The Australian Sports Commission is undertaking an important initiative focused on these areas that is creating ripples in the region – the Australian Sports Outreach Program (ASOP).
ASOP aims to invest in sport for development programs that address topics such as social inclusion, gender equality and health. Sophie Beauvais, the International Director of Sport for Development at the Australian Sports Commission, spoke about the program and the benefits of sport for development at the Pacific Youth and Sport Conference on 3 December, addressing the 700 youth delegates from 19 Pacific Island nations.
“Sport is a vehicle where we can actually deliver some really good messages, whether it’s about anti-smoking or responsible drinking or about being physically active – sport can also appeal to people of different backgrounds, nationalities, ethnic groups, religious, cultural and economic backgrounds,” Beauvais said.
She also spoke about the importance of collaboration when addressing these issues and encouraged other delegations and governments to engage in dialogue with others in their fields to forge partnerships and successfully utilise sport as a method of achieving positive social change.
A key example of how the ASOP uses sport and a collaborative approach to address their main priorities can be seen through the work that has been undertaken with Netball in Tonga.
The project is implemented through a partnership between the Tongan Ministry and Netball Australia and aims to increase the physical activity and social inclusion of women and girls by encouraging them to participate in the national netball programme.
A high profile media campaign and community mobilisation activities have been employed to ensure the programme’s success.
Partnerships between the Ministry, the sports federation, media corporations and the community is essential and has resulted in shared knowledge in areas such as social marketing and public behavior change. It is an excellent example of how sectorial collaboration can achieve sustainable sports development in the Pacific.
The programme has a strong belief that everyone should have the opportunity to participate within his or her community and engage in sport and other healthy social behaviour.
Another way that ASOP strives to achieve this is by building the confidence of those with disabilities by providing them with opportunities to participate within their own communities. ASOP works to break down the barriers facing those with disabilities and change negative attitudes towards disability.
The effectiveness of sport in addressing social barriers, building knowledge and awareness, creating relationships and shifting attitudes to bring about positive behavioural change is undeniable, and it is clear why the Australian Sports Commission is committed to investing in sports development across the Pacific.
By Thomas King – United Youth Media

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