Managing Sport for Development and Peace: An Introduction

Abstract This paper introduces the journal special issue, which is devoted to managerial and organizational issues in the global field of “Sport for Development and Peace” (SDP). SDP encompasses the large and rapidly growing global domain in which sports, games and physical activities are used to pursue diverse non-sporting social goals. There are now many hundreds of organizations which operate across the SDP sector, including diverse non-governmental organizations, sport clubs and federations, governmental organizations and agencies, and private businesses and donors. This introductory chapter is organized into three main parts. We begin by setting out the defining features and main aspects of SDP. Then we turn to discuss key managerial levels and issues for SDP organizations, noting the importance of social capital and sustainability. Finally, we introduce the five papers that comprise the journal special issue.