On October 28, 2021, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, at Otoka Olympic Pool, with our partners from Swimming Club Spid from Sarajevo, a practice and testing event was held as framework of the #SPORTolerance project. During the event, new practical activities, created during the second educational activity of the project (Belgium, September 2021) were tested, using sports and physical activity to provoke tolerance, solidarity and prevention of radicalism among the participants. The training practice was held with over 20 children and 3 coaches – kids from Spid Swimming Club (Sarajevo, BiH).
#SPORTolerance project “comes at a time when Europe is faced with economic hardship, migratory flows, terrorism, the dangerous rise of populism, xenophobic rhetoric, extremism, and other phenomena, which test our democracies and shake public trust in state and international institutions”. Although radicalization can happen at any age, young people in search of a sense of belonging, a purpose in life, or identity, may be particularly exposed. Young people are also one of the most mobile and dynamic population groups, offering them various opportunities for interaction with persons from diverse cultural backgrounds.
The current collaborative partnership will implement various activities on local, national and international level; will focus in transfer on knowledge through educational mobilities of sport coaches, promotion and sharing good practices in the field of preventing radicalization and promoting tolerance and solidarity through sport. #SPORTolerance will add to the existing knowledge, know-how and practices of participating directly and indirectly sport organizations and persons involved in project activities and outputs. All activities we will hold by this project will be available and can be used as OER (open educational resources) to the interested stakeholders.
THE FOLLOWING OUTPUTS WILL BE DEVELOPED TO ACHIEVE THE PROJECT AIMS MENTIONED ABOVE:
• Edition Education Through Sport edition “Sport for promotion of Tolerance” with new non-formal educational activities, focused on fight with radicalization through sport and promotion of tolerance and solidarity;
• Empowered sport coaches in 3 EU and 1 Western Balkans countries to work focussely against radicalization and for promotion of tolerance and solidarity;
• Young people from disadvantage background at risk of radicalization involved in different and innovative sport activities with educational impact;
#SPORTOLERANCE PROJECT IS CO-FUNDED BY ERASMUSPLUS PROGRAMME OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND WILL BE IMPLEMENTED BY A CONSORTIUM OF:
• Coordinator: Bulgaria, Bulgarian sports development association – (www.bulsport.bg )
• Partner 1: Bulgaria, Darko Athletics team – (https://darkoteam.com/ )
• Partner 2: Belgium, The Charity Game (TCG asbl) (www.thecharitygame.be )
• Partner 3: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Representative Association for Valuable Opportunities (BRAVO) (https://bravo-bih.com/ ) (PK Spid https://pkspid.ba/ )
• Partner 4: Cyprus, Social Policy and Action Organization (www.socialpolicyaction.org)
RECAPITULATION OF TESTED ACTIVITY
Game: Hunters and Prey
Main topic addressed: Radicalization
Kids played the game, and we managed to detect some obstacles; in our case the water was the main obstacle, because floating and swimming in place were difficult for some players.
Younger players said that it was difficult for them to swim with the balls and it was difficult for them to find teammate for completing tasks when they were playing Prey roll in the game.
For elder players, when they played Hunter roll in the game, difficulty was tapping other players and sending them to the beginning of the field.
After the game was ended, they said that it has room for improvement and that probably, if they played game indoors, it would be easier.
We will try to improve and make some adjustments for playing this game in water, and we will try to play it again.
European initiative for promotion of tolerance and solidarity through sport 