2010 ISDPA Power of Sport Summit – Invitation to Participate in Defining the Field of Sport for Development and Peace

Sport in Society, the Secretariat for the International Sport for Development and Peace Association (ISDPA), invites you to join us at the 2010 ISDPA Power of Sport Summit to be held June 10-12 at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. The ISDPA works in collaboration and with the support of the United Nations Office of Sport for Development and Peace.  

The Power of Sport Summit is an interactive meeting of scholars, educators, practitioners, policymakers, students and advocates working together to define and address current and emerging issues involving the intersection of sport and social change. The 2010 Summit is the third hosted by Sport in Society and will be the first official meeting of the newly established ISDPA.

The objective of the Summit is to share knowledge by generating discussion and presenting strategies that focus on what is working, what is possible, and what important actions are needed to help advance sport for development and peace. The summit is a unique opportunity for professional development, networking, and collaboration.

We invite all those interested in attending the 2010 ISDPA Power of Sport Summit to follow this link for more details and registration information to the summit page: http://www.isdpaonline.org. We look forward to your attendance and participation!

Call for Proposals

The theme of the 2010 ISDPA Power of Sport Summit will focus on “Defining the Field through Theory and Practice.” How do we define this body of work? How is it articulated through research, education, outreach and advocacy activities and projects? How is the field of sport and social change established at the intersection of programming and policy initiatives? What are the historical contexts, current dimensions and future pathways for engagement in this field? Proposals addressing field-based research and monitoring and evaluation strategies are of particular interest. Further, proposals are encouraged, but not limited to, the focus areas of youth, health, peace, disability, gender, and human rights.

Because Power of Sport Summit participants are actively engaged in the sport and social change movement, we view all participants as experts in their particular fields. In addition to your participation, we therefore invite you to present your current research, education or advocacy work at the Summit. It is our goal to raise awareness, challenge thinking, open dialogue and inspire leadership at the summit. This is best accomplished if those in attendance are willing and able to dialogue, share best practices, and learn new skills with one another.  The submission deadline for proposals for the 2010 Power of Sport Summit is April 1st, 2010.  See attached (PDF) for Call for Proposals.

International Sport for Development and Peace Association (ISDPA)

ISDPA is a professional association that brings together scholars, educators, practitioners, policymakers and advocates to help advance scientific knowledge and best practices with respect to the interdisciplinary field of sport for development and peace. The field addresses the role of sport as a vehicle for social change, with a particular focus on youth, health, peace, disability, gender, and human rights. In doing so, the ISDPA is better able to support quality academic and field-based research through a rigorous peer-review process while also obtaining the long-term involvement and commitment from an array of individual experts from diverse professions and backgrounds.

ISDPA serves as a framework to assist the further development of the field by fostering an intersection of research, policy and practice. The ISDPA works to enhance research, curriculum, training, workforce development, and professional development. The ISDPA works to support and assist in the development of regional and national association structures. Further, the ISDPA will coordinate evidence-based research and data from field-based evaluation that is relevant to support policy developments within the United Nations Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group (UN SDP IWG). The focus areas for the ISDPA are directly aligned with the work of the UN SDP IWG.

http://www.isdpaonline.org

ISDPA Secretariat – Sport in Society, a Northeastern University Center

Building on its 25 years of work and relationships within the field of sport and social change, Sport in Society will serve as the coordinator to help facilitate research, policy and programmatic activities of the ISDPA.  Sport in Society uses the power and appeal of sport to foster diversity, prevent violence, and improve the health of local and global communities.

http://www.sportinsociety.org

Please direct any questions regarding the ISDPA 2010 Power of Sport Summit or the ISDPA to Eli Wolff: