1/. “Everything I know about morality & the obligations of men I owe to football” (Camus)
Football teaches us about team work & camaraderie, courage & fair play but most importantly it teaches us that some things are more important than winning #AFCON2021
2/. The lessons offered by football extend beyond our individual & collective behaviours
Just as FIFA sets the rules of the game on the pitch, so bodies such as the UN, set out rules on the world stage through a framework of intn'l law #AfricaCupOfNations
3/. Just as the rules of football ensure fairness on the pitch, so human rights ensure fairness around the world
Footballers should be free to express themselves on the pitch in the same way we should all be free to express our views & beliefs. #AFCON2021
4/. Just as footballers should be able to move around the pitch, so people should have freedom of assembly
Just as footballers shouldn't be shown the red card for no reason, so no one should be arbitrarily arrested, abused or detained without a fair trial
5/. Like the rules of football, human rights are well established & internationally agreed
Just as teams must respect the rules of the game, so nations are must uphold intn’l human rights law
If they fail to do so, @amnesty & @hrw will blow the whistle.
6/. Just as video technology/VAR is now being used to help football referees, so sophisticated digital tools & satellite technology are helping human rights organizations expose crimes, identify rights abuses & try to end impunity #AfricaCup #AFCON2021 #AFCON #AfricanCupofNations
7/. Like a manager withdrawing his team mid-tournament, Trump withdrew the US from the UN Human Rights Council in 2018
The US - alongside Iran, North Korea & Eritrea - is now in a small group of countries now outside the UNHRC
It is also one of 7 countries not party to the ICC
8/. Imagine the chaos at #AFCON2021 if one team ignored the rules & was allowed to get away with it
Other teams would be encouraged to do the same
Players would be handling the ball & fouling each other ignoring the whistles of the referee & the incandescent rage of the crowd.
9/. Some world leaders try to justify human rights violations on grounds of national security, but the truth is there can be no genuine security without human rights
Other leaders - in Africa, Asia, the Americas & Europe - don't even try to justify their attacks on human rights.
10/. Just as a football team at the #AFCON2021 that egregiously & repeatedly indulged in foul play would face fines, points deductions or even disqualification, so it is time for the world to come together & to show rights abusing governments the red card.
11/. #AFCON2021 is being held in #Cameroon, a country with a poor human rights record
In 2010, went to @PR_Paul_BIYA's palace for lavish 50th anniversary independence celebrations
But I also visited Yaoundé prison to investigate the death of journalist.
inthesetimes.com/article/where-…
12/. But in terms of corruption it is Western counties who are in the Premiere League
In 2016, mafia expert @robertosaviano said the UK is most corrupt country in the world with “90% of the owners of capital in London having their HQs offshore”
Brexit gave more power to cartels
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