From the remote provinces of China to the slums of Rio de Janeiro, from the manicured lawns of New England prep schools to the dusty streets of Baghdad, no sport is more universal among the world's children than soccer. That fact, and the coincidence that a soccer ball is the same shape as a globe of the world, led a group of self described idealists in Santa Barbara, California to an ingenious concept that just might advance the cause of freedom where it's most needed.

The Freedom Ball Foundation is a non profit organization that prints maps of the world on soccer balls and distributes them to children in countries they describe as "partly free." What's unique about the balls is the color coding of countries green for free, yellow for partly free and red for not free. The Foundation believes that the 200-year trend toward greater democracy worldwide will accelerate as kids grow up thinking about the not-so-subtle message on a simple piece of athletic equipment.

In 1800, there were only three democracies in the world. By 1900, the number had grown to 13. Right after World War II, there were 29. And today, there are 89. 

Because kids playing soccer in the streets today will be making policy in the governments of tomorrow, the Freedom Ball idea is to encourage the trend toward democracy among the remaining countries  approximately 100 partially free and not-free nations.

There is no partisan agenda in Freedom Ball programs. It's not about Republicans or Democrats. It's about human dignity and the dream that someday all children will play free.

Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "Freedom cannot be bestowed  it must be achieved." In that spirit, the Freedom Ball Foundation doesn't seek to impose or bestow its ideals. It just wants to nudge the idea along by putting an icon of freedom on the ground for young people to kick around and think about.

The decision to focus on "yellow countries" - those that are partly free-is a practical one. Free countries don't need it and not-free regimes won't tolerate it. Individual donors and corporate sponsors are encouraged to participate in the Freedom Ball dream by contributing tax-deductible donations for manufacturing and distribution.  Since all participants in Freedom Ball programs volunteer their time without compensation, contributions are applied directly to program activities.