Much of campaigning is about knowledge sharing, mobilising individuals into a collective, and shedding light on an issue or initiative to create mass exposure.

S&D practitioners are at the forefront of transforming the IDSDP into a day that is marked in everyone’s calendar. To achieve this it is important to look outwards to individuals and groups who may not be aware of what S&D is all about.

 

Reach a wider audience
There are many people that love sport and see it as an integral part of personal development. Let’s open their minds to the power of sport to achieve wider development goals. This means reaching out to schools and sports clubs, for example.

On the other hand, the development sector itself is large, but not everyone involved knows how sport can be harnessed for developmental ends. Therefore, successful campaigning needs to target the wider NGO sector.

This is why knowledge sharing ought to happen both within the S&D community and outside of it. If the only ones celebrating and acknowledging IDSDP 2015 are those that are already part of the S&D community, then the international day is not being used to its full potential.

 

Defining a target group
Beyond extending the IDSDP’s reach to the non-S&D community, a successful campaign should target a specific audience. It may be helpful to think of who can benefit most from S&D programmes when considering a target audience.

S&D initiatives are often geared towards youth, so making sure that your campaign communicates directly to youth can be a great strategy. Collaborating with schools and youth groups would be a productive approach.

Other common targets of S&D programmes are underserved or vulnerable individuals and groups. These can include women and girls, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, those affected by poverty and those who have experienced violent conflict.

Targeting these kinds of specific audiences not only promotes the inclusive nature of sport, it also gives S&D practitioners an opportunity to reinforce what IDSDP is all about.

 

Campaign at all levels
Looking back at the inaugural IDSDP in 2014, one effective campaign that sought to reach out to the general public at the grassroots level was a public photo exhibition organised by Magic Bus India in Bangalore. Like their use of sport, their campaign was inclusive!

Campaigning can take place on all levels, from a local art gallery in India to the highest rungs of international development policy making. On an international level, most major UN agencies use sport to campaign or as part of development initiatives. Making sure they recognise IDSDP and celebrate in their own way would also help to reach an audience that isn’t entirely focused on sport as a tool for development.