beneficiaries of a new range of
sports products through sponsorship of the
ninemillion.org
website managed by ACNUR, which uses sport and education to help children at risk on an
international basis.
Contributions of the project
The websites
mesfutbol.org
and
mesfootball.org
explain how these products can be obtained, and also offer plenty of details about the
project.
Global campaign
The MÉS campaign was set up by advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy and includes several
pictures featuring messages linked by the MÉS slogan. The man who took these moving photographs was
South Africa Mikhael Subotzky who immortalised a football tournament played at one of the ACNUR
refugee camps in Nakivale (Rwanda).
Union between three organisations
The MÉS campaign was all made possible though the bond established between the Fundación FC
Barcelona, ACNUR and Nike. Barça has been working with both of these partners for some time now,
and since January 2008, the Foundation and ACNUR have had a formal relationship in providing aid to
refugees.
Meanwhile, the link between FC Barcelona and Nike dates back to 1998. In 2007, they signed a
new contract that will be in place until 2013, and which includes the North American
company’s commitment to making a significant contribution to Barça’s solidarity
project. And it is out of this arrangement that MÉS was created.