Project news

Inspiring second module of Sport Diplomacy Academy in Sarajevo

In the period 03-09 of December 2019 in Sarajevo was held the second module under the Sport Diplomacy Academy project, which brings together 80 sports administrators, coaches and volunteers from 4 countries. Within the framework of a pilot program for mobility in the field of sport, 7 initiatives have been funded in 2018, with the diplomacy academy being the contribution of our country to the purposeful development of human capacity in sport, which the European Commission is starting to support. The total budget of this call for proposals was € 1.2 million. The call was intended to contribute to the development of sports organizations by supporting the learning mobility of their staff. The exchange of people, ideas and good practices can benefit people, their organizations and sport and society as a whole and will be one of the main priorities of Erasmus + in its Sport chapter after 2020, when it expects a doubling of the budget. Full information on the selection is available on the European Commission's website: https://ec.europa.eu/sport/news/2018/results-published-call-proposals-exchanges-and-mobility-sport_en.

The second module of the Sport Diplomacy Academy has been focused on good governance in sport for the participants in the field of:
• Nedzad Fazlija – Sarajevo City Council Administration Representative – Official opening and welcoming of the participants and highlighted that Sarajevo is the only city in the region who hosted two different Olympics (Winter Olympic Games '84 and EYOF 2019);
• Peđa Đurasović – Transparency International Bosnia and Hercegovina - Transparency in Sports with accents on values of good governance: transparency, accountability, integrity, solidarity, courage, justice, democracy;
• Slobo Klačar – Fitness coach and sport scientist – Anti-Doping in the field of WADA code application, fundamental aims and values of anti-doping policies, good practices in the anti-doping fight;
• Elmir Ćera Ćerimagić – founder of the Novi Grad Sarajevo Athletic Club presented the development of Athletics in Bosnia and Hercegovina that transferred know-how on business instruments that can be transferred to sport organizations in order to achieve proper development and sustainability;
• Aela Ajdinović – Project Management from the NOC of Bosnia and Herzegovina perspective. During her presentation she pointed out that European funding in sport is crutual for Western Balkans countries and EU funded projects make a real positive change in the sports sector;
• Said Fazlagic – EYOF and NOC sports perspective of Winter Olympic Games '84 and EYOF 2019 - Legacy (infrastructure, emotions and people) is what remains after each activity, so the sustainability need to be both planned and implemented;
• Paralympic round table with main focus “The real meaning in a sport is not the medals, the real meaning is to empower life-changing opportunities” with the participation of Ismail Zulfic – Paralympic swimming (an eight-year-old from Zenica, was born without arms and he represents the embodiment of the sporting spirit), Nermin Memic – Paralympic swimming (first representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the European Championship for persons with disabilities), Ermin Jusufović – Paralympic sitting volleyball (gold medal-winning 2004 Paralympic Team); Nijaz Memic - Paralympic skiing (first Paralympian representing his country at the Winter Paralympic Games), Amel Kapo – founder of the first Paralympic swimming club in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Ismir Jusko – Alpinism and extreme sport - shared his motivation that life begins at the end of your comfort zone and empowered participants to seek challenges that develop their personality, based on his huge experience, including US State Department Team Leader specialized in Anti-Terrorism and Minister of Inner Affairs, Minister for communications and traffic and Minister for veteran-related questions;
• H.E.Nicola Minasi – Ambassador of Italy in Bosnia and Herzegovina shared the perspective on sport in BIH and sport projects that the Embassy of Italy supported;
• Samir Avdic – the man that said “NO” to NBA in order to support his national team empowered #SportDiplomacyAcademy participants to take decisions that will be great for the future;
• Husnija Kajmović – Good governance in Judo Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on the main principles: politeness, courage, sincerity, honor, modesty, respect, control of oneself, friendship;
• Azra Numanovic - the secretary general of the most trophy and most successful women's soccer club in Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFK 2000 Sarajevo presented – Woman in Sports – Female Football perspective: Show the greatness, power and professionalism;
• Nudžejma Softić started huge local movement URS "Trčanje i to" and shared with participants the challenges of woman management in sport during the organization of First Bosnian triathlon with the main message: “Set your goals and make the necessary steps to archive them”.
• Tarik Trbić – Football in Bosnia and Herzegovina highlighted that the the legal safety of everyone involved in sport is crucial and legislative challenges in sport in Europe are still vivid and there is a huge floor for improvement;
• Tarik Ajanović – FIFA perspective on Football presented the parallels of Europe – Asia sport governance and pointed out that governance is a very organized system of a long term project and balance of powers and key decisions has to be focused on organization benefit;
• Vedran Vukotic – KPMG in Bosnia and Herzegovina presented the business perspective and the economical dimension in Sports.
During the module in Sarajevo, participants had the opportunity to work in mixed groups and express their views on the different aspects of #GoodGovernanceSport – challenges and perspectives in sport.
The Sport Diplomacy Academy project is a legacy of the first Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council, which took place in the first half of 2018. The project focus on cooperation with the Western Balkans as a logical continuation of all activities carried out under the #EU2018BG Priority: Perspective of the EU and the Western Balkans connectivity, citing the Sofia Declaration and the Sofia and EU Priority Agenda for the EU and the Western Balkans. The European Union and the Western Balkans must continue to invest in efforts to strengthen cooperation and the exchange of good practices focused on democracy, security and fundamental human rights.

Project ensures the educational mobility of coaches and other staff of sport organisations (incl. volunteers) linked to professional and grassroots sport. The four mobility modules, which will be implemented in each partner country, will improve the skills and competencies of a total of 80 sports professionals, as well as their qualifications, through learning mobility. Learning mobility is planned as an investment in human capital and a contribution to the capacity building of various sport organisations with clear focus on building a network of well-trained sport diplomats.

After the implemented project mobilities, each of the partner countries will possess with at least 20 well trained “diplomats in sport suits” with great skills and knowledge in the field of sport diplomacy (policy dialogue and international relationship, campaign creation, successful communication (verbal & non-verbal), public speaking, media relationships, protocol and etiquette, EU foreign policy and values). The network that project will create (4 countries-20 people each) will focus on supporting and developing EU integration of the Western Balkans in the field of sport and will be quality provider of EU values in their local environment. For the delivery of the modules will be recruited the best EU experts in each field and non-formal educational methods are going to be used.

Project involves 4 partner countries - Bulgarian sports development association - academy coordinator and initiator, Rijeka sport association, Croatia, the Italian sport organization “L’ORMA” and BRAVO - Bosnian Youth and sport NGO). Partners have been working together for several years already, implementing different scale of projects and cooperating in different frameworks in the fields of sport, education and youth policy.

Project will include also the following concrete results:
• 80 “diplomats in sport suits” /20 per country/, focused on delivering EU integration in the countries of Western Balkan area through sport;
• National, regional and local dissemination events (involving at least 400 people) - multiplying effect from the acquired skills and knowledge;
• Platform for WB sport development - practical tool for resources and EU sport values with accent on Sport diplomacy and the good governance in sport.

Learning mobility will be planned as an investment in human capital and a contribution to the capacity building of various sport organizations with clear focus on building a network of well-trained sport diplomats.
• Module 1 (Bulgaria): Sport diplomacy, EU foreign policy, EU values, Policy dialogue and international relationships;
• Module 2 (Bosnia and Herzegovina): Summary and feedback of Module 1, local practice reports, Good governance in sport;
• Module 3 (Croatia): Summary and feedback of Module 2, local practice reports, Campaign creation, Successful communication (verbal & non-verbal), Public speaking, Protocol and etiquette;
• Module 4 (Italy): Summary and feedback of Module 3, local practice reports, Working with media, Working with specific target groups, Sport diplomacy for development, How to put on practice the knowledge we got.

#SportDiplomacyAcademy project is co-funded by the European Union.