Rugby 4 Peace builds bridges in Colombia

Earlier this month the university’s Dr Gary Stidder and Dr Thomas Carter worked with the Fundacion Buen Punto in Colombia with the aim of bringing the local community together through rugby.

As a result of this partnership, Barbarians Rugby Football Club has been incorporating Rugby 4 Peace’s strategies into its coaching and training.

In particular, the collaboration between Rugby 4 Peace and Fundacion Buen Punto seeks to provide opportunities for children and young adults in unfavourable situations with limited resources; who have some form of physical or psychological disability; or who are at risk of exclusion from society.

During the course of Rugby 4 Peace’s visit to Colombia, 60 coaches and teachers were trained using the initiative’s curriculum and methodology. A festival was also hosted for 340 children, 60 of whom have additional learning needs or disabilities.

Dr Gary Stidder, co-founder of the Football 4 Peace and Rugby 4 Peace schemes, said: “Over the past 18 years Football/Rugby 4 Peace International (F/R4P) has developed a multi-dimensional research, education and social engagement platform that utilises physical education and sport innovatively to deliver generic and bespoke ‘values-based’ palliative training and coaching programmes designed in and for areas suffering from high levels of cross-community conflict.

“It is just as relevant in South America and in particular countries such as Columbia where there are various forms of political disorder and social disintegration.”

Fundacion Buen Punto use internationally, academically-proven values-based project methodology to build community relations and provide life-changing opportunities to young people through sports (currently surfing, rugby union and Australian football).

Rugby 4 Peace team in Colombia