Sunday, July 26, 2015

Sport, Peace and Development

Sport is a fundamental human right and involves all forms of physical activity that contribute to the development of physical fitness, mental well-being, and social interaction, such as play, recreation, organized or competitive sport, and indigenous sports and games. (United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace, 2003. p. v).

The question is whether we use sport in so far as we should in order to spread peace in the world and help new generations to get to know a new form of activity?

I think not enough, not so much as we should.

The sport can be an amazing thing. Why is like that? I am going to explain how sport can change our lives.
It can bring people of different backgrounds together on the basketball court, football pitch or athletics track, but the experience of playing together in safe and friendly environment that sports offer, truly helps youngsters overcome conflicts between one another.

Youngsters taking part may approach the game as black or white, one religion or another, but whilst on the sports field, they are only team-mates.

The game of course may only last a short while, but for those taking part in it, the experience of having their preconceptions questioned lasts a great deal longer, even for a lifetime.

It’s just like famous tennis player Boris Becker has said, the secret and the strength of sport lies in that “it has its own rules, it knows no skin color, no religion, no boundaries.”

The universal application of sport for peace is not practical; however, the concept of sport for development and peace should be acknowledged more in the international community since it has not been recognized enough and there needs to be a framework which addresses the general principles.

A good example is the foundation of Novak Djokovic that through sport for children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, helps to grow, play and develop in a stimulating, creative and safe environment, while learning to respect others and take care of their environment.
This gives the child a chance to face every challenge and be a winner in any field.

United Nations General Assembly has declared April 6th 2013 as the International Day for sports in honor of the memory of the day when they opened the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. Before making a resolution on behalf of all athletes, Djokovic has strongly supported the idea that sport is recognized as a separate activity in the interests of international peace and development.

In the field, the collaboration among international organizations, governments, NGOs and local communities is essential to operate sport based initiatives that work towards development and peace and, moreover, further studies to examine cases that have been implemented in the world are needed in order to create a substantial framework of sport for development and peace programs and its evaluation and improvement.

Nikolina Kunić










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