Call for Articles: The Global Aid Crisis and Sport for Development

The structural changes forced on the global aid system will have profound consequences, including for sport for development actors, who must stand together as we navigate these troubling times. 

The change in the global geopolitical landscape following the change in administration in the United States early this year has forced a rethink across the world on both internal and external priorities and importantly how, where and for what public funds are prioritized.

As a result, many Global North/industrialized nations have realigned and/or decreased their Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes, including resources for humanitarian aid. This is not the first time such a retrenchment has taken place, but the speed and scale of the changes make it the most pronounced, painful and profound in living memory – for all the wrong reasons.

What is the stance of sportanddev?

In May 2025, sportanddev published an op-ed on the global aid crisis. Read our reflections on what it means for sport and development. 

What do you think? Share your views in an article.

Article submission deadline: July 11, 2025

We welcome input from our global community on this topic. Selected article submissions will be published in the sportanddev news feed, newsletter and social media channels. Some guiding questions include:

• How does the global aid crisis affect sport for development? Feel free to share examples.
• What are the challenges and opportunities (if any) for actors using sport for development?
• How can or should the sport for development sector respond? What can be done?
• How can sportanddev best support our community at this time? What is needed?
• How should S4D actors engage broader sports actors and those outside of sport?

These questions are just suggestions. Please share your views on the broader topic.

How do I submit an article?

Option 1: Using the webform

1. Register as a sportanddev user and log in.
2. Visit the Submit your Content page.
3. Select Article and paste your article content into the webform
4. View the help video or guide blog post for help.

Watch a tutorial video on how to submit articles for publication on sportanddev

Option 2: Submit your content via email

Please submit your article or any queries you have to:

• John Bartmann ([email protected]) for articles in English
• Haneen Khatib ([email protected]) for articles in Arabic
• Claire Smagghe ([email protected]) for articles in French
• Carolina Agurcia ([email protected]) for articles in Spanish

Submission guidelines

Articles should:

• Be 500-1,000 words long
• Include a relevant photo in landscape (horizontal) orientation, for which you own the copyright, or is under creative commons licence. If you do not have a picture, we will attempt to source one
• Include a 1-2 sentence biography of the author(s)
• Include links to any social media accounts you would like associated with the post
• Include links to any websites you would like associated with the post
• Not be promotional or press releases but rather share learning for the broader field

Additional guidelines

• Please include your name and the name of your organisation (if applicable).
• Accepted formats include MS Word, PDF, a public link to a document (eg Google Docs) and plain text in the body of an email.
• Please include a hi-res image with your submission. Don't have an image? Visit free stock image sites like Unsplash or Pexels to search for an appropriate image.
• You may be asked to register for free as a sportanddev user in order for your submission to be published.

Read all community-submitted articles on the global aid crisis