#everydayisa2ndchance. This is the hashtag – together with #CHANCE and # Erasmusplus – launched in December by the numerous partners who participated in the European project CHANCE, which means opportunities. A name – a noun, to be exact – chosen not by chance, because second chances are at the center of the project: the main objective of CHANCE, which has developed since the beginning of 2019 with a small extension due to the emergency health, was to train operators who take care of minors who live alternative measures to prison. As many as 9 European realities involved: the Freedom Gate Greece association – leader of CHANCE, the UISP Committee Ciriè Settimo Chivasso, the Association Sport For All Suceava and the European Strategy Consulting from Romania, the Courage Foundation and the United Professional for Sustainable Development Association from Bulgaria, the Probation Service of Greece, the Fundación Diagrama from Spain and the Silta-Valmennus from Finland.
On the afternoon of Friday 10 December, to coincide with the International Day of Human Rights, at the headquarters of Freedom Gate Greece, in Athens, a conference was held in mixed form – that is, with various subjects in attendance, including the Director of the Committee Roberto Rinaldi and the volunteer of the Civil Service Alexandra Marchino, and others connected through the Zoom platform – in order to share the results of the project. On this occasion, various topics were discussed: from the role of volunteering and the involvement of the community in juvenile justice systems, but also research in questioning the idea of imposing more severe penalties as a means of preventing crime. In particular, it was underlined that the December awareness campaign aims to promote the benefits of sanctions and alternative measures, both for young people who have problems with the law, and for society as a whole, so that the latter understands its advantages. Sport is undoubtedly one of the most useful means of rehabilitation, as Rinaldi explained in his speech.
“One of the questions that may arise is why a sports association within a project like this? The answer is simple: because UISP has in its DNA the vocation to help disadvantaged people and on this occasion we wanted to make our small contribution to the project itself “, underlined Rinaldi, also making a brief overview of what has been achieved by now. almost 15 years precisely at the level of social integration. “The target to which the project addressed for us was certainly particular since, despite a great experience in the field of integration of disadvantaged children, we have never dealt with young people in probation conditions. It was a great challenge, in which we believed a lot ”concluded Rinaldi, recalling that the social, physical, psychological and educational benefits of sport have now been scientifically proven. For those wishing to learn more about the topic, the Conference is fully visible – in English – on the Facebook page of the Chance project – Changing Lives by Community Engagement.