Rasheed+Clarke

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Sport can be viewed as mere entertainment. A showcase of athletic ability that is consumed as a spectacle by fans, analyzed by pundits, and sold by wealthy clubs and leagues to their supporters. However, sport can be viewed in a very different context as well. One in which the act of physical activity transcends its role as entertainment and becomes a catalyst for social improvement. Sport can be utilized by developing communities to create infrastructure, generate opportunities for employment, and build social networks rooted in equity, knowledge and tolerance. This report presents an overview of the use of sport in community development in Africa. It provides a brief history of the cause, notes the potential benefits of using sport to improve the quality of life for people living in developing African nations with examples from past projects, and discusses some of the more prominent organizations involved in the effort. __Sport and Development Defined:__ Before delving too deeply into the cause of sport for development, it would be useful to define the terms “sport” and “development.” The United Nations Inter-Agency Taskforce on Sport for Development and Peace characterizes “sport” as any form of physical activity that contributes to physical fitness, mental well-being and social interaction. This encompasses play, recreation, sport (either casual or competitive), and indigenous sports or games (UN, 2003).

“Development” is a broad term that can have many connotations. In the case of sport for development, “development” refers to health promotion and disease prevention, gender equality, social integration, and peace building and conflict prevention (International Platform on Sport and Development, 2009). __The History of Sport and Development:__ The cause of sport for development first gained attention in 1978 when The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Conference adopted the International Charter of Physical Education and Sport (IPSD, 2009). UNESCO (1978) stated, “physical education and sport should make a more effective contribution to the inculcation of fundamental human values underlying the full development of peoples” (p. 1). However, it was not until the 2000s that the cause garnered more attention through conferences and projects.

In 2003, the Next Step Conference in Amsterdam allowed grassroots practitioners of sport for development programs to share their experiences and successful practices (IPSD, 2009). Included as part of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens was “Harnessing the Power of Sport for Development and Peace” Roundtable Forum, in which political leaders and experts in development discussed the potential of sport to make social improvements in developing communities (IPSD, 2009). The Athens Games also included the Giving is Winning Project, in which all athletes and officials who participated in the Games were invited to donate clothes that would be distributed to refugee camps around the world. Notably, more than 20,000 refugees in Lukole Refugee Camp in Tanzania received a variety of sporting equipment and apparel from the United States Olympic Committee through the project (IOC, 2009).

In 2008, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the UN agreed to expand the use of sport to aid in the achievement of the UN’s Eight Millennium Development Goals – End Poverty and Hunger, Universal Education, Gender Equality, Child Care, Maternal Heath, Combat HIV/AIDS, Environmental Sustainability and a Global Partnership (UN, 2008). __Why use sport for development?__ It may be argued that aid resources would be better spent in poor countries on avenues that more directly inject capital into education and health care systems. It is also worth noting that sport can have the unfortunate power to bring out deplorable behavior such as corruption, discrimination, hooliganism, excessive nationalism and cheating. These concerns notwithstanding, they do not outweigh sport’s potential for eliciting positive changes in citizens, particularly youth, in developing communities. Participation in sport has a positive impact within the realms of “development” outlined above: health promotion and disease prevention, gender equality, social integration, and peace building and conflict prevention.

//Health Promotion and Disease Prevention://

Inactivity has been linked to elevated risks of non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases (UN, 2003). These conditions not only threaten individual’s health, but burden a nation’s health care system. In African nations in which resources for health care systems are stretched thin, prevention becomes critical to the continued functioning of said systems.

In addition to aiding the prevention of non-communicable diseases, sport can offer a means to mitigate the spread and effect of HIV/AIDS. This is done primarily through the relationship forged between young people and their coaches. For example, the non-profit group Grassroot Soccer launched pilot projects in Zambia and South Africa in 2003 to combat HIV/AIDS in both nations. Close to 18 percent of the adult population of each nation is infected with HIV (Peacock-Villada, DeCelles, & Banda, 2007). Coaches from Grassroot Soccer employed a game called “Pressure Limbo,” which exemplifies how the pressure to have sex increases as children grow older. The game was designed to create discussion with students about peer pressure to have sex. The girls and boys involved reported that they knew more about how to stand up to peer pressure than they did before the game (Peacock-Villada et al., 2007)

//Gender Equality://

It is of particular importance to include sport in the lives of girls, who have fewer opportunities than boys for social interaction outside the home and beyond family networks. Participation in sport allows girls to forge new interpersonal links, and allows them to become more engaged in school and community life (UN, 2003). Moreover, the movement towards gender parity can be further established by sport, given it is traditionally male domain. As girls’ inclusion and participation in sport increases, the stereotypes and entrenched attitudes towards women can break down (UN, 2003).

The role of the coach is essential to the advancement of girls in developing communities. A study of an “Active Community Club” created by the Australian Sports Commission in Tshabo, South Africa revealed the coach to be a model mentor for young people who participated in the Club’s activities. Girls in particular reported that they trusted their coach enough to talk about abuse at home (Burnett, 2006).

It is worth noting that sport for development programs may also lead to some more unwelcome results in the realm of gender equity. Burnett (2006) noted that girls mainly formed trusting relationships with female coaches, and boys with male coaches. This may signify a simple preference of the children to spend more time with persons of their own sex, but trusting relationships between children and coaches of opposite sexes may further advance a mutual respect between the two genders.

//Social Integration://

The same study by Burnett (2006) discussed above revealed the ability of sport to foster social connections in which participants in the Active Community Club gained access to a network of friends that provided each other with safety and security. The camaraderie was instilled through a sense of belonging, as exhibited by the Club’s under-fifteen rugby team, which bonded while training together (Burnett, 2006).

//Peace Building and Conflict Prevention://

The absence of positive role models, a lack of self-discipline and boredom can lead to young people turning to crime. Sport can combat these negative factors by allowing disaffected youth to make connections with responsible adults, and by giving them a useful activity for their time (UN, 2003).

In the case of child soldiers, their rehabilitation requires a more complex approach that combines physical, psychological and psychosocial care. While sport is not a panacea in this regard, it does allow for a space to play, thus returning lost childhoods while providing an outlet for channeling anger and controlling aggression (UN, 2003).

Sport also provides a platform in which people from different cultures can discover common bonds. Games that are native to a particular area or culture are especially useful in this regard, as they emphasize the importance diversity and contribute to inclusion (UN, 2003). __Organizations Involved:__ Despite the benefits outlined above, sport continues to be neglected in school systems in developing nations, as many governments do not feel it is worthy of funding in light of other systems (education, healthcare) that need to share in the nation’s resources (UN, 2003). This is where sport for development groups come in. Non-profit agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs) and international bodies all provide assistance to developing communities in the form of monetary provisions, trained coaches and volunteers, and material goods. Some agencies of note are Grassroot Soccer (see the above section on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention), Right to Play, and the IOC.

Right to Play is an international humanitarian organization that trains local community leaders in disadvantaged areas as coaches to deliver its programs. These programs aim to improve health, develop personal skills, and foster peace in areas affected by war, poverty, and disease (Right to Play, 2009).

The IOC liaises with developing nations to provide them with funding for sporting endeavors both at the recreational and competitive levels. For instance government of Namibia receives an activity budget from the IOC which is used for equipment, training for officials, and helping athletes compete at international, national and regional events (Chappell, 2005). __Conclusion:__ The power of sport to elicit positive social changes is evident in developing communities in Africa. Unfortunately, the continual neglect of sport’s capacity to be a tool for social improvement means that organizations involved in sport for development need the support of donors so they can, in turn, support disadvantaged communities. With the sustained support of volunteers and donators, sport for development organizations will hopefully be able to keep providing their unique brand of social support for underprivileged regions in Africa.

__Bibliography:__

Burnett, C. (2006). Building Social Capital Through an ‘Active Community Club.’ //International// //Review for the Sociology of Sport, 41//(3-4). Retrieved January 30, 2009 from Scholar’s Portal database.

Chappell, R. (2005). Sport in Namibia: Conflicts Negotiations and Struggles since Independence. //International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 40//(2). Retrieved January 30, 2009 from Scholar’s Portal database.

International Platform on Sport and Development (2009). //History of Sport and Development.// Retrieved February 2, 2009 from http://www.sportanddev.org/learnmore/history_of_sport_and_development/timeline/index.cfm

IOC (2009). //Giving is Winning.// Retrieved February 2, 2009, from http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news/full_story_uk.asp?id=934

IPSD (2009). //What do we mean by ‘development’?// Retrieved February 2, 2009 from http://www.sportanddev.org/learnmore/what_is_sport_and_development/what_is__development__/index.cfm

Peacock-Villada, P., DeCelles, J., & Banda, P.S. (2007). Grassroot Soccer Resiliency Pilot Program: Building Resiliency through Sport-Based Education in Zambia and South Africa. //New Directions for Youth Development//, //116//. Retrieved January 30, 2009, from Scholar’s Portal database.

Right to Play (2009). //About Right to Play.// Retrieved February 2, 2009 from http://www.righttoplay.com/site/PageServer?pagename=aboutRTP

UNESCO (1978). //International Charter of Physical Education and Sport.// Retrieved February 2, 2009 from http://www.unesco.org/education/nfsunesco/pdf/SPORT_E.PDF

United Nations (2003). //Towards Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: Report from the// //United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace.// Retrieved February 2, 2009 from http://assets.sportanddev.org/downloads/16__sport_for_dev_towards_millenium_goals.pdf

United Nations (2008). //Millennium Development Goals.// Retrieved February 2, 2009 from http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/