The journey of One Culture Football: Inspiring unity through diversity

In the vast tapestry of Australian society, few things possess the power to unite people across diverse backgrounds quite like football. It's a sport that transcends cultural boundaries, weaving its way into the fabric of communities nationwide. Among the organizations that harness this unifying force is One Culture Football, an entity that not only celebrates the beautiful game but also promotes social inclusion and diversity.

From passion to inclusion

Upon arriving in Australia 14 years ago, Nader Ibrahim, the co-founder of One Culture Football, immediately immersed himself in the sport. “I came to Australia as a student to study community service. It was a Wednesday when I first arrived. The first thing I did was buy soccer shoes. On Thursday, I went with my brother to a football training session at a club, and on Sunday, I played my first match with my club team,” Nader shared with Jusoor Post.

Nader held a strong belief in football's ability to unite people from diverse backgrounds, allowing them to share their passion for the game and build meaningful connections across societal barriers. While pursuing his diploma in community service, he concurrently engaged in hands-on work within the field of community service.

Reflecting on this experience, Nader expressed, “Working closely in the field made me more aware of the diversity of the Australian community and its needs. I always kept my ball in the car, especially while working with kids and youth facing physical, mental or social disabilities,” emphasizing, “I witnessed firsthand the impact of engaging in football activities in fostering social inclusion and embracing diversity.”

When Nader met Joshua 

Nader excelled as a talented caseworker and caregiver, achieving remarkable results, particularly with young children through sports activities. Recalling how One Culture Football was founded, Nader stated, “Just before establishing the organization, I was working with migrants and designed a football program for them, whether they enjoyed playing football or simply watching matches. During that time, my partner in One Culture Football, Joshua Smith, was moving from Sydney to Adelaide, where I reside, to work as a youth worker. Joshua, with a bachelor of health science majoring in personal development, also hailed from a sporting background. He had played a pivotal role in creating opportunities and pathways for indigenous children through football. Upon his work in Adelaide, Joshua sought individuals in the field involved in youth inclusion through sports activities. Recommendations led him to discover my work. He initiated contact via email, and after meeting, we collaboratively established our own program while still employed at two separate organizations. Eventually, the program won the City of Adelaide's Champion of Inclusion Award in 2017.”

Nader and Joshua 

Bold move

Following the significant success achieved by Nader and Joshua, they proposed expanding the program to their respective organizations. However, the organizations showed little interest in expansion, as they were not primarily sports-focused entities. “For them, having a sports program was beneficial but not central to their mission,” Nader explained.

Faced with this realization, Nader and Joshua found themselves with two options: persist as employees and struggle to realize their vision within existing structures, or embark on their own independent project. The decision was clear to them: One Culture Football as a stand-alone non-profit organization with no associations or affiliations. 

From two laptops to two major states in Australia

One Culture Football started with Nader and Joshua working on their laptops without an office or any facilities, writing program proposals for councils. Their efforts were met with positive responses, allowing them to begin achieving their goals and implementing their vision.

Currently, One Culture Football serves two states: South Australia and New South Wales. The organization boasts a large multicultural staff originating from 34 different countries. It provides programs not only for the new arrivals but also for people with disabilities who don’t have the chance to play for club teams, offering them football, basketball, cricket, tennis and swimming.

One Culture Football rules 

“To ensure the full inclusive experience, One Culture has its own rules in matches,” Nader told Jusoor Post, stating, “No one is allowed to score a goal more than once. If they do, it won’t be counted.”

Regarding gender inclusivity, Nader noted, “Girls usually aren’t as involved in football as boys, so boys often have more training and familiarity with the game. That's why boys may hesitate to pass the ball to girls. That's why we implemented a rule that in mixed matches [that] scores must be balanced between boys and girls.” He emphasized the joy and celebration shared by both boys and girls when goals are scored, as these rules enhance teamwork values, confidence, and girl empowerment.

Impressive impacts

At the inception of One Culture Football in 2017, Nader conducted an experiment to gauge the impact of the programs on school students. “It was the first match, and the children arrived in groups: a group of Africans, a group of Afghans, a group of Syrians—each group keeping to its own members, playing on the same team,” Nader recounted to Jusoor Post.

“For the second match, we began to diversify the teams as much as possible. Initially, the players weren't very open to each other, but by the end of the match, the spirit of teamwork prevailed, and they became much more open. By the third match, we gave them the option to choose their teams, and they decided that they were open to playing with whomever,” he added.

“I remember how touched I was when one of our facilitators told me about an encounter he had on his day off. He met a girl who attends one of our programs with her mother, and the mother thanked the facilitator for the positive changes she observed in her daughter's personality. She expressed how confident the girl became, how much more social she is now, and how she made more friends, which in turn made her more active in her studying,” Nader recalled.

The impact of the organization extends beyond improving people's lives and fostering social harmony; it encompasses much broader educational dimensions. Nader highlighted the organization's role during the Covid-19 pandemic, stating, “I received a call from the Department of Health in South Australia, informing me that people from multicultural backgrounds were less willing to take the Covid vaccines. They asked how One Culture Football could help raise awareness.”

Nader proposed a sports day, titled World Cup, featuring individuals from 24 different countries along with their friends and family, where mobile clinics for vaccines would be provided by the Health Department. Additionally, an advertisement featuring Australian white players and Australian Aboriginal players from the Adelaide United club was planned to encourage vaccine uptake.

“The project was a huge success. The audience was at least 40,000, and we received feedback from the Health Department that it was the most successful program they had conducted,” Nader proudly stated, adding, “The most rewarding thing in my job is to see the positive impact of your hard work on the lives of people, especially the marginalized.”