Background

By Alison Qualter-Berna, UNICEF Office of Public Partnerships

See also: www.unicef.org/sports and the following documents:

• Unicefs programme Sport for Development ( word)
• Summary Unicef and Sport for Development ( word)
• UNICEF and FIFA: The Power of Football for Peace ( word)
• Unicef brochure Sport Recreation and play ( pdf)

The use of sports in development is not new to UNICEF. Country offices have been using sports as a communications vehicle for decades, as both a social mobilization tool to gather communities for particular campaigns and as a powerful means to raise awareness about key messages at national or local sports tournaments and events.

The use of sports in development is therefore not new but rather being considered in a new strategic approach. Over the last few years, the Office of Public Partnerships in New York has researched the value of sports beyond this communications potential, by defining various ways to use sports as a programme tool as a vehicle to support the MTSP goals and as a strategic activity in the healthy development of children and young people. In this regard, UNICEF participates in a variety of global sports for development forums. First, as co-chair on the UN Secretary-General's Inter-Agency Task Force on Sports for Development and Peace, on which the value of sports was recognized as a tool to support the achievement of the MDGs throughout the UN system. Second, in collaboration with governments, sports federations and NGOs, as well as in mobilizing new partners on the use of sports in relation to the education, health and protection of children and adolescents.

What is now being globally recognized is that sports, recreation and play has an intrinsic value in child and adolescent development and that such programmes can support the MTSP priorities, in both communicating messages and in programming, assisting the achievement of key objectives in health, education and development while supporting the active participation of children and adolescents, and ensuring the basic right to play (CRC, Article 31).

Within this context, OPP has developed partnership agreements with the major global sports federations, mobilizing these organizations to not only highlight UNICEF messages and communications activities at their sports events, but also as programmatic partners with long-term, programme-driven agreements in selected countries. One result has been the building of UNICEF's increased programmes of cooperation with Ministries of Sport and Youth in many countries, as well as with Ministries of Education in the promotion of physical education and sports in schools (with links to child development). In addition, relationships have been built with government-funded bilateral organizations that support international development through sports activities. The programme has also resulted in the positive expansion of UNICEF's work with civil society, in this case in partnerships with sports teams and leagues, NGOs and youth organizations.

In addition to the development of numerous partnership agreements with regional and national sports councils and leagues, UNICEF has developed partnership agreements with major International Sports Federations, for example:

• IOC - International Olympic Committee
• FIFA - International Football Federation
• FIVB - International Volleyball Federation
• IBF - International Badminton Federation

Each of these sports federations have structures similar to UNICEF - a global HQ with regional bodies and national offices. The programme-driven focus of these partnerships, and with the world of sports in general, is based on the strength and possibilities of partnership at the country level - between the national associations of these sports federations and UNICEF Country Offices (1). It is also firmly based in the strength of parntership development and work with NGOs, particularly within the global network of partners focused on using sports for development(2).

Following the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General's Task Force and in support of the UNICEF Executive Director's leadership to leverage the potential use of sports in child and youth programming, OPP has defined a strategy to focus on sports as a tool in country programming.

After consultations with the Executive Director, with Regional Directors and several Representatives, it was decided that OPP would focus on 12 country programmes as a first step in defining how sports might be used in the country programming process and to further elucidate the value of sports programmes in achieving MTSP goals (3).

With the support of the Regional Offices, UNICEF Office of Public Partnerships has been in discussion with the ten Country Offices to discuss the various options and opportunities for mainstreaming sports and recreation activities in country programming. The primary aim is to build on current programme areas where sports and recreation are already being applied, for example within programmes of the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Youth and Sports, as well as to foster additional country-level partnerships in this regard. For example, OPP works to leverage UNICEF's global sports-related partnerships to encourage the National Sports Associations to support UNICEF Country Offices in efforts to achieve MTSP priority objectives, and to mobilize increased resources and support to children and adolescents both in and out of schools.

The hope is that the sports mainstreaming focus countries will serve as flagship examples within UNICEF's Global Sports for Development programme, serving as case studies both internally for potential replication by UNICEF COs, as well as externally with sports-related partners on how sports is supporting child and youth development. In addition, the broad measurement indicators that will be defined in each focus country's programme will help to assess the impact of these programmes in the long term, beyond anecdotal evidence, specific to the Millennium Development Goals and WFFC agenda.

Footnotes

1: The IOC has 202 National Olympic Committees, FIFA consists of 204 National Football Associations, FIVB has 217 National Volleyball Offices and IBF has 153 National Badminton Associations. Each of these Federations have similar structures for funding and building the development of sport, with goals not uncommon to those of UNICEF (participation of all children, inclusion of girls, etc)

2: Partners include Norwegian Confederation of Sports, Dutch NCDO, Canada Commonwealth Games, UK Sport, and other bilaterals; as well as networks such as Kicking AIDS Out and sports-related NGOs such as Right To Play, Play Soccer, Playing for Peace, Red Deporte, Sport in Action, etc.

3: Sports mainstreaming 2004-2005 focus countries include: Rwanda, Guinea, Sierra Leone, India, Bhutan, Brazil, Honduras, Cambodia, Thailand, Tajikistan, Morocco, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Examples from Unicef website on Sport for Development

www.unicef.org/sports

GHANA: At the Feyenoord Football Academy in Ghana, adolescents are teaching their peers about HIV/AIDS and how to reduce the risk of infection. The players, who have been trained and supplied with education materials, organize peer education sessions in the academy's community, and more importantly, for their fans in places where football tournaments and recruitment matches are held. When the students travel home for the holidays, they also carry their newly acquired knowledge and skills about HIV/AIDS prevention. In their communities they are regarded as stars and heroes, which further increases the impact of their work.

The peer educators also learn about themselves and develop their coping abilities. While HIV/AIDS prevention is the goal, the initiative also helps adolescents develop important skills, such as problem-solving, decision-making, communication and critical thinking. It helps them handle peer pressure and cope with emotions and stress, while building their confidence in themselves and their future. It encourages young people to choose healthy lifestyles as they grow into adulthood.

A total of 2,156 young people have been reached with information on how to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS. When students from the Academy (funded by Feyenoord football club in the Netherlands) recently travelled to Lesotho and South Africa for football tournaments, they used the opportunity to talk about HIV/AIDS prevention with their international peers.

ROMANIA: An estimated 1,000 school-aged children live in Barbulesti, a predominately Roma community in Romania. Yet, the drop-out rate for girls in grades 5 to 8 reaches almost 50 per cent, with only 32 girls enrolled in the eighth grade, most of them not attending classes. At the Educational Day Centre, run by the local non-governmental organization Progress Foundation, sport is being used to keep girls in school and increase their status in the community. Children, trained by a professional sports teacher, play on two soccer teams, one for boys, and another for girls. They are selected based on attendance and performance in school. Teamwork has helped the children overcome their social differences. Since the programme began, they have been more motivated to attend and do well in school. After only one year, school performance and attendance among children attending the programme, including among girls, has significantly improved. Dropping out is no longer an option.

COLUMBIA: The Football for Peace project is a partnership between the High Commissioner for Peace, the Young Colombia Programme, government ministries and the private sector. Public spaces are being rehabilitated and turned into football fields to promote tolerance and conflict resolution. The project helps communities understand that all children, including current and child soldiers, have rights and that no child should be marginalized. To promote gender equity, girls and boys play on the same team. Goals are not counted unless a girl has touched the ball. This year, around 20,000 children and adolescents aged 11 to 22, and 5,000 coaches in 50 municipalities are participating in the Football for Peace project. It is estimated that the peace messages are reaching more than 50,000 people in Colombia.

TURKEY: The FACT (Family and Child Training) programme encourages families with children under six years to participate together in games and play activities for younger children. The extended family learns about the importance of early childhood education, nutrition, breastfeeding and play. With a better understanding of their children's physical, psychological and cognitive development needs, families are encouraged to develop a stimulating, interactive learning environment for their children at home.

ZIMBABWE: The Youth Education through Sport (YES) programme, led by young people, requires participants to commit to staying in school and to volunteering in their communities. The aim of this nationwide programme, supported by the Zimbabwe Sports and Recreation Commission, national and international partners, is to bring together young people through sport to provide education on HIV/AIDS and related issues such as teaching young people life skills, and equipping them to become peer educators and contribute to their communities as positive role models. Since 2000, the programme has reached 25,000 young people, half of them female.