What can sport do for you?
By Francisco A. Larios
Featured in the Spring 2008 issue
There is a widespread belief that sport can help resolve conflicts, as well as drive development at both an individual and communal level. Others are convinced that peace-building through sport is simply a ‘ludicrous’ idea. The reality lies somewhere in between these clearly divided viewpoints. Sport alone cannot stop a suicide bomber, a malevolent army, or a violent conflict. It cannot alone bring social justice to the oppressed, feed the hungry, or rebuild a destroyed village. However, sport is a fundamental tool that can help with conflict resolution, reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Sport is not a universal remedy for conflict, but should be considered a key part in the peace-building and development strategy. Here are several ways in which sport can help.
Sport can contribute to conflict resolution and reconciliation by providing a simple and a political platform where antagonist groups can break down barriers, interact freely and exchange ideas. At both an international and grassroots level, sport encourages participates to view others as teammates that share a common goal. However, competition can also be abused to reinforce those national or social divides and differences. To avoid this abuse, careful attention must be placed on the nature of the competition and the way in which sport programs are carried out. Those programs that promote camaraderie and trust among teammates will be more successful in contributing to conflict resolution and reconciliation.
Sport can also help with rehabilitation and reconstruction. The belief is that is can help strengthen, heal and protect individuals facing significant stress, trauma or other problems by providing them with an escape and an opportunity. For this form of intervention, it is of dire importance that coaches are not only capable of teaching the sport, but are also competent in dealing with emotions and interpersonal communications. The Homeless World Cup 2005 (HWC), an international soccer tournament for the homeless, was able to successfully rehabilitate homeless people by using sport to build confidence, give new opportunities and drive personal development. According to the International Platform on Sport and Development, 77 percent of players of the HWC claimed to have ‘changed forever,’ meaning they were able to find regular employment and improved their housing situations. Finally, sport can also contribute to economic development by providing additional employment opportunities in the following areas: manufacturing of sporting goods, sport-related services, etc. Sport is already a sizeable sector of the economy in industrialized nations, but has yet to see a major impact in developing nations. The UN plans to change this.
The belief that sport can help the UN achieve the millennium goals and contribute to peace, has led the UN to collaborate with several national and international sporting authorities such as FIFA, the English Football Association, and the International Olympic Committee. In addition, the UN now calls on member states to fully consider and make use of sport when devising development programs and policies. The UN and other leading authorities should use sport to resolve conflict by bringing people together, to provide an ‘ice-breaker’ to initiate the reconciliation process, and to drive economic and social development.
Francisco A. Larios, Spring 2008 Intern, is of Nicaraguan origin, and a senior at Saint Louis University. Francisco will complete his B.A. in International Studies & French, and will begin his J..D. in the Fall of 2008. He plans on specializing in International Business Law.
