Category Archives: HIV AIDS

December 13, 2018 · 9:46 am

Sports Diplomacy: Effective or Not in Promoting Foreign Policy?

My Bowdoin 20th class reunion will be held in May/June 2019 and as such I’ve been reconnecting with staff, students and alumni at my alma mater. Any former government and legal studies majors and the general public may learn from a Distinguished Lecturer in Government Bradely Babson’s course “The Two Koreas and Geopolitics of Northeast Asia,” class podcast held back in May 2018, by current Bowdoin students Tim Ahn ’19 and Sam Jablonski ’18 on the role of sports diplomacy in the Koreas.

In a larger context, the International Sport for Development and Peace Association has a diverse membership of students, educators, researchers, practitioners and advocates of which sports diplomacy is a component. Increasingly, many scholars are publishing their research findings in books, journal articles and media who are affiliated with ISDPA. While the podcast by Bowdoin undergraduates is just one sample of the debates surrounding sports diplomacy, the Journal of Sport for Development Special Issue on Latin America featured an article titled: “U.S. sport diplomacy in Latin America and the Caribbean: A programme evaluation.”

The recommendations set forth by researchers from George Mason University Center for Sport Management are based on the assumption that the “intent of sports diplomacy programs is to create meaningful change in local communities.” Though the costs of sports diplomacy can be expensive and time consuming, I tend to agree with the GMU researchers’ recommendations, since in my own small way I have lived as a volunteer, coach and administrator to play a role in fulfilling the intent of sports diplomacy.

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Filed under Capacity Buidling, Coaching, Community Development, Conflict Resolution, Corporate Social Responsibility, Education, Foreign Policy, Gender, HIV AIDS, International Development, Leadership, Literature Review, Olympic, Paralympic, Peace Building, Squash, Volunteering, Youth Development, Youth Sport

February 8, 2017 · 2:10 pm

Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) in Sport for Development and Peace

Thanks to colleagues, Erika Mueller (Peace Corps), Mori Taheripour, (The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania), Eli Wolff (Brown University) and Sarah Hillyer (University of Tennessee) in the International Sport for Development and Peace Association (IDSPA) for the invitation to participate in the Sport for Development M&E Virtual Roundtable Series.

A concise, thorough and inspiring presentation, entitled “More Than A Game: Using Soccer to Create a Level Playing Field for Girls” was be led by Ben Sanders, Director of Programmes, Grassroot Soccer South Africa. Grassroot Soccer is an adolescent health organization that leverages the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize youth in developing countries to overcome their greatest health challenges, live healthier, more productive lives, and be agents for change in their communities.

The USAID Sport for Development M&E Learning Lab is a platform that allows USAID Missions, NGOs, academics, corporate partners and donors to identify and examine evaluation outcomes of programs that use sport to achieve development goals. Group members use this platform to share knowledge, identify best practices, and disseminate research outcomes. Through open information exchange and collaboration, the platform allows members to support the advancement of sport for development and peace programs globally.

Mr. Sanders and his colleagues also referenced a report and digital storytelling to share best practices and lessons learned from Grassroots Soccer. Both are highly recommended for additional reading and viewing. Overall, participating in the seminar was a cost-effective method of keeping up with one of the leading sport for development organizations in the world. Khelshala and others NGOs have a lot to learn from Grassroot Soccer.

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Filed under Capacity Buidling, Coaching, Community Development, Education, Gender, HIV AIDS, International Development, Leadership, Literature Review, Networking, Planning, Poverty, Private Public Partnerships, Professional Development, Stakeholder Engagement, Youth Development, Youth Sport

December 18, 2014 · 11:10 pm

Exploring Frontiers of Social Enterprise in Bangalore

I am writing from Bangalore, India where I recently visited Sneha Care Home, a “home away from home” for HIV infected children. Sneha Care Home is a part of the Sneha Charitable Trust, an initiative by the Brothers and Priests of the Roman Catholic Order of St. Camillus who are collectively known as Camillians. Today’s International Red Cross originates from the work of Camillians.

The purpose of the visit was to listen, observe and exchange ideas between Sneha Care Home staff, volunteers and students. Over the course of four days, I was fortunate to gain valuable classroom teaching experience with children between the ages of 6 to 13; observe extracurricular activities such as student clubs; introduce new physical education elements emphasizing dynamic stretching and exchange ideas with Brothers, Priests and staff.

Sneha Care Home orphans Playing Sports

At the end of my stay, I met with Father Mathew Perumpil, Director of the Sneha Care Home who just returned from a visit to the USA. He spoke at length of macro and micro issues and we brainstormed together about ways in which Sneha Care Home may have a wider impact in addressing HIV AIDS at the state, national and international levels. Overall, it was a very inspiring visit and again challenged me to find ways of connecting the dots with my experiences in the field of social enterprise.

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Filed under Coaching, Education, HIV AIDS, International Development, Leadership, Networking, Philanthropy, Psycho-Social Support, Rehabilitation, Stakeholder Engagement, Volunteering

December 6, 2014 · 4:56 pm

Advancing the Field of Sport for Development and Peace

Thanks to my International Sport for Development and Peace Association colleagues Sarah Hillyer (Georgetown University) and Eli Wolff (Brown University), I was able to attend the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Symposium titled “Sport for Development and Peace: Initiatives, Challenges, and Pathways Forward.” To view the presentations click here.

The field of sport for development and peace is still relatively young and aiming to achieve legitimacy from the mainstream international development community. Nonetheless, it was welcoming to see AAPHERD host this event. Furthermore, many of the academics involved in this field are scholar-activists, working on the cutting-edge of research and practice both in the United States and around the world. In listening to the presentations, I was reminded by the quote from cultural anthropologist – Margaret Mead, who stated “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.“

As with most conferences, one must find ways to take away the information that will add value to the organizations in which one serves. As a coach who works with young people, the three big “take-aways” were: designing positive sport-based experiences, the importance of pedagogy and leveraging support networks. Each of these requires skill, patience and coordination that can be developed over time. In short, to advance this field more awareness is necessary starting with coaches, teachers, administrators and parents.

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Filed under Capacity Buidling, Coaching, Community Development, Conferences, Conflict Resolution, Education, Foreign Policy, Gender, HIV AIDS, Homelessness, International Development, Literature Review, Networking, Peace Building, Professional Development, Psycho-Social Support, Public Policy