Ready to start up!: design and dissemination of the « Sport & development » program

Ready to start up!: design and dissemination of the « Sport & development » program

Dr. Gilles Klein

Tools

The fourth blog article finished thus: “to maintain the relationships with the world of sport in our member states, our organization shall largely disseminate the tools already designed relating to the contribution of sport to Sustainable Development Goals”. After having recapped on the mission entrusted to our organization by the international civil society, I would like to now report on the work being carried out on the relationship between sport and those objectives targeted by the United Nations, as well as to announce the dissemination of tools.

Return to the sources

First, what has sports to do with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), previously Millennium Development Goals, which called upon 193 countries of our planet on the horizon towards 2030? For us, all began in Rabat, Morocco in 2007. But before, let’s come back to the context of our initiative. 2000: at the United Nations, the heads of states validate the Millennium declaration. 2001: they record the MDDs. 2002: the Secretary-General requests a work team on sports at the service of development and peace. 2003: that team delivers its report. 2006: in sports as in other sectors, the international civil society considers that the results do not match the ambitions posted.

Foundation

The latter called on the trainers in the different professional areas to show how they could meet the objectives and make them accessible to the world's youth. It wishes to create centers of excellence in support of MDGs. 2007: the Intergovernmental organization World Sports Alliance is created to educate young people and train their staff to MDGs through sport.

Declaration

The establishment of our organization will lead to the so-called Rabat Declaration. That declaration was introduced in Geneva at the substantive session of 2007 by the late Mrs. Zoulikha Nasri, President of the Foundation Mohamed V for solidarity, a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. This session took place within the Annual ministerial review: strengthening efforts
 to eradicate poverty and hunger, including through the global partnership for development.

Centre of excellence

The declaration announces the establishment of the world centre of excellence in physical education, sport, and MDGs in those terms: “Encourage other countries in Africa, Latin America and throughout the world to create their MDG centres of excellence and to join WSA in order to create WSA community and sports centres locally and encourage WSA to contribute actively, together with IAESCSI and UN-NGO-IRENE, to the creation of the world MDG centre of excellence in Geneva, in July 2007, so that our national and regional centres of excellence can benefit from its work, expertise and validation of MDG training programmes”.

Ready to start-up!

Once the world center of excellence dedicated to sport is created, original documents are required to show the relationship between sport and MDGs, now SDGs. 2008: programs are created, authors contacted; databases recorded; first books written and edited.

Sport & development

To provide the trainers of the member states of our organization with all the necessary equipment, four specific programs are developed as part of a generic program called “Sport & development”.

Training

This program collects the training requests from the executives of Ministries of Youth and Sports and training teams of institutes or faculties on Youth and Sport policies issues and education in the MDGs through sport. It meets these requests through training offers within the Member States.

Sport education

The ”Sports, Education & Development” program deals with sports education for teachers, students and youth using two collections. The ”EPS en poche” collection studies teaching by abilities in sports activities.

Sport and SDGs

The ”Sport – MDGs” collection, published by « Les Editions Education physique et sport – Paris » at the request of the WCEPESL-MDGs, studies the educational contribution of sports activities to the MDGs. A ”Football & MDGs” book has already been edited. Other books are in preparation.

Sciences

The ”Sport, Sciences & Development” program addresses the scientific approaches of sport to the MDGs. Published by « Les Editions Education physique et sport – Paris », at the request of the WCEPESL-MDGs, the program promotes the scientific, instructional and educational knowledge already published in an ensemble of theme files for the teachers and students. The “Sport & Health“, “Sport & Education“, “Sport & Social Cohesion“, “Sport & Gender”, “Sport & Environment”, “Sport, Partnership & Development“ books are available.

Societies

The “Sports Societies and Development” program deals with youth, sports and MDG news in the WSA member States’ national context. The books collection, published by « Les Editions Education physique et sport – Paris » at the request of the WCEPESL-MDGs, studies the policies of and good practices in youth, physical education and sport in connection with the SDGs in a national context.

Future

These programs and the books featuring them are ready to be sent to the faculties and national institutes of sports in the World Sports Alliance’s member states. But, all these materials have been produced during the 2000’s, in compliance with the web 1.0 and 2.0. As I mentioned in the last article, we need to anticipate the future. Indeed, as in every sector of education and training, sport is subject to fast changes within the communication technologies. Evolution is changing the processes of training regulation.

Next: Article 7 – Soccer and Fintech: a contribution to the financing of youth sport.