ABSTRACT
Introduction Football has gained recognition (with varying degrees of justi cation) as a simple, low-cost and apparently e ective means of pursuing development goals across a number of contexts and localities. In seeking to address the perceived needs of developing communities, football has been used to promote social development in numerous politically and socially tense environments (Riak, 2000). Programmes of this nature are increasingly being employed to build bridges between communities, to foster peace and to promote educational, health and social development (Rookwood, 2009). Typically, development initiatives often led by agencies from the ‘Global North’, have been implemented in the ‘Global South’. These include football federations and clubs, as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and educational institutions. The expansion of programming and related critical analysis has given rise to the collective term ‘sport-for-development’, although the dominant applied focus on football, and the remit of this book, suggests that ‘football-for-development’ is more applicable here. Its perceived simplicity, adaptability and global appeal and exposure have arguably positioned football as the most exploited sporting tool for development purposes. This chapter draws on the growing literature base, exploring the design, implementation, analysis and impact of such projects, and the role of the agencies responsible for their delivery.
