Action sports for a better world: New website and TedX talk

Surfing, skateboarding, parkour... what do non-competitive, informal action sports offer to the development agenda?

Associate Professor Holly Thorpe has made this the focus of her research over the past 5 years. She recently launched a new website for the Action Sports for Development and Peace (ASDP) community and a TedX talk on the topic: 'Action Sports for a Better World'.

A few years ago Associate Professor Holly Thorpe wrote a series of articles for sportanddev.org on the potential of action sports for offering something unique and valuable to the development agenda. Since then she has continued her research on the topic, with a focus on action sports in sites of conflict and post-disaster, and grassroots youth-led initiatives. She has also worked closely with Skateistan on various projects, including a MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning) training programme (with Dr Megan Chawansky and Nida Ahmad) earlier this year.

In July this year she gave a TedX talk in New Zealand on the topic 'Action Sports for a Better World' that summarises some of the key findings from her research to date.

Just last week she launched the website 'Action Sports for Development and Peace' with the aim to create an international knowledge community for the 200+ ASDP organizations that are currently operating around the world.

According to Dr Thorpe, "This website is for all of those involved or interested in the power and potential of action sports for creating positive social change. It aims to create a space for sharing news and knowledge across sites and sports".

About ASDP
Action Sports for Development and Peace (ASDP) is a world-wide community of over 200 organizations and groups using informal action sports--e.g., surfing, skateboarding, climbing, parkour, snowboarding--in their efforts to create positive change in communities around the globe.