#passtheball Soccer for social change

USA - English

• Latin America - español

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Emilio Azcarraga Jean, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Grupo Televisa; the Sao Paulo and Rio Hubs of the World Economic Forum's community of Global Shapers; Vik Muniz, Brazilian artist and photographer; Director Juan Rendon and Jurgen Griesbeck, founder and CEO of streetfootballworld, have joined forces to launch the #Passtheball initiative at an event that took place last Friday in Rio de Janeiro as part of the documentary This is not a Ball. #Passtheball is aimed at highlighting the aspect of soccer that engages young people as a means of teaching them important life skills and creating opportunities for a brighter future.

This is not a Ball is an inspiring film that explores different cultures' innate passion for the simplest of objects: the soccer ball. Produced by Videocine, an affiliate of Grupo Televisa, this powerful documentary challenges the audience while simultaneously empowering them to take action.

Vik Muniz makes the viewer an active participant in the film by presenting opportunities to collaborate both during and after the movie plays. Over 20,000 soccer balls were used to construct two art installation pieces in Brazil and Mexico. Those soccer balls will be repurposed and sold as part of This is not a Ball's fundraising effort, #Passtheball -- a powerful social movement that enables the documentary to transcend the two-dimensional cinematic experience by impacting the world around us.

Supported by the globally respected entity in social impact and the unparalleled experts in development through soccer, Fundacion Televisa and streetfootballworld respectively, the newly created #Passtheball global initiative is a collaborative effort that will benefit twelve organizations from Brazil to Sierra Leone focused on using soccer as a social tool.

"As photography becomes progressively ephemeral through its digital dissemination, my work aims to reconnect it to the senses by engaging the public with its material and physical character. This is not a Ball is part of that effort, working to collaborate with audiences through a symbiotic relationship. With the support of organizations like streetfootballworld and Fundacion Televisa, the relationship is deepened and our impact grows bigger. That is what I'm most excited about." – Vik Muniz

"Vik Muniz called upon the Global Shapers community to collaborate on how best to leverage the powerful message in his documentary, This is not a Ball. His hope, one that our community shares, is that by reaching out to young people we can make a real difference. The symbolism of the ball and the power it carries are exceptionally strong tools for our work." - Germano Guimares, member of the World Economic Forum Hub Sao Paulo.

"At Fundacion Televisa we believe that organizations have the greatest impact when everyone works together – from corporations to non-profits to individuals. That's why we are so excited about our partnership with This is not a Ball. The documentary tells a compelling story about how one simple object can change lives, and then gives viewers the chance to make a difference. We are proud to be part of this movement for social good, backed by talented artists and incredible partners. Let's make a difference together." - Emilio Azcarraga Jean.

"Film and soccer share the ability to engage, inspire and motivate millions of people around the world. We're thrilled to be collaborating with respected artist and activist, Vik Muniz, and we're looking forward to working with Vik and Emilio Azcarraga at Fundacion Televisa. Our team has seen, firsthand, how passion for soccer can generate social impact around the globe and we can't wait to share the story with the world." - Jurgen Griesbeck.

This is not a Ball transforms the power of the ball into an innovative social movement that seeks to make a positive impact in the world.

Note to editors:

Documentary is now available in Netflix
Make a donation and #passtheball: https://donate.thisisnotaball.com/eng/donate
Become a fan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisnotaball
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisisnotaball
Watch the trailer on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thisisnotaball

Fundacion Televisa: http://www.fundaciontelevisa.org/ 
Sao Paulo and Rio Hubs of the World Economic Forum's community of Global Shapers: http://www.globalshapers.org/hubs/sao-paulo 
Street Football World: www.streetfootballworld.org/

Propeller Strategies helped shape the social impact campaign for the documentary and designed the communications strategy.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140623/120619

SOURCE Propeller Strategies