It’s hard to believe that, next Saturday, nine years will have passed since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Those of us who are old enough will never forget the images of that day – the immense cloud of smoke as the towers fell, the crowds of confused people covered in ash, firefighters searching for survivors in the rubble – or the feelings that ensued – anger, patriotism, a need to come together as a country.

Two years ago, President Bush declared “volunteering” an appropriate form of remembrance for that day. Thus, in an effort to replace the bad images and to perpetuate the sentiment of unity that developed from the event, four agencies (MyGoodDeed, HandsOn Network, The Corporation for National and Community Service and 9/11 Memorial) have come together to develop The 9/11 National Day of Service. This event, now in its second year, brings together millions of Americans by encouraging them to volunteer for, or otherwise support, charitable causes nationwide.

The event’s website, 911dayofservice.org, features a database of causes to support. It also has lesson plans for service-learning and suggestions for teaching youth to remember the day itself.

This project is an important means of perpetuating the power of unity that came out of the attacks, as well as a means of promoting understanding. By raising awareness of September 11 in a positive light, the initiative helps prevent hatred, anger and racism that the memories might otherwise evoke, encouraging greater global understanding.

We hope that, this year, you’ll remember the lives lost by joining a project in your community. What are you planning this September 11? Tell us your story in a comment below!

Photo credit here.

Co-hosts Nike and Ashoka Changemakers recently announced the winners for a global competition that unified the themes of sport, youth development and community involvement. The competition, called “Changing Lives through Football,” asked for proposals for projects that use football (soccer) to encourage unity and social change, especially among youth.

Running in conjunction with the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the competition generated significant interest and received nearly 300 entries from places as far as Rwanda and Iraq to those as close as New York City. Three global winners and three regional winners, from Brazil, the UK and Africa, were announced August 25 on the Changemakers website.

The Grand Prize Global Winner entry, which intends to overcome discrimination and raise awareness for people living with HIV/AIDS, was submitted by the Indonesia-based organization Rumah Cemara. This entry was selected due to its potential for growth beyond the conceptual stage; Rumah Cemara implemented the idea over two years ago and has already seen its project significantly impact the West Java community it serves. The organization supports six teams of people living with HIV, which play against teams not from the HIV community. The weekly matches improve the confidence and health of those living with HIV, while raising awareness for others in the community. Rumah Cemara received $30,000 to fund their continued efforts.

Other winners include the Guatemalan organization love.fútbol, whose project aims to build soccer fields for at-risk youth to keep them off the streets and give them new opportunities, and FC Unity’s “Team Iraq”, designed to unite youth of different religious backgrounds and prevent future violence and extremism.

This promising competition draws attention to the ever-present necessity of engaging youth everywhere in their communities. The winning organizations encourage young people to get involved by speaking in the unifying language of sport.

Photo credit here.