Harnessing the Power of Play: PLAY International and the Future of Sport for Development in the Western Balkans

It began by creating safe spaces for children to reconnect and recover through structured play. Today, 25 years later, PLAY International stands as a regional leader in sport for development, using innovative, inclusive methods to promote social cohesion, youth resilience, and peace across the Western Balkans.

As we commemorate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2025, PLAY reflects not only on its journey, but also on the urgent need for sport to continue driving positive social transformation—especially in regions still marked by division and marginalization.

From Post-Conflict Healing to Regional Impact

PLAY International’s journey began in the wake of conflict in Kosovo, where its first mission aimed to support children’s psychosocial recovery through sport. What started as a humanitarian initiative has evolved into a regional force for social innovation. With over 80,000 children engaged since its inception—more than 50% of them girls and more than 4,000 with disabilities—and over 700 teachers trained, PLAY’s reach has grown in both scale and depth​.

Today, PLAY implements transformative programming across the Western Balkans region, spearheading the integration of sport for development both in formal and non-formal education. Its sport-based pedagogy promotes inclusion, builds life skills, and fosters community resilience—often in areas where ethnic divisions and youth exclusion remain pressing concerns.

Sport 4 Resilience: Equipping Educators, Empowering Youth

A cornerstone of PLAY’s recent work is the Sport 4 Resilience project, co-funded by the French Development Agency currently active in Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Montenegro. At its heart is the recognition that resilience isn't just a buzzword—it’s a vital life skill for children growing up amid uncertainty, discrimination, and social fragmentation.

So far, Sport 4 Resilience has trained 203 teachers to deliver sports-based activities that challenge gender and ethnic discrimination, foster emotional intelligence, and create inclusive classroom environments. Impressively, 85% of these educators are women, underlining PLAY’s commitment to gender equity not just in content, but in leadership.

The ripple effect of this investment is already visible: nearly 5,000 children have participated in these inclusive play sessions, gaining not only physical activity, but also a deeper understanding of empathy, respect, and community. The project exemplifies PLAY’s belief that teachers are critical changemakers—and that sport can be a powerful entry point for broader societal shifts.

Shared Horizons: Bridging Borders, Building Peace

While Sport 4 Resilience builds inclusion within communities, Shared Horizons takes PLAY’s mission across borders—uniting youth from all six Western Balkan countries in a unique initiative in regional peacebuilding.

Fully funded by France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the heart of the project’s youth mobility aims are eight summer bootcamps, each held in a different country across the Western Balkans. These gatherings bring together a total of 256 youth from diverse ethnic, social, and geographic backgrounds for several days of sport-based learning, dialogue, and cooperation. For many of these young people, it is the first time they interact meaningfully with peers from neighboring countries or ethnic groups historically perceived as “other.”

Through shared games, trust-building exercises, and intercultural dialogue, these bootcamps break down stereotypes and plant the seeds of long-term collaboration. Participants don’t just play together—they learn to lead together. They return to their communities equipped with new perspectives, deeper empathy, and the confidence to serve as ambassadors of peace and inclusion.

In a region still grappling with the legacies of conflict and division, Shared Horizons offers a hopeful model of what is possible when youth are empowered to rewrite the narrative—through sport, and through shared experience.

The Future of Sport for Development: Inclusive, Digital, and Bold

Looking ahead, PLAY International sees sport playing an increasingly strategic role in global development. As digital tools become more accessible, there’s untapped potential to amplify the reach of sport-based programs, engage young people online and offline, and track impact more effectively. PLAY is also committed to ensuring that sport for development is intersectional—centering girls, children with disabilities, and ethnic minorities in both design and delivery.

But beyond the tools and tactics, the essence of PLAY’s work remains unchanged: sport is a catalyst for social cohesion, for peace, for learning, and for connection. In divided communities, it builds bridges. In fragile contexts, it builds strength. And in every child and youth it touches, it builds the belief that a better future is possible.

PLAY will continue to lead regional efforts to promote sport for development as an essential educational tool—both inside and outside the classroom. By collaborating with ministries of education, municipal authorities, schools, and grassroots organizations, PLAY is committed to embedding sports-based pedagogies into formal education systems, while also scaling non-formal programs in community settings. Through tailored training for teachers, capacity-building for youth leaders, and evidence-based advocacy, PLAY ensures sport is not merely an extracurricular activity, but a transformative, structured approach to learning and inclusion. By shaping curricula, influencing policy, and investing in people, PLAY is driving a future where sport is fully recognized as a pillar of child and youth development.

On this International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, PLAY International invites partners, donors, and allies to help expand this mission—so that across the Western Balkans and beyond, every child and young person has the chance to play, to grow, and to lead.