I wandered off as casually as I could pretend to be, desperately looking for a friendly face in the crowd to protect me from the crazed assegai crowd. It all started a few months ago when I arrived from the US to work in a local ministry in the Karkloof Hills of the Natal Midlands. When we passed my team with a tractor going in the opposite direction, the people in the tractor I was in realized my mistake and called the other one to stop.
This experience was also one of the things in my life that sparked my interest in the usefulness of sport in any field of work that requires introduction to cross-cultural communication, awareness and relationship building. In the symphony of life, each different gift that God has given is necessary in order for development to be effective.
DISCUSSION ON DEVELOPMENT
This remark articulates the notion of development of the 20th century and perhaps indicates the beginning of the main thrust of development action from the countries of the North. The idea that the whole world was on the same road, directed towards a goal hitherto most perfectly imitated by the United States and the countries of the North, was the prevailing idea. Economic activity must be managed by human beings, within the limits of a fragile and depleted environment.
Sustainability (well-being related) - Current development practice supports growth, which is often based on unsustainable depletion of the earth's. But more than that, many of the agents are specifically involved in social and community development churches and faith-based NGOs.
SHALOM: A PREMISE FOR DEVELOPMENT
Concepts of shalom would support Einstein's notion that peace is one of the most vital issues in the modern world. Leon Epsztein, Social Justice in the Ancient Near East and the People of the Bible (Paris: les Editions du Cerf, 1983), intro. Well-being is the healthy balance of heart, soul, mind and body; this brings shalom.
Dialogic action is not one of the words/phrases given in the definition of shalom, but I believe it is the glue that holds peace, justice and well-being together. An understanding of the concept of shalom is as relevant today as at any time. Epsztein, Social Justice in the Ancient Near East and the People of the Bible., intro.
The fruits of this will be evident in the well-being of the community.
SPORT, A TOOL FOR FACILITATING SHALOM;
Sports champion was one of the most prestigious ways to ascend to the immortality of the gods. From the small hut in rural Africa to the village in Asia to the cities of Europe and the major cities of the world you will find sports. I contend that, aside from eating and sex, sport is one of the most universal activities around the globe.
The democratization effort is thus part of the larger and more comprehensive nation-building campaign, but. It involves the integration of the physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual and social dimensions of human living and well-being196. Research shows evidence of the benefits of sport on the human body and physical well-being.
This is one of the primary reasons why South Africa winning the FIFA World Cup bid has so much potential for a huge positive impact on the country. Sport is a natural means in this day and age to achieve the integration of disabled people into the majority of society.216 This increases the well-being of both society and the disabled person. As the name suggests, it is run in the middle of the night, when youth crime is statistically at its highest.
I consider this one of the fundamental elements of having dignity and being a constructive member of society. The match ended in a draw for the first and only time so far in the history of the Football World Cup. Caroline Beauvais and Jane Jenson, 'Social Cohesion: updating the state of the research' CPRN Discussion Paper No.
She has not only become a national heroine but also an icon of the Olympic Games. Nelson Mandela and the ANC-led government regard sport as one of the key areas for dialogue and reconciliation in the "New South Africa".
CONCLUSION
The Church could and should exploit this cultural interest for the sake of the Gospel. Furthermore, the church has many of the components necessary to use sport effectively in its task of helping the development process. The church can be a meeting place for announcements and organizing the community's involvement in sports.
The above is a fairly broad-based idea of the value of sports to the church and vice versa. However, it is necessary to understand that many of the people who need development have already been served in one way or another through the church. As we have seen, sport is an appropriate vehicle for pursuing shalom-driven development, and such development is consistent with the goals of the church, if and when the church engages in development efforts.
American Thoracic Society-Quality of Life Resource,
Protea Sport,
SOCCER FOR PEACE (CONTINUED)
Please allow me to introduce you to a South African basketball team called Team Brooklyn and a community project called the Brooklyn Bridge Project. Brooklyn is a group of young boys (ages) who come from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and the surrounding villages. In addition to basketball games, the team also conducts coaching clinics for homeless children and inner-city schools, and this is Brooklyn's main objective, "To give back to the community".
The Brooklyn Bridge Project is a project to 'bridge' the Atlantic and bring the Brooklyn team from South Africa to the US for a series of basketball games and cross-cultural exchanges with inner-city youth in the greater New York area with some time in Texas and Washington states. Our goals for this project are, .. a) Training and transfer of skills to the team and community through basketball clinics. The Stateside team is working alongside ASLAN YOUTH MINISTRIES - an inner city non-profit organization based in New Jersey.
The local project works with Youth for Christ on YFC's inner city sports program and the long-term continuation of the local project in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa will be through YFC. Attached is information that explains everything your company may need to know about the Brooklyn Team and The Brooklyn Bridge Project. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact either Jay or Melani Wilson at the attached address, email or phone.
BASKETBALL CLINICS
- Super Kidz
- Playsport
- Modified Sport
- Leadership
Sport Pioneers is the youth sports component of Protea Sport and is committed to the development of young people with quality sports experiences. It focuses on fundamental skill acquisition and provides teachers with resources and strategies to address the motor skills of throwing, kicking, hitting, movement, ball control, and catching/tracking. International research shows that young people - even currently non-players - want to be involved in programs that improve their sports skills and at the same time train them for leadership.
Sports leadership programs encourage and develop participants' confidence, self-esteem and organizational skills. Sport Pioneers is committed to providing programs, services and resources to individuals and agencies to enable them to create an environment that recognizes and supports the needs of young people.
PROTEA SPORT
SCORE is a non-profit, non-governmental South African sports development organization that uses international and South African volunteers to teach physical education and sports skills to children and train instructors in underprivileged communities. For SCORE and its volunteers, sport is a powerful tool to build bridges between people and break down barriers. Urban volunteers live together in Cape Town and travel to work in nearby villages, where each volunteer is based in a school.
Rural volunteers live with host families or in housing shared with colleagues and work with several schools in the area. During afternoons and on some weekends, volunteers coordinate after-school workshops, coaching sessions, leagues, tournaments and local sports activities. Working with local teachers and coaches is key both for immediate success and for sustainability.
SCORE volunteers are currently active in aerobics, athletics, basketball, cricket, gymnastics, handball, hockey, netball, rugby, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball. SCORE provides children, teachers and community members with access to instruction, equipment, basic facilities and the support network to set up their own sporting activities. Many of the sports that SCORE teaches have never been played before in the communities in which volunteers work.
SCORE trains and supports local teachers and instructors from the community to ensure that the sports programs continue after the volunteers leave. By coordinating activities and sharing resources, SCORE and partner organizations seek to increase participation and develop sports infrastructure.
