Abstract
Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) has rapidly grown in the early 21st century. This research will discuss poverty and sport, because poverty is one of the major remaining issues of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Homeless World Cup is an international futsal event held annually to combat poverty, in which only homeless people can participate. This research verifies these activities and achievements of 3 participating countries, Zimbabwe, Cambodia and The Netherlands in the Homeless World Cup. From this, the author examines unsolved issues of the SDP in the MDGs’ era, and overviews a healthy and ideal SDP in the new SDGs’ era.
Although the research was conducted under various conditions and a comparative study is not fully meaningful, some common elements in “personal development” of participants are seen in all 3 countries. Additionally, their commitment to the Homeless World Cup decreased in 3 countries in common. The biggest difference among 3 countries was the utilizational and visibility levels of the personal development in each society, because of the limitations of the social and economic circumstances in each country. For the effective evaluation of SDP, delving into the voices and dialogues in the actual field and comprehensive analysis of results achieved with consider the development status and characteristics of the society will be important. Finding the meaning of SDP in such societies, and the value of sport in the development context will be expected in the new SDGs’ era.
