On the 28th of April, the Social Responsibility team of the CEMS Club St. Gallen organized a Multicultural Sports Day, where students and refugees of the St. Gallen area spent a sporty afternoon with soccer and dance.
The sports day started with a warm welcome and a brief introduction of the game rules. The boys were obviously in deep love with soccer and could not wait to start the game. Fortunately, that day we had a lot of sun brightening the smiles of the participants and drying the sweat 😉. The students participating in the soccer tournament demonstrated not only supreme skills but also the welcoming and open spirit of the CEMS community.
At the same time, the girls were also very active learning different kinds of dances. We were glad to have Cansu, a fellow CEMSie originally from Turkey who is passionate about dancing, as our teacher motivating the various participants. At first, both CEMSies and refugees were a little shy, but soon they were involved in the music and dance and illustrated their talent. The dancing room was full of laughter and enjoyment. We heard a lot of compliments from participants: “This is super cool!”
When playing soccer and dancing, there is no difference between nations and ethnicities. Even if people don’t speak the same language, they can enjoy each other’s company when playing the same game and dancing to the same music. What matters more is that people respect each other and push the integration process forward. For the refugees, a better integration will ensure them more friends, more fun, and of course more opportunities in terms of education and work. For the local people, a better integration will bring more diversity and vitality to the society. An integrated society will benefit all stakeholders and create a better life for everyone in it.
We are glad that by organizing this sports day the CEMS Club St. Gallen has been able to contribute to the integration of refugees and deepen the understanding and friendship on both sides. We want to thank every participant for making the sports day a happy and interesting day!
Xini An | CEMS Club St. Gallen