2. Aim of Sports for Peace
Programs ?
Right To Play’s Sport Specific programs share some common sport
aims, such as high levels of participation and the development of
sports skills. Also, every program shares some common development
aims, such as:
• the growth of the participants in every respect: physical,
intellectual, emotional, and social
• safer, more peaceful communities
• improved health and healthier lifestyles
• empowered individuals and communities
3. Why is sport a key tool
in achieving these aims?
For children and youth, the field or court is a classroom, laboratory and
greenhouse. When children and youth play, they are actively learning,
exploring and growing in every respect:
Intellectually, they are sharply focused: observing, remembering,
experimenting, strategizing, evaluating and making decisions.
Physically, they are fully involved: testing and developing their strength, their
skill and their range, coordination and speed of movement.
Emotionally, they are intensely absorbed: discovering new dimensions in
themselves, growing in confidence, experiencing excitement and happiness.
Socially, they are deeply engaged with others: while sharing the joys of play
they are developing the knowledge, attitudes and skills to communicate,
cooperate and form positive relationships with others.
5. 5
This approach builds supportive environments by:
1. Building Cohesion
2. Increase access to services and support systems
3. Reach populations that are excluded or
marginalized
4. Provide positive role models
5. Celebrate community accomplishments, diversity
and shared traditions.
| Sport Specific Approach
6. This approach also promotes key life skills:
• Cooperation, fairness, teamwork, respect to others
• Communication
• Self esteem and self confidence
• Ability to set goals, make effective choices, practice
responsibility
• Ability to tackle difficult challenges, recover from
losses and setbacks, and exercise personal
responsibility
7. Key concept
Why is this important? How is this concept addressed in
Sport Specific?
Resiliency Resiliency is the capacity to cope
with stressful and challenging
conditions, such as poverty,
violence, illness, etc.
Right To Play contributes significantly
to building resiliency among
vulnerable populations of children and
youth. This is achieved by teaching
children and youth sport skills, and
training community members to be
vibrant Coaches and mentors.
8. Key concept
Why is this important? How is this concept addressed in
Sport Specific?
Behaviour
change
Right To Play programs are
designed from an understanding of
the many factors that lead to
sustained behaviour change.
Behaviour change is a process that
includes weighing (consciously or
unconsciously) the benefits and
risks of changing behaviour. It also
includes moving through a process
of becoming aware,
understanding, believing,
adopting, practising, and
maintaining behaviour. Experience
shows that people may go back
and forth along this process, and
that it may take some time.
Behaviour change depends on
several factors, including
knowledge, attitudes, skills, and
supportive environments.
Right To Play promotes the
development of life skills, including
the ability to manage stress, resist
peer pressure, communicate
assertively, make decisions and set
goals, and motivate and lead others.
Right To Play also promotes the
development of attitudes such as self-
esteem and confidence, hope and
optimism, empathy and compassion,
and motivation to adopt healthy
behaviours.
9. Key concept
Why is this important? How is this concept addressed in
Sport Specific?
Non-
discrimination
Discrimination means treating
someone differently based on his
or her age, gender, role, physical
or mental ability, nationality,
ethnicity, religion, political
opinions, social status, or other
facets of their identity.
All children have equal access to
Right To Play programs, regardless of
age, gender, physical or mental
ability, nationality, ethnicity, religion,
political opinions, social status, or
other facets of their identity.
In all Right To Play programs, we aim
to develop a heightened awareness
of the words and actions that may
inadvertently continue to discriminate
and stigmatize children. For example,
it is important that children are not
openly categorized or labelled (for
example, “child soldiers,” “sexually
abused girls,” “orphans”), as children
will remember these labels can be
stigmatizing. Openly labelling
children can have a negative impact
on children’s sense of self and self-
esteem.
10. Example of Sports for Peace Projects
• A project was conducted in Tripoli (North Lebanon) where 20
coaches and 600 children and adolescents (8-17 years) were
targeted.
• The group of coaches was comprised partly of professional
Syrian players who took up the role of coaches as well as
Lebanese coaches.
• One workshop took place while 2 sessions were conducted
per week.
• 2 major sports tournaments were held at the end of the
project
11. Successes and Good Practices
• The project in Tripoli had an almost even level of participation
between Syrian refugee (56%) and host community children
(44%)
• During regular activities children exhibited increased levels of
acceptance of the other with no registered incidents of
violence between participants.
• When it comes to gender participation of girls was at 4% at
the outset of the project. After 4 months of project
implementation that figure rose to 24% girls participation.
• In a separate intervention in an UNRWA school in South
Lebanon where high level of violent incidents was reported
between the students (7 incidents reported per week), an
intervention using sport for peace and play based
methodology in the school reduced reported incidents to
once per month. Q
