Ethical dimensions of the global sport for development and peace sector

The global sport for development and peace (SDP) sector is loosely comprised of various stakeholders that organise and advocate for the role of sport in meeting the goals of international development and peace building. The foundational claim of SDP is that when organised thoughtfully or consciously, sport programmes can make a contribution to health promotion, gender empowerment, community cohesion and conflict resolution (among other goals) on an international scale. In this paper, I highlight some key ethical issues within the SDP field, to draw attention to the ethics of organising sport for development. Control and power over underclasses, the romanticisation of sport, and the political ideology of development are all discussed. I conclude by suggesting that only through an ethical engagement with SDP are such programmes likely to succeed in achieving some sustainable, positive development outcomes. It is through self-reflection by SDP stakeholders on issues of control, mythmaking and ideology that SDP can best succeed.