Grant Jarvie: Why our society deserves a sporting chance

IT’S a force for good, one that is fundamental to us as human beings, and it’s time it had its proper place, writes Grant Jarvie

The new velodrome in Glasgow is on track and will not only help with the regeneration of the east end of the city but it will be open to the public before the athletes arrive. Perhaps Scotland recognises the power of sport to make a difference?

In the year of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, and with the advent of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, sport is a high priority for both UK and Scottish governments.

However, I would argue that the priority is not high enough and politicians ignore the social and economic value of sport at their peril.

Sport has an enviable track record of being able to help where other policy initiatives have failed.

Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino congressman, the only boxer in history to hold world titles in eight weight divisions, knew its economic significance.

As he prepared to fight Shane Mosley in May 2011, set to earn £12m for a night’s work, his message was similar to that of other athletes who have tried to help development in their home countries through sport.

He said: “All my life, I have had to fight, as a child I had to fight just to eat but I believe the biggest fight of my life is not in boxing – the biggest fight in my life is how to end poverty in my country.”

For this boxer it was sport that provided the key to social mobility. It has done so for many others.

Youth unemployment, particularly amongst those under 25, is reaching dangerously high levels in many parts of Europe. In the UK, one youth in five is unemployed, and we know the scar of unemployment is long lasting, debilitating and economically and socially corrosive.

The answer is sustainable levels of employment but other levers can make a difference. There is little point in always reinventing the wheel.

There are reams of research proving sport can make a positive contribution to the well-being and economic health of individuals and communities. We know what works, so if the political will exists sport can be used immediately to make a difference. And we must focus on the major, and not the minor, part sport can play in giving people hope.

Sport’s social and commercial power makes it a potent force in the world for both good and bad so it should and could be harnessed to improve economic and social circumstances at home and abroad.

This is no naïve clarion call for the power of sport but rather a rigorous, evidence-based, comparatively informed assessment of initiatives around the world.

When London hosts the 2012 Olympics, 70,000 volunteers, 20,000 media and an Olympic family of around 5,000 will make it the largest peacetime mobilisation in the world. If properly managed, their legacy could have a telling and positive impact on the lives of many.

However, it won’t happen without careful and committed management. Politicians have to grasp the nettle, not see sport as a soft policy tool, and use it as a driver to exact long lasting and fundamental change.

Both the London 2012 Olympic Games and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games were premised upon the ability of sport to help the regeneration of urban areas.

It could. A common denominator exists between the Tegla La Roupe Foundation in Kenya helping child soldiers who have rarely experienced normality; the inner city UK estate looking for positive ways to influence crime rates and rising levels of youth unemployment; the homeless project helping to build self-esteem, confidence and jobs; the regeneration of deprived urban areas in London, Glasgow, Johannesburg, and Rio de Janeiro.

Sport is that common denominator and it contributes to the gross domestic product of many countries.

Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general, recognised that not only could sport carry simple humanitarian messages but it could be a valuable social and political tool in resolving conflict and assisting with reconciliation.

Novak Djokovic, through tennis, has put Serbia on the sporting map helping change the perception from it being a war ravaged country. More generally, sport has provided a degree of normality for youths experiencing the break up of the former Yugoslavia and the subsequent violence and conflict.

The Peace and Sport Foundation is dedicated to promoting the role of sport in helping to resolve conflict.

There is a reason that cities and countries around the world battle to host these major sporting events. Melbourne was voted the ultimate sports city in both 2006 and 2008 and economically it has never looked back.

London and Glasgow now have the chance to raise their profiles and at the same time reap economic and social benefits.

In these austere times money is tight but lack of resources should not deter the politicians from making sure the Olympic, paralympic and Commonwealth Games are not wasted opportunities. There is too much at stake.

Governments, of all political hue, must take heed – and while governments change and policies change, needs and aspirations remain the same. Internationally sport has a high visibility and public profile. Politicians like to be seen with high profile celebrities and its contribution to a number of policy areas is quietly recognised. That has to change.

The ambitious politician should be clamouring for the sports portfolio. That is if they really care about making a difference in the world today and tomorrow.

Governments ignore the social value of sport at their peril.

• Professor Grant Jarvie, formerly vice-principal at the University of Stirling, will be joining the University of Edinburgh from 1 July.