Sport for Inclusion: A policy plan for cities

In an effort to promote sport as a tool for inclusion in urban settings, the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) is preparing to launch its Policy Plan for Inclusion, developed with input from the cities of Paris, Bogotá, and Amman. The plan outlines practical strategies for cities and municipalities to foster inclusion for displaced young people, through sport.

The benefits of sport for displaced young people are well-documented — from building friendships and learning local languages to improving mental and physical health and accessing employment opportunities. Despite the benefits of participation in sport, refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced people often face social isolation, discrimination, and limited access to safe spaces and services. As a result, cities often miss out on the benefits of using evidence-based approaches to promote inclusion and achieve positive outcomes for young people in their communities.  

The Policy Plan for Inclusion presents five key recommendations for cities, adaptable to varying levels of resources and capacity:

1. Integrate sport, physical activities and cultural programmes into the settlement process for displaced young people
   
   Cities can improve access to information about local sports opportunities in multiple languages and formats and help settlement agencies use sport to build effective referral pathways between sectors.
    
2. Support welcoming and accessible public play and sporting spaces in host communities to better include displaced young people
   
   Identifying and promoting existing public and green spaces, and improving facilities to make them more inclusive and accessible, is essential.
    
3. Provide sustainable support for locally managed initiatives to use sport as a tool for the inclusion of displaced young people
   
   Providing sustainable funding and resources to community clubs can help reduce barriers and create more inclusive environments. Cities can also support the development of new programmes specifically designed for inclusion.
    
4. Inspire service providers across multiple sectors to be inclusive and supportive of young people with lived experiences of displacement, in and through sport
   
   Cities can recognize and offer awards to service providers who are leading inclusion through sport, as well as develop mandates for embedding access to sport across existing systems that displaced people may access such as education, healthcare, or social services.
    
5. Commit to strategic partnerships, frameworks and regional or international agreements that support displaced young people to participate in sport and physical activities
   
   There are several global frameworks and regional networks that cities can join to align efforts and share best practices. These include the Global Refugee Forum Multistakeholder Sport Pledge or the Cities Pledge, as well as the Sport for Refugees Coalition— the latter of which is co-convened by the Olympic Refuge Foundation, UNHCR and the Scort Foundation.

To accompany the policy plan, ORF has developed a self-assessment tool that helps cities and organizations evaluate their capacity and identify opportunities to better include displaced young people through sport. If you’re interested in accessing the self-assessment tool, the policy plan and accompanying city case studies, or are a city interested in becoming an “early adopter” and piloting some of these recommendations, please reach out to [email protected]. 

Image credit: ALauriol