Sport Business academic involved in developing the United Nations guide to preventing violent extremism through sport
Dr Holly Collison has been working with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on the new policy guidance and tools for using sport to tackle violent extremism.
The Preventing Violent Extremism through Sport resources will be launched on 2 July 2020, with Dr Holly Collison from the Institute for Sport Business presenting the guide as part of the online launch event.
The Technical Guide, developed in the context of the Youth Crime Prevention through Sport Initiative under the Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration, provides comprehensive guidance on how sport and sport-based programmes can be used in the context of Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) to address related risk and protective factors. To ensure global accessibility, the guide will be translated into four languages.
The launch event will highlight the important role that sport can play in preventing violent extremism and will serve to share experiences from states and civil society organisations on the effective integration of sport in national policy frameworks and the implementation of sport-based programmes. The launch for the guide had originally been scheduled to take place in Doha but has been re-arranged to virtually introduce the guide to member states, officials and stakeholders online.
Speaking of the initiative, Dr Holly Collison said:
“It’s very exciting to be in this position and to be driving this agenda. For this initiative I have also developed a practical guide to accompany the technical guide and this is also being transformed into an online e-learning tool for policymakers and facilitators.”
Dr Holly Collison has been leading the charge to develop guidance on the prevention of violent extremism through sport, recently attending a UN expert meeting in Vienna and as part of the preparations for the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Dr Holly Collison is an anthropologist in the field of Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) and a Lecturer within the Institute for Sport Business.
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2020 QS World University Rankings and top in the country for its student experience in the 2018 THE Student Experience Survey.
Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and 8th in The UK Complete University Guide 2020.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
Specialising exclusively in postgraduate-level study, Loughborough University London is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers cutting-edge master’s and PhD degrees, as well as business collaboration, research and enterprise opportunities.
The seven specialist institutes at Loughborough University London include: Design Innovation, Digital Technologies, Diplomacy and International Governance, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, International Management, Media and Creative Industries, and Sport Business. Close industry partnerships with a wealth of leading businesses and creative organisations means teaching and learning is informed by real-life challenges and driven by true industry pressures.