Playing the Long Game
In a rapidly changing world, sport has been a constant. A cornerstone of socialization and culture. A pillar of health. A mirror of society, reflecting to us the challenges we face daily like sustainability, social justice, and more.
Sport changemakers continually offer innovative, systems-changing solutions so sport contributes to the good of all. Seeing an opportunity to fuel deeper learning, reflection, and action, the Sport for Changemaking team published Changemaking Takes a Team: How Sport Has the Power to Shift Mindsets.
How might everyone in the sports ecosystem see themselves as powerful contributors to the good of all?
Sport Changemakers offer more than just theoretical solutions, rather they continue to identify and drive the patterns or methodologies for change around the world. The four shifts in this new paradigm of sport highlight the transformations we can achieve together:
Invest in the whole person to activate the agency of individuals
Provide opportunities for all to thrive
Leverage the footprint of sports
Expand the responsibility of the sport industry
Sport Changemakers in the Ashoka Fellow Network
Ashoka Fellows address root causes of global and local social problems to fundamentally disrupt them, thereby changing systems. They do this by creating new fields, building relationships where none previously existed, offering people new roles and relationships, and fundamentally helping people see differently so they can do differently
Beka Ntsanwisi
Ashoka Fellow since Mar 2014 - South Africa
Beka Ntsanwisi
Beka Ntsanwisi, founder of South Africa’s Soccer Grannies, empowers elderly women through sport, health education, and financial inclusion. Her innovative model fosters dignity, resilience, and community leadership, transforming rural lives with compassion, creativity, and grassroots social entrepreneurship
Diane Pereira Sousa
Ashoka Fellow since Jan 2018 Incubadora de Esporte e Cidadania - Brazil
Diane Pereira Sousa
Diane Pereira Sousa, founder of Instituto Formação and Baixada Foundation, empowers youth in Brazil through sports, education, and community philanthropy. Her innovative methodologies transform public spaces into inclusive hubs, fostering civic engagement, human rights, and grassroots leadership
Jose Soares
Ashoka fellow since 2023 - Portugal
Jose Soares
José Soares dos Santos, founder of Oceano Azul Foundation, drives ocean conservation through science, education, and sustainable investment. His leadership bridges business and ecology, transforming Portugal’s maritime legacy into a global movement for ocean health, resilience, and blue economy innovation
Mel Young
Ashoka Fellow since Dec 2013 Homeless World Cup - United Kingdom
Mel Young
Mel Young, co-founder of the Homeless World Cup, transforms lives through football. His global movement empowers homeless individuals, challenges stigma, and fosters inclusion. Young’s vision blends sport, advocacy, and systemic change to end homelessness and redefine social responsibility
Changemaking Takes a Team Insights Report
Ashoka's Sport for Changemaking Insights Report delves into the evolving sport ecosystem. Drawing from Ashoka Fellows and Sport Changemakers' experiences, it outlines four key shifts and strategies for fostering a more equitable world. Join us in exploring, downloading, sharing, and providing feedback. Let's collaborate to activate change!