ABSTRACT

The practice of that termed Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) has a long history and encapsulates a broad church. The central tenet of those who proselytise for sporting interventions in milieus of conflict is that those who play together are in their shared enthusiasms not killing each other and might even realise via sport that the one -time enemy is not unlike them. Sport thus carries potential and capacities. The epi-phenomenon around any SDP sporting event, however, needs careful consideration. While sport can be enchanting and seductive, some of the circumstances that such programmes are promoted in carry a complexity that asks questions as to the long-term effectiveness of the well-intentioned stage-managed sporting fixtures.