The Drum Beat 335 - Playing for Change: Communication through Sport
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Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Kofi Annan has said, "Sport is a universal language that can bring people together, no matter what their origin, background, religious beliefs or economic status." It is in that spirit that the UN declared 2005 the International Year of Sport and Physical Education (IYSPE) - for details, click here. In doing so, the UN hoped to focus the world's attention on how sport and physical education programmes can help combat challenges highlighted by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), such as extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS. The Olympic games also draw on the potential of sport to "help bridge cultural and ethnic divides, create jobs and businesses, promote tolerance and non-discrimination, reinforce social integration, and advocate healthy lifestyles." Visit the International Olympic Committee website for more details.
This issue of the Drum Beat features summaries of communication-focused, sports-oriented programmes that have been implemented around the world to convey development messages and influence behaviour in an effort to improve the quality of people's lives and promote peace.
The below highlights of sports-related strategies are drawn almost exclusively from our Programme Experiences section. We always welcome submissions of experiences (athletics-related or otherwise), but are particularly interested in strategic thinking pieces and other resources from sports-for-development practitioners drawing on communication approaches. Please send your materials to Deborah Heimann at dheimann@comminit.com Many thanks!
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PARTICIPATION: SPORT TO ADDRESS DEPRIVATION AND DISCRIMINATION
1.Homeless World Cup - Global
By highlighting the positive power of sport, The Homeless World Cup seeks to inspire and address homeless people and people in poverty around the world through in-person sporting events, a website, and mass media coverage. An annual street soccer (football) tournament unites teams of homeless people around the world; the goal is to raise awareness about their experiences, generate a sense of community strength, and foster a new social impact for a marginalised group. A July 2005 report reveals that 78 of 204 former World Cup players now work in regular jobs; 16 signed with football clubs or work as coaches, and 95 "improved their housing situation". 90% of participants said that it had a positive impact on their lives; 74% claimed to be making significant changes in their lives as a direct result of their involvement. The 2006 competition (Sept. 21-30, Cape Town, South Africa) is expected to involve 45 teams with players from 35 countries, at least 50,000 spectators, and global media coverage.
Contact Mel Young melyoung@streetsoccer.org OR office@streetsoccer.org
2.Rehabilitation Through Sport - Angola
This is a pilot initiative to train physiotherapists and sport trainers to use sport activities as a rehabilitative tool with persons with amputations and other physical disabilities in Angola. The aim of the initiative - which will eventually be extended beyond Angola to other post-conflict or developing nations - is to increase awareness of the abilities, leadership potential, and rights of people with a disability, as well as to highlight the value of sport in rehabilitation and social inclusion. Persons with disability participate in the training sessions; in this way, they are empowered by teaching and guiding the "experts" - while at the same time learning about opportunities that are available for people with disability and interacting with peers.
Contact Amy Farkas Amy.farkas@paralympic.org OR info@paralympic.org
3.Assisting Children Everywhere (ACE) - Global
UNICEF and ATP, the governing body of the men's professional tennis circuit, are collaborating to help ensure the health, education, equality, and protection of children around the world. The programme uses in-person events and public service announcements (PSAs) involving celebrity tennis players to raise awareness and funds for initiatives to be carried out by UNICEF and its partners, as well as to advocate for increased attention to children-centred development issues. For example, top players took part in a May 2005 Tennis for Africa day in Rome to support a school food programme in Quelimane, Mozambique. Over 4000 Euros were collected, which will be used to give 260 children meals for 1 year.
Contact Nicola Arzani narzani@atptennis.com OR Benito Perez-Barbadillo bpbarbadillo@atptennis.com OR Robin Hutchinson rhutchinson@atptennis.com OR Liza Barrie lbarrie@unicef.org OR Marissa Buckanoff mbuckanoff@unicefusa.org OR Deanna Helmig dhelmig@unicefusa.org
4.Foul Ball Campaign - Pakistan
This campaign mobilised youth soccer leagues, city councils, and other groups with sports programmes to pass resolutions banning the use in their programmes of soccer balls made by child labour. In addition, a monitoring system was implemented to ensure that child labour in this industry would not be permitted to continue. These initiatives included: encouraging manufacturers of soccer balls to move production in a new facility where work would be performed by workers age 15 or older; ensuring that children were not entering the workplace and that soccer ball panels were not leaving the factory where the risk exists that they may be stitched by children in stitching centres or in homes; and supporting education and/or vocational training for children.
Contact Werner Blenk blenk@ilo.org
5. World AIDS Marathon
An annual international marathon whose goal is to raise awareness about - and funds to research and treat - HIV/AIDS and cancer, as well as to challenge discrimination against people living with these diseases. Participation is encouraged through a 5K race/walk and a conference/exhibit featuring artwork by HIV-positive people and cancer survivors.
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NEW! As part of The CI's Classifieds service, organisations can now post any training and events related to international development in the Classifieds section of The CI website as well as within the DB Classifieds - TME.
For more information on posting training and events within the Classifieds section of The CI, please contact Jennifer Savidge jsavidge@comminit.com
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SPORT FOR RIGHTS AND HEALTH: ENGAGING YOUNG ATHLETES
6.Hoops 4 Hope (H4H) - South Africa & Zimbabwe
This project invites underprivileged school-age children to participate in basketball and life-skills development programmes across South Africa and Zimbabwe. By fostering a one-on-one relationship between an H4H coach and his or her player, the project seeks to engender positive change in the lives of youth who grow up in challenging environments plagued with poverty, crime and HIV/AIDS. H4H supplements basketball practice with an interactive, role-model-oriented programme called Skills 4 Life (20 minutes out of every 90-minute session).
Contact hoops4hope@mac.com OR Thierry Kita thierrykita@yahoo.com OR Ngoni Mukukula
nmukukula@yahoo.com
7.Right to Play (RTP) - Global
RTP is a humanitarian organisation using sport and play programmes to encourage the physical, social, and emotional development of refugee children, former child combatants, and young people at risk for - or orphaned by - HIV/AIDS. RTP engages and trains local and international volunteers - including a team of Olympic and professional athletes - who work with communities to implement projects, such as the participation of a group of pre-adolescent soccer players, half of them Palestinian, half of them Israeli, who played on the all-star Peace Team and competed in an international youth soccer tournament, the Norway Cup. RTP also takes an active role in research and policy development in an effort to engage leaders in the fields of development, sport, business, and media.
Contact info@righttoplay.com
8.Ghana SportHealth - Ghana
In December 2001, a delegation of athletes travelled to Ghana to kick off a campaign to immunise the nation's infants against 5 deadly diseases with one new vaccine; the message was that children's right to play cannot be exercised without good health. Ghanian children attending the festival in Accra participated in football matches, cultural dance and games, and handball and tennis. Olympic triple-gold medalist Marion Jones led track-and-field coaching workshops for the children; athlete ambassadors emphasised the importance of both teamwork and health. In addition, 3,000 infants were immunised.
Contact info@righttoplay.com
9.Tepeyac Association - New York City, USA
Founded by Mexican community leaders, this network of 40 community-based organisations works to promote the social welfare and human rights of Latino immigrants (especially New York City residents who are undocumented). Among its community-based programmes is a 12-week soccer school in which boys and girls of all nationalities and races are invited to participate. Goals include encouraging youth to develop self-discipline, make physical exercise a habit, and initiate healthy friendships. Organisers encourage parents to get involved with their children's practices and games; soccer may thereby become a tool for strengthening parent-child relationships and fostering parents' involvement in other programmes that improve their own education and development.
Contact AsocTepeyac@tepeyacny.org
10.Carolina for Kibera (CFK) Youth Sports Association - Kenya
CFK uses sports to promote youth leadership, community development, and ethno-religious cooperation, as well as to improve basic healthcare and education in Kibera, Kenya. The project works with youth in 11 villages, providing them with donated sports equipment. CFK's philosophy is grounded in the concept of participatory development, as well as in the importance of teaching youth that everything must be earned and that nothing is free: "In return for the opportunity to play sports, youth give back to their communities through garbage clean-ups and youth-led public service initiatives."
Contact cfk@unc.edu
11.Marathon Run to Drive Away Polio
A marathon was held in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh, India) to fight polio and raise awareness of the disease. Government officials, including the mayor and district magistrate, were involved in the event, which was attended by a broad demographic, with girls making up 15% of the competitors, and a large number of children participating.
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Pulse Poll
In the context of conflict, the job of radio talk show hosts is to examine the conflict not to help resolve or prevent it.
Do you agree or disagree?
[For context, please The Drum Beat 333]
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GENDER GAMES
12.Soccer Schools for Health Promotion - Santiago de Chile, Chile
The Pan American Health Organization has developed a curriculum to improve the health and development of adolescent boys by focusing on constructs of masculinity and its impact on health and healthy, equitable relationships. Coaches receive training on a variety of health issues (smoking, alcohol use, sexual behaviour, violence, etc.) with the intention that they will then introduce these topics during soccer training sessions throughout the season. The curriculum guides the group through an introductory talk, warm ups, play and a wrap up; it has been adapted in several other Latin American countries.
Contact Matilde Madalenno maddalem@paho.org
13.Fair Play for Girls - Pakistan
This initiative draws on the sport of cricket to promote the right of equal access to education for girls and boys in Pakistan. Major sporting events are means for raising awareness, generating public support, and mobilising resources for girls' education. For instance, UNICEF joined hands with the Pakistan Cricket Board Women's Wing and the education department of Punjab to organise a 30-over women's cricket match which drew a 12,000-strong audience of girls. A "lively" song in the Urdu language signalled the start of the match; the stadium was decorated with banners and streamers featuring the cartoon character Meena - a symbol of what girls can achieve given equal opportunities.
Contact Mr. Mohammad Ali Fahim mfahim@unicef.org OR acc@asiancricket.org
14. International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s Promotion of Women in Sport: Advocacy and Information
The IOC creates national, regional and international platforms and events to advocate for increased inclusion of girls and women in sport. Members of its Women and Sport Working Group "are particularly active in raising awareness about gender equality in their respective domains of sports expertise throughout the year."
15. Yellow Card - Africa
Yellow Card takes teen pregnancy, which is often thought of as a girl's problem, and explores what happens when a boy is held accountable for his sexual actions. The movie uses the story of Tiyane Tsumba, a soccer star who becomes a teenage father, to tackle unplanned pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and HIV/AIDS. Despite the seriousness of these issues, Yellow Card is a light, comic story featuring popular music. Trained facilitators at travelling road shows teach local leaders to use a support video and manual to guide adolescents through discussions about the movie's themes; an interactive website also fosters youth dialogue.
Contact tiyane@yellow-card.com OR linda@yellow-card.com OR juliet@yellow-card.com
16.Los Chidos (The Cool Ones) - United States
This initiative uses entertaining media to transmit reproductive health messages to Spanish-speaking males between the ages of 18 and 29. The experiences of 4 soccer buddies are detailed in a brightly coloured, 16-page novel...
Contact Alexandra Lowell alowell@bwpdx.org
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Please send any information on communication initiatives, events, publications and online resources related to avian influenza preparedness and prevention to Deborah Heimann info@comminit.com
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DRAWING ON ATHLETES' POPULARITY: MASS MEDIA
17.Jouer pour la Vie (Play for Life) - West Africa
Organised by The Caring Understanding Partners Program (CUP), Play for Life used sport to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among young men. Popular and well-respected national-level soccer players were trained to serve as role models by sharing "game plans" that detailed how they protect themselves and their friends from HIV/AIDS and unintended pregnancies; they encouraged fans to develop their own personal game plans. Soccer players translated messages about HIV/AIDS into the language of sport, in part through radio and television spots in French and English. Players also promoted HIV-prevention messages in interviews with local media and in personal appearances at youth centres, sports clubs, and schools.
Contact Ma Umba Mabiala mmabiala@jhuccp.org
18.Know Your Status - United States
In October 2004, the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council launched a national television campaign to reach African-American men between the ages of 13 and 28 with the message that knowing one's HIV status is the first step in fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS. The public service announcements (PSAs) feature African-American athletes in action and focus on the burden of uncertainty and risk, encouraging viewers to call a confidential, toll-free number where they can learn about HIV testing, prevention, and treatment. "The young men out there think they're invincible. We wanted to show them that some of the strongest role models around - football players - were not above getting tested for HIV. Hopefully this will connect with them and more young men will get the test and know their status."
Contact Ellyn Fisher efisher@adcouncil.org
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This issue was written by Kier Olsen DeVries.
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The Drum Beat seeks to cover the full range of communication for development activities. Inclusion of an item does not imply endorsement or support by The Partners.
Please send material for The Drum Beat to the Editor - Deborah Heimann dheimann@comminit.com
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