ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a critically reflexive account of the uses of sport as part of holistic psychosocial programming for the reintegration of children and youth formerly associated with armed groups supported with findings and reflections from fieldwork, research and program development in localised contexts alongside a systematic review of current practices. Focus is given to the potential of sport to contribute towards key components of social inclusion. In particular, outcomes from field-based research suggests the potential of sport to contribute to certain elements of social inclusion (the creation of social spaces and the building of relationships) while other areas require further research (such as the development of valued knowledge and capabilities and the extensions of social networks). A further focus is given to a critical analysis of the development and implementation strategies of sports programming in this context where the absence of the input of children and youth is exposed. While evidence suggests modest gains in social inclusion over short periods of time, more research is necessary to further conclude the benefits of sport to promote factors of long-term social inclusion for young survivors of war.
