Al-Qalam 
By Al-Qalam Reporter
In an inspiring fusion of sport and activism, the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation recently hosted a youth dialogue event that brought together the Burj Al-Luqluq Soccer Team from Jerusalem and youth from Langa, Khayelitsha, and Hout Bay.
The event, hosted in collaboration with the Sports Stepping Stones (SSS) Foundation and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), focused on connecting the struggles of Palestine and South Africa through the profound legacy of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the enduring power of solidarity in the global fight for freedom.
Highlighting the essence of unity, the event was steeped in the legacy of Archbishop Desmond Tutu as participants explored the parallels between the decades-long struggle of the Palestinian people and South Africa’s own fight against apartheid
The Tutu Center said that this program was an incredible exchange of culture through dialogue, singing, dancing, football and food. “It was an honour to build this meaningful connection and we look forward to nurturing it in the years to come.”
Tasneem Cassiem Khan, the co-CEO of the SSS Foundation, said that although the organisation focuses on uplifting youth through sport, an important part of their work is connecting the lived realities of these youth in fostering empathy and understanding through dialogue. “The dialogues and storytelling aspect of the tours are the most important part, hence only one game is played giving more time for collaboration,” she stated.
This is the third Palestinian soccer team the SSS Foundation has brought to South Africa since the current Genocide started in October 2023. Cassiem explained, “As our name suggests, sports has been one of the main focuses of our organisation, and one of our main objectives is to facilitate the training of sports coaches to deliver services to schools.” In addition to this, the organisation facilitates various activities with a commitment to social change through sport.
Professor Usuf Chikte of the PSC explained that in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, memory plays a crucial role in preserving the history and experiences of the Palestinian people, countering dominant Israeli narratives and inspiring resistance against occupation and oppression. “This event was an educational experience of dialogue, drawing from memories of struggle both in Palestine and South Africa by reasserting narratives through shared experiences of everyday life which counter mainstream propaganda of who we are, where we come from and where we are heading as a society and our agency in constructing stories identities, histories and contributions,” he said.
Prof Chikte emphasised that the anti-settler colonial struggles currently taking place in Palestine resonate not only with our past struggles against colonialism, slavery, segregation and apartheid since 1994 but also remind us about the unresolved legacies we face in South Africa, where oppression, inequality and exploitation are still rife. He stated, “Although apartheid legislation has been abolished in South Africa, its legacy is still deeply rooted in our untransformed society which is reflected in the unequal distribution of access to education, healthcare and jobs for instance.”
He stated that in addition to commitments to active protests and boycotting, programs like these bridge divides in the struggle for liberation. “We brought people together across different continents, climates, cuisines, customs, age groups, gender and languages, particularly from Cape Town and its environs and that of Jerusalem to connect and unite in the cause of liberation through our common humanity.”
