Analysis of Sports, Conflict Resolution and Actors; An Introduction to Sports Diplomacy

Subject Areas :

Masoud Jaafarinejad ¹ , Amir Reza Emami ² , Amir Bagherzadeh Chungaralu ³ , Reyhan Erturk ⁴

1 - Associate professor of political science, Islamic Azad University of Isfahan, (Khorasgan)
2 - Graduate of International Relations, Department of Law and Political Science, Faculty of Law and Political Science,, Yazd, Yazd University, Iran.
3 - M.A student in Political Science, Department of Law and Political Science, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran
4 - BA student in Political Science and International Relations, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey

Received: 2023-08-06 Accepted : 2024-01-15 Published : 2023-11-22

Keywords: Peace, conflict resolution, Sports Diplomacy, State Actors, Non-State Sports Actors,

Abstract :

Despite the increasing recognition of sports diplomacy, a more comprehensive understanding of its impact on conflict resolution is felt. This study seeks to address the current gap in the literature by providing a nuanced exploration of the role of sports diplomacy within the context of 'sport and conflict resolution.' The main question is: "What is the role of sports diplomacy in conflict resolution for state and non-state actors?". It is hypothesized that the strategic deployment of sports diplomacy is an effective tool in establishing communication and strengthening dialogue in conflict resolution between the involved parties. The research findings indicate that the state actors have used sports diplomacy to fulfill their foreign policy goals to secure their direct or indirect interests. In fact, for states, sports always come second after survival and security, and non-state actors, who are often established as mediators to create and promote peace, use sports diplomacy to remove friction and resolve conflicts between state and non-state actors, create stability, strengthen peace, and ultimately provide human security. The qualitative research method is based on description analysis, and data collection was done through library and virtual resources.

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