Former FC Barcelona star discusses racial prejudice with students at the Born Centre Cultural
Lilian Thuram was in Barcelona on Tuesday to speak to the pupils on the ‘FutbolNet’ programme about racism. The Frenchman described his own personal experiences and helped the children to get a better understanding of the cultural background of racism and discrimination in modern society.
The venue was the Born Centre Cultural in the city centre and the session was attended by about 30 children who are taking the ‘FutbolNet’ programme in association with the Barcelona City Council. It was designed to be interactive, with the children getting the chance to ask Thuram about the matter, get ideas from him and exchange impressions. The Foundation was represented by its patron Jordi Bellmunt.
‘FutbolNet’ is about much more than learning sport. It works on a number of different values and encourages the children to participate in debates like this and go on cultural visits, among other activities.
Lilian Thuram is deeply involved in his own programme called ‘Education against racism’, associated to the Lilian Thuram Foundation that the former French international set up in 2008 in order to destroy myths associated with racism and intolerance on the basis of his conviction that history has conditioned people to construct racist attitudes that modern society needs to destruct. The project organises educational activities and events to use schools and sport as a means to encourage young people to think differently about such a serious issue.