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The Commonwealth Secretariat, working closely with the Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport (CABOS), has become an important site of expertise, leadership and co-ordination on sport for development and peace (SDP). SDP brings the power of sport to the solution of some of the most difficult challenges of humankind, such as the realisation of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. The Commonwealth Secretariat now contributes to the formulation, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of government policy related to SDP. It has published surveys of the most important interventions, no mean contribution in a rapidly emerging field with a variety of causes, approaches and organisations; catalogued and publicised examples of ‘best practice’; convened consultations of experts and practitioners; and communicated its findings to international forums, not the least of which have been the regular meetings of the Commonwealth sport and youth ministers.
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This chapter provides a context for the Commonwealth’s engagement with sport for development and peace (SDP) by briefly charting the growth of the sector from the perspective of the intergovernmental SDP policy development and the establishment of pan-Commonwealth SDP policy instruments and support mechanisms. In particular, relevant resolutions at Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGMs), Commonwealth Sport Ministers Meetings (CSMMs) and in other relevant pan-Commonwealth forums are highlighted.
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The sport for development and peace (SDP) sector has grown rapidly in recent years, and is increasingly prominent across Commonwealth countries. The SDP sector is moving into a new phase of development, and this is now an appropriate point for Commonwealth policy-makers to examine their future roles and contributions.
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There are a host of critical issues, illuminated by research, that are relevant to policy development in the area of sport for development and peace (SDP). Four are discussed here: defining development, sustainable programming, sociological issues of identity and the political orientation of programmes. Reconciling these issues may mean considering policies that would: a) move SDP beyond top-down design and implementation; and b) reflect critically on the presumed meanings and benefits of sport itself.
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Despite all the potential gains that exist from taking part in sport, stakeholders across the Commonwealth are increasingly recognising and promoting that without deliberate efforts on the part of clubs and organisations, federations and policy-makers, we cannot be confident that children will always have a safe experience in sport. In response, a number of organisations working in sport and development came together to look at how sports provision could be kept safe, under the banner of the Safeguarding Children in Sport Working Group.
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This brief paper identifies new trends in youth sport participation, particularly the growing popularity of noncompetitive, informal, non-institutionalised ‘action sports’ (e.g. skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, parkour). Drawing upon examples and research from within and outside the Commonwealth, it illustrates the potential of action sports for making a valuable contribution to the ‘sport for development and peace’ movement. As revealed through three distinct case studies, a number of valuable lessons can be learned about the potential of action sports for improving the health and well-being of children and youth in both (re)developing and developed nations.
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Acknowledging the work of the Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group (SDP IWG), the Commonwealth Secretariat, UN Educational, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UNOSDP and many other partners globally, this chapter builds on this work and uses the experience of Right To Play and its government partners to further articulate how state and non-state actors can use sport and play to reach their educational objectives.
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It is widely acknowledged that there is only limited long-term and systematic research into the effectiveness of sport as a tool for development outcomes. In response the Australian government, through a partnership between the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), has invested approximately A$2 million to assess the contribution of sport to development outcomes in the Pacific and build the capacity of partners to deliver effective programmes. This investment underpins Australia’s commitment to its aid programme, delivering results through evidence-based policy and programmes.