TYPE: Exchanges and mobility in sport
DATES: 01-01-2019–31-12-2020
LINK:  Facebook Page

COORDINATOR: Bulgarian sports development association (Bulgaria)

PARTNERS:

Rijeka Sports Association (Croatia)

ENDAS (Italy)

BRAVO (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

L’Orma (Italy)

DESCRIPTION

Sport Diplomacy Academy project is legacy of recent First Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, which took place in the first half of 2018. The project will focus on the cooperation with Western Balkans as a logical follow up of all implemented activities under #EU2018BG priority: the EU perspective and connectivity of the Western Balkans, referring to the Sofia Declaration and SofiaPriority Agenda. Both European Union and Western Balkan partners should continue to invest efforts in strengthening the cooperation and good practices exchange, focused on democracy, security and fundamental rights. The project will ensure the educational mobility of coaches and other staff of sport organizations (incl.volunteers) linked to professional and grassroots sport. The 4 modules of mobility, held in each one of the partners countries with the same group of participants from the project target group will improve their competences as well as their qualifications and acquire new skills through learning mobility and spending a period of time in a foreign country (in and outside of the EU). The learning mobility will be an investment in human capital and a contribution to the capacity building of sport organizations with clear focus on building a network of well-trained sport diplomats. Four partner organizations are involved in the project–Bulgarian sports development association–coordinator and initiator of the academy, Rijeka Sports Association, Croatia, the Italian sports organization “ENDAS” and BRAVO–a NGO from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Expected results of the Sport Diplomacy Academy:

• 80 “diplomats in sport suits” (20 from each partner country) aimed at achieving European integration in the Western Balkan countries through sport;

• National, regional and local dissemination events (involving at least 400 people)-multiplier effect of acquired skills and knowledge;

• Platform for the development of sport in the Western Balkans-a practical tool for EU resources and values in the field of sport, with a focus on sports diplomacy and good governance in sport.

Learning objectives of the #SportDiplomacyAcademy are: After the implementation of the project mobility, each of the partner countries will have at least 20 well-trained diplomats in sport suits, with practical skills and knowledge in the field of sports diplomacy(political dialogue and international relations, campaigning, successful verbal and non-verbal communication, public speaking, media, protocol and etiquette, EU foreign policy and values). The network that the project will create (4 countries with 20 participants from each country) will focus on supporting and developing the integration of the Western Balkans in the field of sport and will be a quality provider of EU values in the local environment.