Sport, peace & politics: KPE's Simon Darnell discusses relationship between sport and the pursuit of peace

American athlete John Carlos speaking at the Northwest African American Museum, Seattle, Washington, USA (photo by Joe Mabel). Carlos and fellow athlete Tommy Smith made world history during the medal ceremony at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City when they each raised a black-gloved fist during the playing of the US national anthem in solidarity with oppressed Black people.
American athlete John Carlos speaking at the Northwest African American Museum, Seattle, Washington, USA (photo by Joe Mabel). Carlos and fellow athlete Tommy Smith made world history during the medal ceremony at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City when they each raised a black-gloved fist during the playing of the US national anthem in solidarity with oppressed Black people.
13/07/2022
Simon Darnell, associate professor and director of the Centre for Sport Policy Studies at KPE

Sport’s peacebuilding power stems not from a mythical ability to transcend conflict, but from engagement with the tricky politics of peace, says Associate Professor Simon Darnell in this article for The ACU Review posted on July 13.
 

The relationship between sport and the pursuit of peace is at once an inspiring and a cautionary tale. In 1914, sport contributed to a fleeting ‘Christmas Truce’ during World War One, when British and German soldiers crossed the trenches of the Western Front for an impromptu game of football. In 1995, the South African national rugby team – inspired by new President Nelson Mandela – hosted and won the Rugby World Cup, playing in the tournament for the first time since the end of apartheid and demonstrating a role for sport in national reconciliation and healing. And in 2013, the United Nations named April 6 as the annual International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, commemorating the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, and calling on sport to contribute to peace and reconciliation on a global scale.

And yet, sport also has a rather dubious record in relation to peace. In 1969, the 100 Hour War between El Salvador and Honduras, also known as the Football War, started after riots during a World Cup qualifying match between the two countries ignited existing tensions. A riot between supporters of Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade in 1990 took place on the eve of the violent break-up of Yugoslavia, and helped to foment the war that was to come. And more recently, athletes who’ve used sport as a platform to speak out against racism and police violence have found themselves vilified by fans, reporters, and politicians, suggesting that at some level, sport has failed to provide a platform that unites people around peace and understanding. These examples hearken back to George Orwell’s infamous quotation that serious sport is ‘war minus the shooting’.

So, what does this rather checkered past tell us about sport and its potential to contribute to peace, conflict resolution, or universal understanding today?

Read full article in The ACU Review.