[Barcelona] Barca in fight against injustice and poverty

from The Malasian Star

Spanish champions Barcelona have shelved plans to seek commercial sponsorship for their team shirts and have decided instead to use the club's name and resources to finance humanitarian projects.

Barca president Joan Laporta said on Tuesday that the club's board had agreed to donate 0.7% of annual income starting from the 2006/07 season to the United Nations as a contribution to the organisation's Millennium Development Goals campaign.

“This is the biggest (sporting) initiative to raise awareness of poverty the world has seen,” said Laporta.

“Barcelona will become the first sporting institution to establish an alliance of this order with an institution like the UN in order to fight against poverty and injustice in the world.

“The growth in the club's income has allowed us to take a decision of this type,” he added.

Barcelona, whose motto in Catalan is “mes que un club” (more than just a club) predict that income for the present season will reach some 240mil euros.

The UN's Millennium campaign aims to reduce extreme poverty, hunger and infant mortality, achieving universal primary education and promoting sexual equality.

Laporta confirmed that Barcelona's famous scarlet and blue shirts would not be sponsored by a commercial brand but could be used instead to promote humanitarian causes.

“We are planning on using the shirts to carry a humanitarian message as part of our plans to become more than a club in the rest of the world,” he said.