Using sport, particularly basketball, to promote the social inclusion of young people, especially girls and people with disabilities, is a key objective of the association Jeunesse Art Culture Sport et Mémoire (JACSM) in Cameroon. To mark the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace on 6 April 2025, the association organised a series of activities, including an inter-academic basketball tournament, dance and theatre, demonstrating the power of sport in building a peaceful society, a prerequisite for any development.
Sport is increasingly recognised and used as an affordable and effective tool in humanitarian, development and peace-building efforts, according to the United Nations. To mark the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, celebrated annually on 6 April, the association Jeunesse Art Culture Sport et Mémoire (JACSM) in Cameroon, whose main objective is to use sport, particularly basketball, to promote the social inclusion of young people, especially girls and people with disabilities, in partnership with the French embassy in Cameroon, organised a number of activities, including inter-academy basketball tournaments, theatre and dance.
“We’re in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on the Nlongkak pitch where we’re running the programme << Les Pépites du Cameroun >>, supported by the French embassy, which has the same objectives as the association, i.e. education and the social and professional inclusion of young people through basketball. So as part of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, we’ve organised this tournament here with a young audience”.
Jean Eric Sendé, Founding Director of JACSM – Cameroon
Under the theme « Leveling the Playing Field: Sport for Social Inclusion », which aims to challenge stereotypes, promote equal opportunities and enable inclusive sport for all, the activities of JACSM, which involved 70 English and French primary school pupils, showcased the role of sport in promoting social inclusion, community development, peace and understanding.
This activity is part of the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, as well as a programme to raise awareness of interculturality, living together, dialogue and peace. These themes are also part of another anti-drugs programme, ‘Yes to life, no to drugs’. We also run awareness-raising campaigns on climate change and gender-based violence.
Jean Eric Sendé, Founding Director of JACSM – Cameroon
At a time when the world continues to face conflict and division, sport remains a beacon for hope and unity. The association Jeunesse Art Culture Sport et Mémoire through its activities is using sport to create a fairer and more inclusive society, ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has the opportunity to participate and thrive.