According to UNESCO, there were 1.2 billion young people last year. As this number continues to rise, youth empowerment has become a key cross-cutting issue for achieving all of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, in many countries around the world, young people have limited access to quality education, economic opportunities or meaningful participation in decision-making.

Empowering young people means enabling them to make and implement decisions that affect their present and future, on issues such as unemployment, engagement in civic and political processes and a sense of belonging. In particular, by providing platforms for expression, participation and leadership development, young people can become agents of positive change in their communities. To do this, they also need the necessary resources, opportunities and support.

Sport for development

One way to create such platforms is through sport. Well-designed sports activities teach and strengthen life skills, provide mentoring and thus promote personal and social change in communities. Harnessing this transformative potential of sport is at the core of Sport for Development (S4D).

S4D has been recognized by the United Nations as a “means of promoting education, health, development and peace” and is therefore included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is an established instrument of German development cooperation. On behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) is implementing S4D together with partners from all over the world. S4D is currently active in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Western Balkans and has already reached more than 1.4 million children and young people.

Anyone who has ever played a team sport knows how sport promotes team spirit and fair play. With the right educational framework, sport therefore not only improves physical and mental health, but also promotes young people’s life skills and imparts social values. Coupled with specific training strategies and group reflection, sport has the potential to promote tolerance, adaptability, goal orientation and self-confidence. S4D also strengthens leadership qualities and skills in communication, conflict resolution and teamwork. The sports in GIZ’s programs range from football, basketball, table tennis and ultimate frisbee to karate, dancing and swimming.

S4D coaches develop training sessions based on educational objectives and tailored to the personal and socio-cultural background of the young participants. The coaches act as role models on and off the field. When implementing an S4D program, special emphasis is placed on reflection during each training session. This process facilitates the integration of skills development and practical application.

Through this strategy, S4D can reduce prejudice among young people from different cultural backgrounds and promote better intercultural understanding between communities that may hold different political or religious views.

At the same time, S4D can contribute to a more gender-equal society by promoting female leaders and role models, raising awareness of gender issues among boys and girls, and challenging gender stereotypes. In this way, S4D can support and advance the principles of feminist development policy.

With this in mind, S4D can also promote the employability of young people. By acquiring skills and creating a supportive environment, individuals can overcome barriers and improve their prospects of successfully integrating into the world of work. Sport provides life skills that meet the real needs of the labour market. It can also help young people become aware of their own talents, aspirations and expectations regarding their future careers. Finally, it can help impart knowledge and skills on a wide range of development issues such as environmental protection, hygiene and sanitation, media literacy and many more.

Universal language

In addition to GIZ’s experiences On the ground, various studies have highlighted S4D as a valuable tool for empowering youth and thereby promoting social change. For example, in Iraq, S4D initiatives in Kurdistan have been found to engage children and youth from IDP camps and host communities. Empirical evidence has shown that these activities promote inclusive behaviour towards people of different religions and ethnicities, thereby strengthening social cohesion. In addition, research has shown that S4D interventions help reduce the acceptance of gender-based violence against women and girls, while promoting a more equitable division of domestic work. Studies conducted in North Macedonia and Albania also shed light on the impact of S4D on young people’s employability and show that S4D increases self-confidence and goal orientation.

More than a thousand organisations are active in this field, according to a study by the Journal of Sport for Development. In collaboration with renowned partners such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Special Olympics, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the German Football Association (DFB) and others, as well as with governments and civil society around the world, GIZ is showing how sport for development can be a valuable instrument of development cooperation.

Young people can create positive change and represent an immense potential that S4D wants to invest in. At a time when both conservative and far-right voices are increasingly skeptical of development cooperation, it is crucial to show how innovative, adaptable and creative sport for development can be in achieving the SDGs with relatively modest financial means. Sport connects people around the world and acts as a universally spoken language.

link
UNESCO, 2023: Thematic factsheet. Youth and empowerment.
https://www.unesco.org/en/youth-and-empowerment.

Katharina Wolf is a junior communications specialist at GIZ.
[email protected]

Jens Elsner is Programme Manager in the GIZ Global Programme Sport for Development (until 06/2024).
[email protected]