The Sporting Spirit John Luke Chua

A study published the last time there was a European Championships being played found that 1 in every 3 women in Colombia aged between 15-49 had experienced physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of their intimate partner, at least once in their lifetime (Bott et al., 2016). Indeed, stereotypes, discrimination and grossly unequal socio-economic conditions have had a direct impact on violence against women in Colombia. This week, we make our mid-summer return by speaking to Maria Alejandra Vanegas, the program coordinator of a Soacha-based NGO that seeks to  promote human rights in Colombia, with an emphasis on  female sexual and reproductive rights. Tune in to find out more about the organisation, and how bicycles of all things, play a critical role in providing young women and girls with the opportunity to take control of their own lives.  

Football and the Americas are an inseparable duo, although this enduring relationship seems to disentangle the farther North you go, no matter how hard David Beckham tries. Something that is often frustratingly ignored and suppressed however, is the long and rich history of Women’s football particularly in Latin America. On the pod this week, we are joined by Prof. Brenda Elsey, an expert in the subject and co-author of the seminal book “Futbolera: A History of Women and Sports in Latin America”. Tune in as we attempt to cover the social-history of Women’s football in Latin America, particularly in the Southern Cone, but somewhere in between delve into a frank discussion about the future of football as whole and which path the Women’s game might take.

What a difference a couple of days make, so much so that the “soul of football” was lost as quickly as it was eventually won back. Hence, who better to speak to than a Premier League football club who are not just happy and thankful to be where they are on the pitch, but doing some really important work off it. On this week’s episode, we speak to Paul Williams of Albion in the Community (AITC), the official charity of Brighton and Hove Albion F.C. Tune in as Paul tells us all about the crucial work that AITC are doing in their local area, the initiatives he is in charge of as head of community programmes, and football clubs as anchor institutions in modern society.

India, the world’s second most populated country, has enjoyed almost three decades of unparalleled economic growth. Indeed, between 2018 and 2022, India is estimated to produce approximately 70 new millionaires every day.  Despite the irrefutable economic progress, data collected from the Homeless World Cup showed about 1.8 million homeless individuals living in India as of 2019. This showcases the revolting inequality that clearly exists not just in India, but in many other large developing nations in the Global South. On this week’s episode, we speak to Abhijeet Barse, one of the founders of an organisation that aims to combat homelessness and improve the living conditions of underprivileged communities all over India, through football. Tune in to find out more about his organisation’s work in slum communities, and how sport for development has added value to the collective fight against inequality and homelessness in these vulnerable communities. 

So far on the pod, we've had the great of fortune of speaking to a number of passionate and forward-looking stakeholders in the field of Sport for Development, although none quite like our guest this time round.  On this week's  episode, we speak to Nora Dooley who is the impact team leader for Coaches Across Continents (CaC), an organization whose pioneering work within the S4D terrain is increasingly being recognized internationally. Tune in to find out more about the organization, it's unique working principles and nomadic set-up, as well as Nora's interesting personal journey as a footballer turned practitioner in the humanitarian field. 

The Western Balkans is not an easy place to define, although most academics and experts do agree that the highly-politicized geographical term generally refers to Albania and territories of former Yugoslavia. Similarly, the way sport is organized in the region is equally complex and elusive. On this week’s episode, Dr.  Marko Begović, an expert in all things sport policy in the Western Balkans, joins us the pod. Tune in as Marko gives us a 101 on the Third Way form of political governance that underpinned the sports system in former Yugoslavia, the legacy of that system on the way sport is now being run in countries such as his homeland Montenegro, as well as sport as a political apparatus that’s increasingly being hijacked by right-wing nationalists the world over.