GSU co-founder of S4D network
The new "Sport for Development (S4D) Network Germany e.V." was officially founded in Berlin on July 10, 2024. 28 primarily non-profit organizations that use sport, play and exercise specifically as tools to bring about positive change in society have joined forces. The aim: to promote the visibility, networking and impact of the sector.
The official press release states that it is essential that the potential of the Sport for Development sector is made visible and utilized, especially in the current times, in which all social forces are needed to master the challenges of the present and the future. A meeting of the growing collaborative network will be held in December to provide an opportunity for other interested organizations to join in.
An initial, extensively researched mapping by the German Sport University Cologne in collaboration with the initiators of the network covers around 200 stakeholders in the Sport for Development sector in Germany. The S4D sector in Germany has grown considerably since the 2000s in particular and addresses a wide range of target groups. The activities of the implementing actors are primarily aimed at children under the age of 14 and young people between the ages of 14 and 27. Most organizations are active at a local level, but many also have a national or international reach. The sector also works on a wide variety of social issues, such as democratic values, inclusion and integration, education, exercise and health. Soccer as a team sport is used by far the most organizations as an access point and lever for the impact of their work.
The new network, which was founded in 2020 and is already being implemented in a similar form in Sweden and England, will also focus on strengthening impact potential, systematic networking and knowledge exchange, creating synergies and international connectivity. The project was driven forward by a steering group consisting of representatives from Bike Bridge, Common Goal, the German Sport University Cologne, the DFL Foundation, Laureus Sport for Good, step stiftung and SUPR SPORTS. Various regional meetings, which were held as a roadshow with over 60 organizations, confirmed that there is also a need and interest in exchange and joint further development of the sector in Germany. Finally, a position paper was published in April 2024, which contains the network's mission and fields of action and is available at s4d-netzwerk.de.
Dr. Karen Petry is Deputy Director of the Institute for European Sport Development and Leisure Research at the German Sport University Cologne and is now a board member of the S4D Network Germany. She says: "Sport for Development is an internationally recognized approach that is used in the context of the United Nations' global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in many countries around the world and is also highly relevant in Germany. This is made particularly clear by the fact that there are currently many new initiatives, projects and programs that want to contribute to solving the urgent social challenges in this country."
In addition to Petry, four other people were elected to the board, who will initially be in office for two years and will promote the interests of the network. They include Johannes Axster from Common Goal, Julia Schilling from Laureus Sport for Good, Lena Pawelke from Bike Bridge and Jens Dreesen from SUPR Sports. Organizations interested in joining the network can contact the board directly at info@s4d-netzwerk.de.