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Context: During the match between Germany and Japan in the ongoing FIFA world cup at Qatar, the OneLove armband came under the spotlight when it was worn by Germany’s interior minister Nancy Faeser, as she watched the game seated next to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Details:

• The OneLove armband, for instance, has become a major flashpoint between teams, FIFA, Qatar with its strict homosexuality laws, and the LGBTQ+ movement.
• At the beginning of the football season in The Netherlands in 2020, the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) started a campaign called OneLove. Its aim was to propagate the belief that “differences don’t matter” because all fans and players have a common love for the beautiful game.
• By wearing the OneLove armband, the players emphasise upon a message to “unite and connect, and that they are against any form of discrimination anywhere in the world.”
• The campaign does not specifically mention the LGBTQ+ community. Rather it symbolises the pride all people have in their heritage, race, gender identity and sexual orientation.
• The design of the logo is a heart-shaped flag with rainbow colours and the number ‘one’ in the middle.
• The rainbow colours have become symbolic of the LGBTQ+ identity ever since gay artist and drag queen Gilbert Baker designed the first rainbow flag in 1978. In the OneLove logo, the rainbow heart sits between the words #one and love.
• The international caption of the campaign is “Football has the power to unite people”. It was inspired by a speech by Nelson Mandela at the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards in 2000.
• The hero of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa had said, “Sports has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand.” Mandela was a sports enthusiast, who believed in the power of sports to bring communities together.
• The captains of seven European teams were planning to wear the armband at the World Cup to make a statement against host nation Qatar’s laws against same-sex relationships.
• Citing Qatari laws, FIFA threatened to punish captains wearing the armbandwith yellow cards.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-culture/fifa-world-cup-onelove-armband-protest-nelson-mandela-8288070/

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