Target: Mattias Grafstrom, Secretary General of FIFA
Goal: Protect workers and fans from violations of human rights.
Saudi Arabia has been selected to host soccer’s World Cup in 2034. The selection stirred controversy for a number of reasons, ranging from environmental concerns to skepticism about the selection committee’s possible bias. But perhaps the most alarming warnings come from global human rights organizations.
FIFA, the world’s major soccer organization, reportedly commissioned a report on human rights within the country after multiple advocates expressed disappointment in the selection of a country whose leadership has long been accused of pervasive human rights abuses. Although the report seemingly greenlit Saudi Arabia, it was not transparent, and it immediately drew scrutiny from nearly a dozen international human rights agencies. Aside from the country’s track record on these issues, advocates are also worried that migrant workers who will be relied upon to build the ambitious venues will be mistreated and have their lives placed at risk. In the run-up to the previous World Cup in Qatar, thousands of workers reportedly died as a consequence of their work. And in Saudi Arabia, over 20,000 workers have allegedly died in service to another massive public project.
Advocates are calling for FIFA to put pressure on Saudi Arabia to improve working conditions and to make every effort to clean up its spotty overall human rights record. Sign the petition below to echo these calls for better treatment.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Secretary General Grafstrom,
“We are treated like beggars. There is little time to rest. We get tired. We suffer from anxiety day and night.” One anonymous migrant worker in Saudi Arabia spoke for many fellow workers, likely including the 20,000-plus workers who have died because of the nation’s Vision 2030 plan. Do you truly want the World Cup – a spectacle that is supposed to bring together diverse peoples – to become synonymous with more tragedy?
Please listen to the valid concerns about Saudi mistreatment of workers and of other disadvantaged populations. Most importantly, act on the demands that Saudi leaders enact a stronger and more transparent focus on human rights. If this nation is to host the world, it must respect and honor its own people.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Darya Sannikova
168 Signatures