In an attempt to promote and drive forward sport-led social change, Magic Bus, a non-profit organisation for children and youth in India, is hosting a three-day ‘Maidan Summit-Sport for Development National Meet’. The event will commence with a conference to be held at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences Convention Center in Mumbai on May 19. This will be followed by a two-day workshop at the Magic Bus Centre for Learning & Development, Karjat.
The event, which primarily focuses on community empowerment through sport, brings together policy makers, practitioners and academicians from the Sport for Development sector. and individuals concerned with sport and development in India on a single platform to deliberate upon the importance of sport as for personal and social development. Officials from, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, corporate honchos, and nodal officers of Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan will take part in the summit.
Some of the prominent panelists participating in Maidan Summit-Sport For Development National Meet’ are Sindhushree Khullar Secretary Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Prof. Fred Coalter professor of Sports Policy at the University of Stirling, Debbie Lye Head International Development UK Sport, George Abraham founder Project Eyeway, Andrew Ogilvie Sustainable Marketplace Director of Sustainable Business + Innovation Team, Nike Inc. Ned Wills Global Director Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, Vidya Shah Executive Director and Head at EdelGive Foundation, Rina Ray Secretary Culture and Managing Director of Delhi Tourism & Transportation Development Corporation.
The summit will have a series of interactive sessions that focus on community building, the importance of achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, the role of sports as an effective instrument for fostering community and youth development; need for adequate sports infrastructure and how to create it; national vision and strategies to encourage participation in sport across rural India; partnerships between sports organizations, education providers, local authorities and other agencies to maximise impact and secure additional resources; creation of safe spaces, urban regeneration and legacy planning among others.
During the session, case studies will be presented to illustrate how sport has been used as a vehicle to create social impact in community development and empowerment right from social and disability inclusion to adolescent education, HIV-AIDS prevention and disaster rehabilitation. The session will review the current ‘Sport for Development and Peace’ programmes and projects to showcase sport as a tool to resolve conflicts, and heal divisions.
The workshop will examine and evaluate available resources and best practices in the field of sport for development, to gain insights into the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks and to review capacity building models. The workshop will help the participants to know each other, understand each other’s programmes and conceptual strategies, and develop linkages for the future.
Founder Member and Chief Programme Officer of Magic Bus Alka Shesha, says, “The medium of sport is closest to a child’s heart. It can be used as the foundation of development and empowerment of urban & rural masses. For this to be achieved, we need the combined action of the pratctioners, academicians, state and Central government, corporate houses and like-minded individuals to harness the full potential of sport as a vehicle for social change. We have to create avenues for dialogue between various stakeholders and explore the potential for public-private partnerships aimed at Sport for All and Sport for Development. We have to pay sufficient attention and emphasis on identifying the challenges in expanding the concept of Sport for Development. This summit is a step in that direction.”
About Magic Bus
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Magic Bus is a not-for-profit organisation that works with children and youth living in some of the most marginalised circumstances in India. Using sport and outdoors as a medium we enable them discover their true potential and encourage them to find purpose in life
Magic Bus has been successfully using sport as a medium to positively impact the lives of thousands of children in the slums of Mumbai over the past decade. In recognition of its rich experience, Magic Bus was invited by GOI-UNICEF to support PYKKA implementation in two backward rural districts – Chandrapur (MAH) and Medak (AP), by piloting capacity building models for volunteer sport coaches.
In 2009, a cascading training-of-trainers programme was implemented in these two districts, to create a huge village-level cadre of volunteer community sports mentor-coaches. While participation in sport has increased tangibly in both districts, the associated human development outcomes have exceeded all expectations, underlining the value of sport as a key development tool.
Website: www.magicbusindia.org