Sustain the Momentum

On 18 November, Sport and Citizenship took part in the Sustain the Momentum digital event organised by EOG and Suston Magazine. This was a great opportunity to discuss the ways in which outdoor activities can enable societal change.

Margo de Lange (It’s Great Out There Coalition) kick-started the webinar with a session called ‘From Participation to Co-Creation of Outdoor Experiences’. In the context of the ongoing pandemic, thousands of outdoor novices discovered the benefits of spending time in nature, bringing to focus the need to create outdoor activities that benefit both the environment and society. This entails, among other things, to welcome and support novices in becoming activists through inclusive, educational, and transformational experiences.

The first afternoon session was moderated by Dr. Pamela Ravasio (Shirahime) with panelists Hetty Key (Women in Adventure), Rhiane Fatinikum (Black Girls Hike) and David Macrida (Riders for Refugees) who shared insights into the way they combine outdoor activities with community action. Listening to their personal stories and projects allowed us to get a glimpse of the situation on the ground and understand how activism manifests itself in different ways within the outdoor community.

The day ended with a participant brainstorm in which we built on all the inspirational sessions to think about the ways in which we can encourage the outdoor community towards a conscious movement for better environmental stewardship. In terms of strategy to achieve this goal, ideas included showing visually the effects of poor environmental stewardship, as well as educating children from a young age. Many other important points were discussed, such as the need to stop shaming individuals and prioritising communication over action.

Sport and Citizenship is very grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in this event and remains committed to the issue of sustainable development in the sports sector.