Sports and Positive Peace: Foregrounding SDG-16

Early peace studies conceptualised peace primarily as the absence of war, violence, or direct conflict—an understanding that contemporary scholarship defines as negative peace. In contrast, the presence of underlying structural, institutional, and cultural conditions—such as justice, equity, and social harmony—constitutes what is termed positive peace. The early formulation of positive peace, most notably advanced by Johan Galtung, has since been refined into a more measurable and policy-relevant concept. This evolution has aligned it closely with the methodological frameworks of contemporary global development agendas, particularly the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where it is regarded as a comprehensive and measurable construct. SDG-16 seeks to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, ensure access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. Concurrently, sport has evolved from informal physical activity into highly organised and institutionalised systems. In its contemporary forms, sport possesses significant potential as a universal instrument for conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and the promotion of social cohesion. By bringing together diverse communities, fostering tolerance, and facilitating processes of social healing, sport can contribute meaningfully to the advancement of positive peace. Moreover, various forms of sport can empower youth and support the promotion of human rights. This study vividly analyses the United Nations’ Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) framework and India’s National Sport Policy (NSP) for comparing the framework served at a global platform and the practical scenario in an emerging economy where basic needs are yet to be fulfilled for a large section of its population. It examines how far the institutionalised forms of sport work as stimuli to advance SDG-16 in developing countries like India, particularly through their limited funding capacity to promote sports for fostering positive peace within societies, facilitate regional cooperation, and thereby catalyse broader processes of global development.