Communities and Crisis

From 22 to 28 of October participants from different European and African countries as well as the United States of America came together for the 7th ”Communities and Crisis – Inclusive Development through Sports” seminar in Rheinsberg, Germany.

The hands-on seminar focused on using the potential of sport and physical activity for psycho-social intervention in crisis areas. Opening up the conference Gudrun Doll-Tepper from the Freie Universität Berlin gave a comprehensive talk about the strengths, challenges and dangers of using sport for development and peace programmes. During the following days a considerable variety of relevant topics were discussed, among them trauma relief, gender and sport and the principles of adapted physical activities. For the first time in the history of the conference a very compelling session focusing on self-care and nurturing resilience among humanitarian aid workers was run by Maria Luisa Guinto-Adviento from the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, Philippines.

In addition to the theoretical background the young participants were also able to gain practical experience through hands-on activities. The practical evening sessions of adapted physical activities for hotel guests that were planned and delivered by the students under the supervision of Ken Black from Loughborough University were an unforgettable experience for both the students, as well as the participants of all age groups and different abilities together with their families.

The Communities and Crisis – Inclusive Development through Sports conference is supported by the German Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Fürst Donnersmarck-Foundation.