International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

6th April, 2016
14/03/2016 14:28

The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) is an annual celebration that highlights and promotes the power of sport as a catalyst for social change around the world. Established in 2014, following a  decision by the United Nations General Assembly, the IDSDP has been celebrated  each year on 6 April, creating a historical link to the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 (https://www.icsspe.org/content/international-olympic-committee).

 

In fact, this special day has another significance for Members and Partners of ICSSPE: in 2002, a group of stakeholders including the World Health Organisation designated 6th April ‘Physical Activity and Health Day’. This event still continues in Latin America.

 

This double cause for celebration – for Sport for Development and for Health-Enhancing Physical Activity– raises an important topic, which has become increasingly interesting to a number of international agencies.

 

Can we bring the worlds of sport and physical activity closer together?

 

Research by scholars from around the world has highlighted a divide in the ways sport and physical activity have been used by policy makers and practitioners. On the one hand, there is evidence that the public health role of sport has been under-estimated and under-promoted by advocates from both sport and health. Some have even said that sport has been ‘disqualified’ from discussions of health. On the other hand, the sport sector has been accused of giving inadequate attention to the health of players and athletes, in the purpose of competitive success. Both fields have been criticised for ignoring relevance research findings from the other.

 

Yet, Sport for Development and Health-Enhancing Physical Activity have considerable shared interests and expertise. Both offer opportunities, in the words of ICSSPE’s former President Margaret Talbot, for moving to learning, and learning to move. In addition, Sport for Development and Health-Enhancing Physical Activity share a primary concern with participation. If people are not participating in their activities, they will not be able to reap the benefits that Sport for Development and Health-Enhancing Physical Activity have to offer. And research shows a large number of benefits associated with positive engagement in both settings, including improved mental health and emotional well-being, more social interactions, and enhanced educational achievement. So, a closer association between Health-Enhancing Physical Activity and Sport for Development should be mutually beneficial.

 

With this in mind, a Strategic Alliance between Nike, Inc. and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ, Germany’s International Co-operation organisation) has been developed, and has already made some progress. The goals of this agreement were to impact the development of global policies on increased physical activity in schools as well as to encourage a behavioural change among all groups in a development-friendly and healthy environment. The Strategic Alliance has been working with ICSSPE to bring together some of the world’s leading agencies supporting Sport for Development, Health-Enhancing Physical Activity and related areas.

 

A scoping report by ICSSPE concluded that the case for greater co-operation between sport and physical activity stakeholders was compelling:

 

“In light of substantial overlaps with respect to content, activities and methods, there are good reasons to foster co-operation between the Sport for Development and Health-Enhancing Physical Activity agendas. Such a co-operation, initiated or, where already existing, supported by stakeholders from both work areas, could lead to substantial change to the policy and implementation of programmes. Through evidence-based advocacy programmes, such a co-operation would have the potential to trigger substantial change in everyday life through the development of global policies on increased physical activity in schools as well as by encouraging behavioural change among all groups involved, including students, school staff, and parents towards more activity in a development-friendly and healthy environment.”

 

The first step toward this goal will be a high-level, multi-agency meeting that will aim to increase the understanding of the leaders of key organisations about the urgency of united action and of shared responsibility.

 

ICSSPE Members and Partners are warmly invited to send accounts of their participation with either the IDSDP or the Day of Physical Activity and Health.

 

For more information about IDSDP, go to: http://www.olympic.org/idsdp

For information about the World Physical Activity Day, go to: http://www.panh.ch/agitamundo/english/desktop/default.htm