From international and national sport policies to local social actions

From the beginning of the nineties, the efficacy of Italian welfare policies, particularly those referring to sport, is closely linked to the changes which have occurred between local authorities, the State and the third sector. These changes must also be seen in relation to the international tendencies and processes taking place in the last decade of the previous century which aimed at promoting citizen participation, sustainability and children’s rights. At the same time, within the third sector, the sports associations involved in the promotion of social sports began to voice their concerns regarding the welfare policies thanks also to the increase in their number in those years. In fact, the year 2000 saw the introduction of several laws which focussed on the development of participatory decision-making at local level, as well as the financing of social projects proposed by the sports associations. This article describes the actions brought about as a result of those political decisions by outlining the applicative case of a national project conducted by the UISP, the leading Italian sports association, which, through different actions and methods in various cities, involved young people as active protagonists in the project.