Educational Program for Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in Turkey – Youth Development and Social Cohesion through Sport

Project Leader:
Dr. Karen Petry

Project staff:
Marilen Neeten

Period of research:
September 2017 - May 2019

Partner:
Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (DOSB)

Since 15th of September 2017, the Institute for European Sport Development and Leisure Studies (IESF) has been working on the project "Educational Program for Syrian Refugees and Host Communities in Turkey – Youth Development and Social Cohesion through Sport", which is run by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) on behalf of the German Association for International Cooperation (GIZ).

The project aims to provide Syrian and Turkish children and youth with improved access to formal education and collaborative services in the Turkish cities of Gaziantep, Kirikhan and Şanlıurfa, which are found along the Turkish-Syrian border. In 2017 and 2018, to strengthen social cohesion between Syrian refugees and Turkish host communities, DOSB, in collaboration with the GIZ, conducted fourteen sport-related workshops. Within the workshops, Turkish and Syrian multipliers (i.e. physical education teachers, coaches, students, youth) were trained to initiate and establish sport and exercise opportunities in places such as associations, schools and community centres. Further, these multipliers were trained to use sport as a means to promote intercultural exchange, characteristics of respect and appreciation of the diverse cultures.

To determine the quality of the workshops and to assess the effects of the workshops on the multipliers, evaluations are ongoing. They provide concrete information related to the (participants’/multipliers’) perception of sport, their attitudes and their own perceived coaching competence. Additionally, beyond the evaluations, a follow-up in process is in place to supervise multipliers in implementing and applying the learnt content from the workshops.