SPORTS THAT HELP BUILD BRIDGES
At the grassroots or community level, sports can be seen as a means to provide a useful way of creating an environment in which people can come together to:
A. work towards the same goal
B. show respect for others
C. share space and equipment.
There is a programme called “Bridging Divides” in South Africa which uses basketball to bring children and communities together. An assessment of the programme shows that the majority of participants expressed fewer racial stereotypes and less racism compared to children who were not part of the programme.
Another programme, the “Open Fun Football schools” began in Bosnia-herzegovina, using grassroots football as a means to provide a place for interaction and to build relationships between young people and coaches. Since then, the program has expanded, becoming a tool for reconciliation, encouraging understanding and tolerance in Georgia, FYR of Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro and other countries in the Caucasus, the Balkans and in the Middle East.
Closer to home, the Singapore Sports Council runs a programme known as Sportcares, which encourages all Singapore residents to make a difference in the community or someone’s life. Team Sportcares uses sports at the grassroot level, as a means to bring about social good for underprivileged children, youth-at-risk, needy seniors, people with physical and intellectual disabilities, as well as the disadvantaged members of the community. Their mission is a simple one - personal empowerment, social inclusion and bridging communities through sport. Sportcares seeks to connect needy beneficiaries with interested volunteers and community-spirited donors through sport programmes and workshops that help beneficiaries to pick up good values and a sense of purpose in life.