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Tracking 'Sport for Development' worldwide |
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| Tracking ‘Sport for Development’ (S4D) worldwide |
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| Facts and figures of ‘Sport for Development’ (S4D). Photo © GIZ |
| Who isn't on the Paralympic Podium? |
by Kyra Angerer
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The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games broke the record for the most countries winning Paralympic medals - 86 out of 162 countries celebrated podium finishes. Ethiopia's Tigist Gezahagn Mengistu took home her country's first gold medal in the 1,500m T3 and Ecuador, United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka won their first ever medals!
But when you look closer, the top five countries won 37% of medals (China, Great Britain, United States of America, Russian Paralympic Committee & Netherlands), while the top twenty countries took home 75% of medals. It makes you wonder if there is really hope for success in the Paralympic movement for less developed countries such as most African countries. |
| Rusmiyati, Paralympic Athlete, during training. Photo © Angus Stewart |
Assistive Technologies (AT) are fundamental for persons with disabilities to access areas like sport, education, employment, health services as well as many other rights. In parts of Africa, however, there is a serious lack of access to AT. High cost and unavailability seem to be the major barriers as a lot of AT and equipment is imported from overseas and therefore becomes unaffordable. In addition, there are also socio-cultural issues which become barriers to AT adoption, such as the stigma around disability in a lot of communities on the continent.
A EUR 2.1 million collaborative project between the International Paralympic Committee, Loughborough University, and the University of Malawi aims to overcome stigma and discrimination against persons with disabilities in Africa. The project – Para Sport Against Stigma – investigates the use of Para sport as a catalyst for change in attitudes about disability and AT in Ghana, Malawi and Zambia. Until 2024, the programme uses a four-pillar approach towards overcoming the role of stigma in the adoption of AT. The four pillars are: Education, athlete development, Paralympic broadcast, and action research activities.
Further information:
» IPC and Loughborough University partner on Para Sport Against Stigma project
Contact:
kyra.angerer@giz.de |
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| Interview with 'Athletics for Development' in Uganda about Sport and Inclusion |
by Vanessa Maith
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| Daniel Mutabazi in an interview situation. Photo © GIZ |
Spo(r)tlight on! has spoken with Daniel Mutabazi, Junior Technical Advisor, about the Athletics for Development Programme in Uganda. What is it and what does it have to do with inclusion?
Spo(r)tlight on!: Can you briefly describe what the Athletics for Development (A4D) programme is about?
Daniel Mutabazi: Athletics for Development is a project component of the Sector Programme Sport for Development commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation (BMZ) in 2018 and implemented by GIZ in cooperation with the Ugandan Ministry of Education and Sports and other partners. Our aim is to support disadvantaged children and youth in their personal and social development through Athletics. We use the A4D methodology (embedded in the A4D training manual) of basic athletic movements like running, jumping, and throwing and local Ugandan traditional games to develop motor skills, vocational skills and life skills of children and youth. All this is delivered using local resources to produce sports materials like hurdles.
Spo(r)tlight on!: How can sport be made inclusive?
Daniel Mutabazi: Sport is better when its purpose and direction aim towards inclusion. Inclusion encompasses everyone across race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and disability. For example, in the case of persons with disabilities, sport can be inclusive when they are not just present but engaged in the sports activities using materials that address various disability needs. When sport is not inclusive of persons with disabilities it neglects a critical population that has a rightful and central place in the sporting environment.
Spo(r)tlight on!: What makes the A4D programme so special?
Daniel Mutabazi: One of our aims is to produce quality and user-friendly training materials and support the delivery of several initiatives directed at the target group of children and youth. In this regard, the programme developed the A4D Training Manual which is also available as an audiobook (copied to mp3) to support teachers and coaches with visual impairment in their delivery of A4D training sessions and organizing events. Chapter 8 of the manual specifically covers the games and play situations for visually impaired children and youth.
Spo(r)tlight on!: Can you give an example of an inclusive activity?
Daniel Mutabazi: One of the activities is rope skipping involving one blind child and a sighted guide. They hold hands and each hold the end of the rope with the other hand. They coordinate their jumps and the rotation of the rope. Ways of jumping are can be varied e.g., hopping, left, right etc. The activity improves coordination and communication skills. |
| Rope skipping involving one blind child and a sighted guide. Photo © GIZ |
Spo(r)tlight on!: What changes have you noticed in children's behavior/relationship from the programme?
Daniel Mutabazi: The programme offers children with and without disabilities various physical activities, where they play together in teams. It helps them improve posture control, balance, coordination and space awareness. It also makes them more self-confident, improves their communication skills and adaptability and they learn to concentrate to achieve a goal. Each child learns to appreciate the role of the individual team member regardless of their ability.
Spo(r)tlight on!: Thank you for your time, Daniel.
Further information:
» A4D Training Manual (pdf, 21.7 MB, English)
Contact:
vanessa.maith@giz.de
daniel.mutabazi@giz.de |
| Western Balkan Youth proМОТION Camps |
by Monika Veljanoska
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| This summer, Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia hosted two regional 'Sport for Employability' camps. The camps offered a variety of sports and educational activities where 70 participants from the region worked on their core employability and soft skills. |
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| Summer Camp Ohrid North Macedonia, 2021. Photo © Nebojsha Petreski |
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The camp encompasses ’Sport for Development‘ activities, aimed to boost soft skills in core areas: Communication, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. These skills are increasingly understood to be central to success in professional life beyond school. Besides sport, the programme was enriched with different activities focusing on ’preparation for employment‘ where the participants were guided to prepare their CV, do a ’safe‘ job search and had their ’first’ job interview. |
| Summer Camp Fier, Albania, 2021. Photo © Ina Toska |
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Additionally, social media competencies and their relevance to employability were staged by the young journalists of the Deutsche Welle Balkan Boosters program, who discussed the power of the phone, self-presentation, and ’freelancing‘.
One of the ’boosters‘ Mateja Raičković highlighted that ’Using sport as a tool for soft skills and employability skill development is something completely new and utterly amazing to me! It helps you go out of your comfort zone, build confidence and my favorite part is, to reflect on it with others and talk about your personal experiences.’
From a development perspective, some of the most striking features of the camps were the combination of collaborative teamwork, rules and shared responsibilities. The diverse group of participants created a playful ’peer-to-peer learning‘ space.
Contact:
monika.veljanoska@giz.de |
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| Regional Alliances for more 'Sport for Development' in Latin America |
by Catalina Prieto Solano and Karina Frainer
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A total of 44 sports coaches, social leaders and sport managers participated in the virtual and face-to-face workshops to learn the Sport with Principles methodology. This approach, ‘Sport for Development’ (S4D), is already well-known in different countries in Latin America – now also in Ecuador.
The workshops are part of a regional alliance led by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Sport with the Paraguayan Secretariat of Sports and GIZ through the Program SI FRONTERA (with the support of the Ecuadorian initiative, Program for the Northern Border: Territory of Development and Peace - EU Founds) and the Sector Programme Sport for Development. The cooperation included the work of two trainers from Colombia and two from Paraguay.
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| Some impressions from the workshops to learn the 'Sport with Principles' methodology. Photo © GIZ |
Ecuador, Colombia and Paraguay are now exchanging experiences on S4D. At this moment we have already achieved more than 2,054 participants in S4D trainings between the Spanish speakers in Latin America, 1,778 in Colombia, 232 in Paraguay and 44 in Ecuador. In addition, more trainings are planned by the country’s sport authorities. Their work invites us to recognise sport as a social and supportive instrument for the development goals.
It is expected that the workshops participants replicate their knowledge and remain in contact with the organisations involved in those processes. Doing so, a local, national, and international learning networks can grow and stay strong. For example, four virtual meetings took place to promote communities of practice between the countries.
The first milestones for more regional sustainability are ongoing. Regional actors like CID, CADE and CONSUDE are interested in guaranteeing more space for ‘Sport for Development’ at the country’s agendas. There is an echo and an opportunity for more alliances and better results at the region.
Further information:
» Curso 'Deporte con Principios en Ecuador' se impartió a funcionarios del Ministerio de Deporte
Contact:
karina.frainer@giz.de
catalina.prieto@giz.de |
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| Jordanian Youth in the Lead: Promoting Civic Engagement of Youth in Sport |
by Haneen Alkhatib
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Sport is key to youth development. It helps young people develop physical and soft skills and teaches them values such as teamwork, solidarity and respect. The ‘Sport for Development (S4D) Youth Leadership’ Regional Programme in Jordan empowers motivated young people of diverse backgrounds to initiate sports activities for fellow youth and children within their communities and sustain behavioural change using sport as a platform. During a comprehensive and sport-based qualification phase, youth participants are equipped with sport facilitation, project management and fundamental life skills, aiming to combine sport training with personal and social development goals.
Implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and in partnership with the Jordanian Ministry of Education, S4D activities are suitable for everyone, particularly young women, refugees, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups, with a strong emphasis on social interaction. |
| Youth Leader leading one of the S4D activities. Photo © GIZ |
This year S4D Jordan has chosen to highlight and celebrate the International Youth partnership with GIZ Space (Social Participation and Community Engagement) by Youth Project and the Ministry of Youth. The day serves to appreciate the youth by supporting their interests and showcasing what they achieved throughout the year and what challenges they are facing.
60 young people from more than 5 regions have gathered in one of the biggest Youth cities in the Capital Amman not only to exchange their knowledge, hobbies, interests and experiences through different activities but also to create, design and implement their own activities.
The one-day event focussed on three main pillars (‘Sport for Development’, Creative debate and Filmmaking) where it opened the chance for these youth to express their feelings, let their energy out and simply have a good time, especially following the many restrictions due to COVID-19.
Further information:
» YouTube clip
Contact:
haneen.alkhatib@giz.de |
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| The Green Challenge – Brings us Together: An Obstacle Race in Southern Morocco – or a powerful Instrument to promote Sustainable Development! |
by Zineb Jaber and Aline Watermann
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On 10 July 2021 an innovative event took place at Taghazout beach, in the south of Morocco: 'The Green Challenge - Brings us together!' The main event was an obstacle race to raise awareness for environmental protection and sustainable, regional tourism through sport. Thus, the benefits were not only ecological: It was an event full of joy, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds and ages. 500 participants and 1,000 visitors, some of them students, some working for companies in or outside Morocco, some from the sub-Saharan diaspora. All were united in the spirit of solidarity, achieving a common goal, overcoming obstacles while supporting each other – all for a good cause!
The runners and visitors spent a great and purposeful day together. They collected trash on the beach, learned about different topics and projects linked to sustainable development and got inspired on how sport can have a social, economical, and ecological impact. In the so-called 'village' a wide range of actors linked to the sport sector, some (non) governmental, some from the private sector, made themselves available to talk about their activities, so that participants were able to boost and broaden their networks and even present their own project ideas. A handful of young professionals with powerful project ideas were selected on this day and are currently mentored in creating and implementing their own (business) projects on sport and social impact! |
| Collage from the event, July 2021. Photo © S4D Morocco |
Thus, the diversity and complementarity of the activities organized have contributed to a successful event, fostering intercultural exchange and therewith social cohesion, and at the same time form a commitment to contribute to more sustainable development in the region and beyond!
The GIZ S4D team was happy to witness once again what a powerful instrument physical activity is, not least to promote personal, social, ecological, and economic development. A next edition of the Green Challenge is already in work, this time with the GIZ Project Green Jobs.
Contact:
zineb.jaber@giz.de
aline.watermann@giz.de |
| One Step closer: Joint Commitment for Social Inclusion through Sport |
by Monika Veljanoska
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| The GIZ Sector Programme 'Sport for Development' (S4D) on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development continues to enhance its cooperation with North Macedonia as the regional hub for the Western Balkans. The joint commitment to strengthen social inclusion and promote employability of young people through sport is expressed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed jointly by three municipalities (Kriva Palanka, Karpos and Gostivar), and the implementation partner Together Advancing Common Trust (TAКT). |
| Signing ceremony in Karposh. Photo © Municipality of Karposh, North Macedonia |
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Under the MoU, the parties will further develop their partnership and explore the prospect of using sport as a pedagogical tool to improve the life skills of young people. It marks a milestone in supporting social cohesion at the local level through different capacity development and networking activities. The cooperation aims to equip young people with essential job-related soft skills to better prepare for work life and further education. School staff, sports trainers and social workers facilitate the use of S4D,improve learning/teaching methods and supporte youth development through an innovative approach. |
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| Signing ceremony in Kriva Palanka. Photo © Municipality of Kriva Palanka, North Macedonia |
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Additionally, the MoU encourages a multi-actor network at community level, which brings together sport, educational and social sectors and joins forces between public authorities and civil society, in order to reach out more effectively to younger generations.
In North Macedonia, Kriva Palanka is a pioneer in adopting the S4D approach within the local youth strategy. The municipality acknowledges the potential of sport as a tool for sustainable local development, fosters cooperation between professional and recreational sports as well as the inclusion process of vulnerable youth.
Contact:
monika.veljanoska@giz.de |
| Training of Trainers Workshop on ‘Sport for Development’, Inclusion and Gender Equality in East-Jerusalem |
by Haya Qundah and Jan Saddei
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| Youth in the Palestinian Territories face many challenges in their daily lives. Amongst others, they suffer from a lack of suitable offerings to pass their free time and enhance their physical and mental wellbeing. This disproportionally affects girls and young women as well as people with disabilities. |
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| Feedback session between one of the trainers and the whole group. Photo © GIZ |
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The few sports, social and educational programmes that are available mostly target boys and young men. Programmes tailored to the specific needs of girls and young women as well as people with disabilities are scarce and hard to find. In conjunction with sports, this issue is even more severe, as sports clubs often solely focus on competitive aspects while recreational offerings targeting a wider audience are not available.
Against this background, the concept of ‘Sport for Development’ offers unique possibilities to involve all different kinds of youth and to link these programmes with much needed topics like social cohesion, employability, gender equality, and inclusion. |
| From 13 to 15 August 2021, GIZ’s Palestinian Territories Transitional Development Assistance Project organised a training of trainers on sport as a tool for development. Based on a recently drawn up manual, the workshop put special emphasis on youth within the local context of the Palestinan Territories and on how to use sport to promote gender equality and on how to better include people with disabilities. |
| Teamed up for gender equality and inclusion: the newly trained participants. Photo © GIZ |
A total of 14 participants hailing from different civil society organisations all over East Jerusalem, eight of whom were women, shared their experiences, deepened their practical and theoretical knowledge on the topic and learned about new tools and exercises. Going forward, they will apply what they have learned within their organisations by training youth on the concept.
Contact:
haya.qundah@giz.de
jan.saddei@giz.de |
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How partners build capacities with 'Sport for Development' |
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| #Zusammen nachhaltig: ‘Sport for Development’ wins 1. FC Köln for Cooperation in Sustainability |
by Tim Birnbrich
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| The sector programme ‘Sport for Development’ (S4D) is gaining further prominent support: The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ and 1. FC Köln with its FC Köln Foundation have launched a new partnership under the claim #Zusammen nachhaltig (together sustainable). All parties want to cooperate and get involved in various projects and measures to improve living conditions in BMZ partner countries and raise awareness on sustainability issues within Germany. |
| Kick-off for sustainability in the coming season. Photo © Thomas Fähnrich Fotografie |
Joint S4D-activties are planned in Jordan and Tunisia: In Jordan we are focussing on promoting women’s football and strengthening girls and women in their personal development through sport. In Tunisia we are working on preventing violence and promoting job opportunities for young people. Also, it is discussed whether the football club is taking on a role regarding the commissioning of a new sports ground in Bizerte, Tunisia.
One highlight of the cooperation is a joint match day in April 2022 which will take place around the annual 'Earth Day', with different measures and activities towards sustainability. As an additional element of the cooperation, 1. FC Köln will join The Development and Climate Alliance, a multi-stakeholder partnership to promote voluntary CO2 emission offsets, launched by BMZ in 2020.
Contact:
tim.birnbrich@giz.de |
| From the Cotton Field to the Fan Store |
by Hannes Utescher
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| Did you know that around 35% of the world's cotton cultivation area is in India? And did you know that less than one percent of the cotton used in the textile industry is organically grown? The use of pesticides, high water consumption or human rights violations are therefore still the order of the day. The result: Many smallholders cannot live off their income. Their families are among the most disadvantaged groups in the country. |
| Cotton is one of the most important textile raw materials. Photo © GIZ |
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Together with the GIZ project 'Sustainability and Value Creation in Agricultural Supply Chains,' the merchandising producer and Green Button member BRANDS Fashion, and Bundesliga team VfB Stuttgart, the Sector Project Sport for Development has developed a project that addresses precisely this issue: It trains small farmers in the cultivation of organic cotton through workshops, training, and seeds, and prepares them for certification. The cotton obtained from the project is used by BRANDS Fashion to produce the articles that end up in the Bundesliga fan stores.
To ensure that the surrounding communities also benefit from the project, streetfootballworld has been enlisted to provide Sport for Development training sessions. They conduct sports sessions and raise awareness on topics such as environmental protection, resource conservation, hygiene, and career guidance. To conduct these trainings, teachers, coaches, trainers and mentors from the communities are trained. All of these are important contacts for the children on and off the field.
In search of support and funding, the project idea is currently being presented to all clubs in the 1st and 2nd German Bundesliga that are already purchasing fashion from BRANDS. These include FC St. Pauli, Union Berlin, VfL Wolfsburg, and Borussia Mönchengladbach. If they can be persuaded to participate in the project, it is planned to start in early 2022. Fingers crossed.
Further information:
Achieving more Sustainability in Global Agricultural Supply Chains
Contact:
hannes.utescher@giz.de |
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| Sport as a Force to achieve Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities |
by Johannes Ludwig, Guest Contribution of Global Project 'Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities'
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| According to the World Health Organization (WHO) there are more than one billion persons in the world with disabilities, and roughly 80% live in low-income countries. Disability results from the interaction between individuals with a health condition such as cerebral palsy, down syndrome, and depression as well as personal and environmental factors including negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation in public buildings, and limited social support. In all societies, people with disabilities are stigmatised as dependent and incapable. Sport is a driving force to overcome stigmatisation and discrimination. Where persons with disabilities have been encouraged to participate in sport and physical activity, it has often been as a vehicle for physical or psychological therapy. |
| 'Sport made me the man I am today and it has given me the confidence to believe in myself', Maclean Dzidziengo, multiple paralympic gold medialist from Ghana. Photo © GIZ |
But sport activities are more than a tool for therapeutic and physical rehabilitation. Sports activity can often be an important tool to enable social inclusion for persons with disabilities. Inclusion in and through sport means providing every person full respect, dignity, value and belonging in any roles they may play - athlete, coach, official, administrator, or spectator. Top athletes achieve remarkable successes in competitive sports, e.g. at the Paralympic Games, at world, European or at regional championships. But recreational athletes also compete in major running events such as city marathons and achieve top performances. These successes strengthen the self-esteem of people with disabilities, reduce stigmatisation and give this target group a stronger feeling of possible participation and belonging to society.
The UN addresses the important role of sport in achieving inclusion. In the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-CRPD), which has been ratified by 182 states, states commit to ensure that persons with disabilities have an opportunity to organise, develop and participate in disability-specific sporting and recreational activities (UN-CRPD, Article 30, 5). Despite the obligation under international law, access to sport for all is not a matter of course. Typical barriers for people with disabilities to participate in sport include lack of awareness on the part of people without disabilities as to how to involve them in teams adequately, lack of opportunities and programmes for training. Thus, further efforts are needed to make playing sport more inclusive.
Contact:
johannes.ludwig@giz.de |
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| African Union Sport Council launches Practitioner’s Guide to help safeguard Children and vulnerable Adults in Sport |
by African Union Sport Council & GIZ S4DA
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| The African Union Sport Council (AUSC) launched a new handbook aimed at safeguarding children and vulnerable adults participating in sport in Africa. The ‘Safeguarding in Sport and 'Sport for Development' (S4D) Contexts in Africa: A Practitioner’s Guide from Policy to Action’ was developed with the support of the Regional Project 'Sport for Development' in Africa (S4DA). To accompany the launch of the handbook, AUSC held a webinar on Mainstreaming 'Sport for Development' in Africa. The webinar included a wide range of speakers, who discussed the academic, political, and practical aspects of S4D. |
| The just published 'Safeguarding handbook'. Photo © GIZ |
Although written and developed for the African context, this handbook serves as a reference to sports organisations and practitioners around the world. The resource looks at how sports organisations can implement policies and procedures to protect children and vulnerable adults from non-accidental harm. The guide also provides best practices in safeguarding for facilitators including coaches, teachers and peer leaders for engaging participants and the wider community.
Dr Decius Chipande, Coordinator (Head) of the AUSC welcomed the launch of the resource stating 'This new practitioner’s guide made possible with the support of the GIZ will make a major contribution to the understanding and implementation of safeguarding in sport in Africa. Sport should be safe, inclusive, and enjoyable for all participants and everyone that works in sport has a duty to ensure all who participate can do so safely. This new resource will contribute to Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want'.
The handbook is available in English and French and can be downloaded free of charge from the Resource Toolkit website for sport for development.
Further information:
Handbook (pdf, 2.1 MB, English)
Handbook (pdf, 2.0 MB, French)
Tools for Safeguarding in S4D
Contact:
kristin.richter@giz.de |
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| The Sector Programme 'Sport for Development' and the Global Project 'Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities' support the #WeThe15 Campaign |
by Johannes Ludwig, Guest Contribution of Global Project 'Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities'
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| With the start of the Paralympic Games 2020 in Tokyo on 23 August, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) launched the campaign #WeThe15. The number 15 refers to 15% of the global population who live with some form of disability and this number is increasing. #WeThe15 putting persons with disabilities at the heart of the diversity and inclusion agenda, the campaign aims to address those barriers and stigmatisations persons with disabilities must face daily at all levels of society. |
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| The #WeThe15 campaign: end discrimination towards people with disabilities and fight for inclusion. Photo © #WeThe15 campaign |
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By bringing together international organisations from the world of sport, human rights, policy, communications, business, arts and entertainment the campaign wants to transform the lives of 1,2 billion persons with disabilities. With a duration of 10 years #WeThe15 is the sport’s biggest human rights movement. To mark the launch of #WeThe15 the organisers implemented several high-profile activities.
With the start of the campaign more than 125 iconic landmarks were lightened up purple. A 90-second-long film was broadcasted on TV channels from over 60 countries. These and other activities were framed in a large-scale social media campaign. The GIZ, especially the Sector programme ‘Sport for Development’ and the Global Project 'Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities' showed solidarity with #WeThe15 Campaign. They published several social media posts and produced a video which underlines the importance of inclusion of persons with disabilities in sports and global society.
Further information:
S4D YouTube clip on #WeThe15 campaign
Contact:
johannes.ludwig@giz.de |
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| Successful EU Capacity4Change (C4C) Event on the Topic of ‘Sport for Development’ |
by Susanne Gaerte
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| On 28 September 2021, the C4C event 'Building back better as a team: How can sport enhance social cohesion and resilience?' took place as part of an event series organized by the GIZ Representation in Brussels in cooperation with the Sector Programme Sport for Development. More than 100 participants from European Institutions, UN organisations, development banks, international and national sport organisations, and partner country institutions joined the virtual 90-minute event. Its aim was to assess the opportunities and challenges of Sport for Development (S4D) and to elaborate which role it can play in the European external action agenda. It was moderated by Dina Klingmann (GIZ). |
| Invitation to the Capacitiy4Change event. Photo © GIZ |
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| Tanja Gönner, GIZ Spokesperson of the Board of Directors, gave a video statement. Photo © GIZ |
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Andrea von Rauch, Director of the GIZ Representation in Brussels, welcomed the panel and the participants by outlining the numerous dimensions of development cooperation that sport can support. In her video statement, Tanja Gönner, GIZ Spokesperson of the Board of Directors, stressed that partnerships at all levels of society and government are key to unleash the enormous potential of S4D in the context of the Global Europe programme.
In her keynote speech, Uschi Schmitz, member of the European Olympic Committee Executive Board, emphasized the role of organised sport for the European agenda and the importance of sport as powerful catalyst for peace and its special capacity to connect, inspire and heal. However, more must be done, especially at the EU level: sports must be part of EU funding programmes. |
| BMZ Head of division media, culture, creative industries, sport Friederike Kärcher at the panel discussion. Photo © GIZ |
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The following two best practice examples illustrated vividly how S4D can be used to achieve SDGs and specifically build strong alliances and peaceful, inclusive societies. In his showcase, Innocent Asiimwe, National Coordinator Athletics for Development (A4D) in Uganda, demonstrated how sport can be used to promote gender equality and include people with different abilities. Laëtitia Habchi, Head of the Social Link Unit, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), presented the French engagement in S4D with a focus on the coalition 'Sustainable Development through Sport'.
During the following panel, Friederike Kärcher (Head of division media, culture, creative industries, sport, BMZ), Philipp Müller-Wirth (Chief of the Sport Section, UNESCO), Decius Chipande (Head of the African Union Sports Council), and Magdalena Spasovska (Founder and President of the sport organization TAKT in North Macedonia), discussed how sport can create resilient and cohesive communities and what is needed to scale it up on the European and international level. All participants agreed it is crucial to mainstream the approach across all sectors and integrate it further in EU policies, frameworks, programmes and instruments, through e.g. joint Team Europe initiatives.
Further information:
Detailed report on the C4C event
Contact:
susanne.gaerte@giz.de |
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| First Virtual Exchange Session Alumni of 'Sport for Development' Trainings with 50 Participants |
by Jessie Bohr
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| The first Alumni-call of the sport for development coaches was a great success. Nearly 50 instructors from 15 countries, who participated in about 6 annual instructor trainings since 2016, were present on 7 September 2021. An indicator for the achievement was also the fact that a very big number of them stayed until the end of the virtual session! This was due to the entertaining facilitation style of Emily Johnston from Unityeffect. For many of them it was also a happy reunion with their peers from their S4D training course after so many years. |
| Katrin Grafarend and Jens Elsner welcomed the participants. Photo © GIZ |
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This positive vibe was enhanced by the warm welcome from Katrin Grafarend, Head of International Relations of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and Jens Elsner, Head of the GIZ Sector Project ‘Sport for Development’, who both have highlighted the importance of the instructors for the future of S4D.
One of the main topics was the exchange of best practices. As a first example a clip of the Palestinian instructor Mohamed Abu Aita was shared. Some more great examples came up in the breakaway rooms. |
| Lively exchange at the virtual meeting. Photo © GIZ |
Anja Frings, an advisor for capacity building (GIZ) and Katrin Bauer, Researcher at the German Sports University presented a comprehensive look at the S4D toolkit and learning lab, which has focussed on instructor level coaches.
The participants made clear that it was high time to meet. There is a real need for exchange, sharing experiences and best practices, Networking and being connected with other alumni, peer learning exchange with experts, staying up to date on future events and trainings and staying connected to GIZ und DOSB. In the future, the Alumni-calls are to take place regularly, to remain in constant exchange. We are also looking forward to welcoming the new alumni of this year's IET training in September at our next virtual exchange in November 2021.
Contact:
jessie.bohr@giz.de |
| International Expert Training 2021 goes hybrid |
by Jessie Bohr
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| The ‘German Olympic Sport Confederation (DOSB)’ together with the GIZ Sector Programme ‘Sport for Development’ in Duisburg/Germany have organised another International Expert Training (IET) from 20 to 25 September 2021, on behalf of BMZ. A total of 39 German and international trainers took part in the training which had to be organised in a hybrid way due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions. |
| German IET 2021 participants with the facilitators and organising team. Photo © DOSB |
| For five days, DOSB expert Caroline Braun and Sebastian Weinand, coach of the German Football Association (DFB), taught to the German participants – who were on the ground in Duisburg – concrete knowledge and skills in the ‘Sport for Development’ (S4D) methodology. 16 local coaches from table tennis, athletics and para-athletics, swimming, handball, basketball, and football were represented from the federations and clubs of the DOSB. ITTF Foundation, VfB Stuttgart, 1. FC Köln, Schalke 04 and Alba Berlin also sent coaches to prepare them for possible short-term foreign assignments in S4D projects of German development cooperation. This is intended to further anchor this holistic, social approach in national and international sports structures. |
| Ramon Ortega Montes from the ITTF Foundation together with Dr. Caroline Braun, IET 2021 facilitator and DOSB Soccer Coach in Botswana. Photo © DOSB |
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24 participants came from partner countries of German development cooperation like e.g. Ecuador, India, Ethiopia, Colombia, Morocco, Namibia, Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda, Kenya, Turkey, and the Western Balkans. These international ‘Sport for Development’ experts shared their experiences from current projects of the partner countries, stood by their side with advice and action, and developed training units and smaller model projects together with the German participants. The aim was to demonstrate and use the already existing approaches and positive examples from the projects in the different partner countries.
Ramon Ortega Montes from the ITTF Foundation and participant in Duisburg found the course useful for his future field of activity: ‘I had no methodical knowledge in the field of ‘Sport for Development’. Since I will be responsible for establishing the ‘table tennis for development’ programs at the ITTF in the future, this course has given me a lot of valuable knowledge. Now I am prepared for the international projects.’
Contact:
jessie.bohr@giz.de |
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