Rebuilding broken bridges through sports. A case study on the Open Fun Football Schools in post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina
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2017-09-06
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en
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Sports programs are a good means to initiate contact between divided groups. The goal of this study is to examine how Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) organizations can contribute to peacebuilding and reconciliation, exploring the case of the Open Fun Football Schools in post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this program, children from different ethnic backgrounds are brought together during a summer camp, to play football together. By conducting in-depth interviews with trainers and former participants of the program, I obtained insights into the results of this program. I compared the practice of the OFFS with the contact theory, which argues that prejudice towards people from different groups can be reduced by intergroup contact. The results show that the OFFS program offers opportunities for intergroup contact and cooperation, which results in a positive change in the image of the other. In some cases, the intergroup contact is lasting, and even leads to friendships, but only if contact is frequent and long-term. Results are seen on a small scale and at a local level. For SDP programs to have a larger impact, they should include possibilities for lasting contact and more actively involve other stakeholders such as authorities, schools, and parents.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen