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Sustainability

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Sustainability in children’s and youth sport

dsj sees sustainability as a cross-sectional mission, both in the organisation itself and in the context of its tasks and activities. Sustainability is part of the association’s self-image and provides direction for every field of action. Sustainability is a goal and an important aspect of organisation development and is firmly established in dsj’s mission statement. 

To dsj, sustainability primarily means making sustainable decisions. It aligns its decisions as far as possible to the social, economic and ecological dimensions of sustainability, with the goal of maintaining a balance between them. 

A partnership has existed between German Sports Youth and Sports4future since 2020. Here, dsj is supporting the initiative of working together to meet the challenges of the climate crisis through the uniting power of sport. 

In the course of the partnership, dsj as a whole and three specific dsj events have been analysed to determine the existing sustainability impacts.  

This analysis by Sports4Future and a survey of the dsj member organisations in 2021 helped to refine the dsj sustainability strategy in 2022. 

Education for sustainable development in sport

As early as 1992, when Agenda 21 was adopted at the UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, it was emphasised that education has an important role to play in solving various global problems. Today, all the important social actors – especially not-for-profit (children’s and youth) sport – agree that education is the key to sustainable thinking and action. 

German Sports Youth sees itself and its sports associations and clubs as extracurricular educational actors that initiate learning and educational processes through the medium of sport, games and physical activity, and thus promote the holistic development of young people. Coaches, trainers, dedicated (young) people and educational staff at the sports clubs need appropriate and tried-and-tested materials, methods and tools for this.  

Since 2014, German Sports Youth has explicitly dedicated itself to education for sustainable development (ESD) in children’s and youth sport, implemented numerous activities through partnerships and finally (2018/2019) been honoured by UNESCO for its exemplary commitment in the area of education for sustainable development. In 2017, dsj collaborated with the education for sustainable development working group (2014-2018) to develop a “German Sports Youth Action Plan on Education for Sustainable Development“ in a participatory process. This was based on the National Action Plan on Education for Sustainable Development, which was adopted in June 2017 by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF).

The dsj action plan for disseminators in its member organisations begins with a basic understanding of education for sustainable development in sport. It presents fields of action that help to implement education for sustainable development in a sports organisation. It also provides guidance for reinforcing the role of youth organisations as educational actors and for giving a substantial boost to organised children’s and youth sport with regard to education for sustainable development.

dsj draws upon the living environment of young people and makes use of existing games and exercise programmes that are on offer to provide a broad education for children and young people and to reach all children and young people with education and physical activity, irrespective of their gender or social background. The focus is on developing democratic, independent young people who make their environment, society and future sustainable, and on promoting the skills that are necessary for this.

ESD facilitator’s toolbox

In addition, the “Education for sustainable development” facilitators’ toolbox" has been developed for targeted discussions of ESD in the Management Board, in committees, with colleagues or in the administrative office. No major preparations are necessary. A brief enclosed guide explains how to initiate a discussion or an organisation development process with regard to ESD. The little cards can also be inscribed, pinned or extended to create new images and ideas. 

The educational concept of education for sustainable development

Education for sustainable development (BNE) is an educational concept that relies on an individual and interactive acquisition process. Sustainability requires us to fundamentally rethink the prevailing consumption and lifestyle habits and to change our behaviour. To create a fairer world, we not only need more knowledge and special skills, but also common values and a stronger awareness of globalisation and the complex relationships in the world. In this context, it is particularly important to understand the complexity and the mutual interdependence of the ecological, economic, social and cultural aspects of sustainability and to make “sustainable” decisions.

More information about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.