World Archery supports the launch of the Peace and Sport Adapted Sport Manual

This manual contains educational information sheets that allow users to adapt sport to the specific challenges at play. By leading an innovative and structured approach alongside international sports federations and local actors, Peace and Sport has been able to observe, set up and try out a number of sporting practices in the field.

It is with this goal in mind that Peace and Sport decided to present archery expertise for the first time in a manual, in such a way as to benefit the greatest number of people. 

Click here to read the Archery part of the Manual in English

Cliquez ici pour lire la partie Tir à l'Arc du Manuel en Français

On 1 April 2011, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between World Archery (WA) and Peace and Sport (P&S). The objectives of the MOU between WA and P&S is to reinforce WA's involvement in initiatives to promote peace and social cohesion, to promote archery as a means of improving living conditions for entire populations and to encourage education, training and responsibility amongst vulnerable youth populations through the practice of archery.

Several projects in pursuit of their mission to promote sustainable peace by raising awareness and educating young people about peace using sporting values as the structural starting point have been considered. Finally, on 18 September 2013 in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), the first WA / P&S joint implementation was achieved. WA commissioned several of its experts to Congo DRC to organise an eight-day training with twenty educators. During this training, the educators were made aware of the use of alternative and suitable material (e.g. the use of bamboo for making bows), an essential step to the sustainable success of sports programmes that use local resources rather than import. After this training, the project "Archery for Peace" was officially opened in two centres in Kinshasa.

Prof Dr U?ur ERDENER, President of World Archery, stated: "World Archery is very happy to work with Peace and Sport on this important project in Africa. Using locally produced equipment breaks down stereotypes and encourages the development of sport in this part of the world. We thank Peace and Sport for their contribution."

“WA is extremely pleased with the use of archery as an education and integration tool among Congolese disadvantaged youth for two reasons:

Archery was quite widely practiced during the African history until our days. Our sport has thus an important cultural place there, and this whatever the ethnic group of membership.If bows and arrows were used in various purposes in the past, it is absolutely fantastic to see them from now on used for purposes of peaceful unification.

Archery can therefore have an immense impact on fractious or impoverished communities. I am delighted that we can further expand our development work in such areas in cooperation with Peace and Sport and I am convinced that this Adapted Sport Manual will attract many kids to our beloved sport", WA Development and Education Director, Mr Pascal COLMAIRE, said.

About Peace and Sport
For more than seven years, Peace and Sport has been working with various local actors who use sport as a tool for education and peace in a wide range of settings. This experience has shown that many of them have difficulty implementing certain sports due to a lack of equipment and infrastructure but also because of the complexity of the rules of sport.

The goal of this Adapted Sport Manual is not just to promote the development of sport for all, but to encourage the use of sport as a tool that can be adapted to a wide range of environments. The manual has been created in such a way as to be used and understood by anyone wishing to lead young people through sport.

Presented through fun illustrations and text, the manual contains the following sections:

Adapted sport information sheets, explaining how sports can be set up, tailored and used as an educational and social toolA Resource index, which provides examples of sports equipment made from natural resources or recycled wasteBuilding adapted equipment information sheets, designed to help with the construction of sports equipment using the aforementioned resources.

The manual was developed in collaboration with 17 International Federations.

World Archery Communication