I recently made a presentation titled, “Serving the Poor: The Case of Khelshala in India,” at the 2011 Next Conference: “Promoting Global Partnership in Sport for Development,” held in Trinidad and Tobago. It was a privilege to give my presentation before the Chairperson of the Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group who liaises with the United Nations Office for Sport and Development and Peace.
Since my return to the United States, I have had time to reflect upon key lessons learned from the conference. In the interest of being transparent and sharing ideas, I came away with, among other things, a greater understanding of sport for development practice and theory, a few contacts with representatives working in the sport for development sector and new ideas for potential partnerships and fundraising mechanisms for Khelshala.
On the whole, there are some very talented and motivated people working in this sector and I felt a renewed sense of purpose and the importance of striking a balance between working globally and locally with an eye for quality not quantity – especially since the nature of international development can make one jaded over time. Another presenter suggested to build on our collective wisdom and continue to take proactive steps individually. There is a lot to be said for practical idealism.
