Princess Rani Vanouska Modely is the Founder of the Football World Heritage Organization, and the official ambassador delegate to lead the candidacy of Football as a world intangible heritage to be registered on UNESCO’s list. Rani Vanouska T.Modely is a descendant from one of the most important houses of the Indian Empire. Princess Rajput, of the Chauhan royal dynasty, heiress of the direct lineage of King Hammira-Deva Chauhan of Ranthambhore. Whose ancestor is none other than HRH Prithviraj Chauhan III, “the last Emperor of India” who ruled the kingdoms of Ajmer and Delhi in northern India. She is originally from French, British and Indo-European noble families.
Why does Princess Rani Vanouska T. Modely thinks football can change the World? The world’s systems are crumbling under economic crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, human rights problems, and so on. With this in mind, the candidacy seeks to encourage the signatory states of UNESCO and the world of football to adopt policies to support and finance social, educational, and charitable initiatives. Like Nelson Mandela said, “Football can change the world.”
Helping football grow means also helping poor local communities grow. As football is played mostly by kids Rani Vanouska Modely attention is focused on bringing humanitarian relief for young people all over the world. Football is creating bridges between people without distinction of language, religion, race or sex discrimination and , because of this, it is a perfect tool to change the world and promote human rights, equity and fairness. Princess Rani Vanouska T. Modely views the sport as a tool for rekindling hope in the lives of children around the world.
Vanouska Modely conceived her Football World Heritage idea when invited to the Champion’s League Final awards ceremony in Monaco in the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Football is much more than the most popular sport, it is a universal common language shared by 4.5 billion people on the planet. It, therefore, has its full place in the service of the objectives of the United Nations: education, culture, social inclusion, equality, environment and the development of the programs of nations united in the service of PEACE.
Coming back to Princess Rani Vanouska, she has often talked about the importance of the campaign and why it was Football that she picked on. She said, “In a world of uncertainty and pain there are few things that people can find joy in and football is one of them. Right from the start the sport has captured the attention of millions and promotes a spirit of togetherness and passion. One of the best things I like about the sport is the fact that everyone is equal on the field. We have so many amazing success stories around the world that began from football. There is no denying the fact that football deserves to be a part of the world heritage”
Why should Football be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site? Soccer has a double impact, that of raising the awareness of a maximum number of individuals, and advancing our society by giving hope to all children in all nations of the world. Soccer, because of its global nature, must remain a model of exemplarity and shared values. It allows us to take a new look at our fundamental challenges, breaking down all barriers in the world, to open the doors of tolerance, sharing and respect, and must show the path of Peace to be followed for our children. I think that soccer is much more than a sport, it is a universal symbol of optimism that has the natural power to draw smiles on the faces of the youngest, to accompany them in learning about life.
“Football can change the world.” It’s a common language, activity, source of health and happiness. Many football organizations have already shown support for Princess Rani Vanouska Modely and her UNESCO football candidacy bid. “We are conscious of the enormous power of the most popular sport in the world, of its capacity to act as a vehicle for universal values such as fair-play and respect and of its efficiency in the strive for social improvement that is the equality between men and women, social inclusion, tolerance, and education. We hope that Football will be saved in the Intangible Cultural Heritage list of UNESCO” – Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
What’s the goal ? Our goal is to bring a real ball to every child on the planet that cannot afford one as a universal symbol of freedom and equality. Developing football infrastructure, local projects, giving all children a place where football can be played. Football means happy and healthy kids, and there is no better investment for the future than that.
Princess Rani Vanouska T. Modely is no stranger to the world of the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, more commonly known as UNESCO. She was officially appointed to the french national comission UNESCO as a Goodwill representative in 2015, but wanted to do more than representative action. She wanted to get off the sidelines and into the game. Relying on her experience with the National comission for UNESCO, she has become the founder, president, and delegate ambassador for Football World Heritage. Football World Heritage (FWH) is a not-for-profit organization that wants football, the world’s most popular sport, to be designated as an intangible world heritage activity for humanity. Why is that the mission of Football World Heritage? Because they truly believe that football can change the world. And Princess Rani Vanouska T. Modely believes that too.
Some think at Vanouska Modely as a Mother Theresa for football and the comparison is natural if you look at the motives and the goals involved. Fighting against child poverty, fighting for human rights and happiness, that creates similarities between the two. The young beauty, Princess Rani Vanouska T. Modely thinks that football should be registered as part of UNESCO’s World Cultural Intangible Heritage with a special focus on children and unity ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This require 185 countries to sign the initiative and many already did it.
This is not the first time that Rani Vanouska Modely has been associated with such an empowering project. She was appointed as a Gusi Peace Prize ambassador with the support of Président Jacques Chirac. Right at the start of 2015, she was named Goodwill representative by Daniel Janicot, the President of the French National Commission of UNESCO and she instantly became dedicated to the cause of education and children. Therefore, she was not interested in politics and behaviours, she wanted “ to act on the field much “ closer to people” She has always taken pride in the fact that she is in a position to make changes in the world and work to make things better. Throughout her life, she has engaged herself in educational projects and in spreading awareness about culture worldwide.