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Agence française de développement (AFD) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have launched an initiative to combat youth crime and strengthen community resilience in Southeast Asia through sport. Unveiled during the June 2025 Olympism365 Summit in Lausanne, the Southeast Asia Sport and Youth Crime Prevention (SYCP) Initiative has committed to leverage sport for social development and violence prevention.
Applications are currently being accepted from applicable sport-based projects in the region. The program is inviting organizations in Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam to apply for development grants of up to EUR 150,000 over an 18-month period. Eligible projects must use sport as a tool to prevent youth crime and foster safer, more inclusive communities.
“This initiative will strongly contribute to reinforcing the role of sport in youth crime prevention strategies,” said Laureline Triby, AFD’s Head of the Social Link Division. “We are looking forward to working together with the public sector, the sport movement and civil society organizations to accelerate the contribution of sport to youth empowerment and build safer and more resilient communities.
The program is being delivered by a consortium coordinated by international charity, the Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice (AoS), working alongside national and regional partners. The SYCP Initiative will invest in grassroots, community-led projects, as well as promote collaboration between sport and criminal justice stakeholders across Southeast Asia. It aims to build strong national and regional networks, support program delivery and promote knowledge exchange across multiple platforms. Training and capacity-building for professionals working in youth development, justice and sport will also be provided, along with support for research and advocacy to promote evidence-based policies that integrate sport into wider social and crime prevention strategies.
Tawee Sodsong, Thailand’s Minister of Justice, praised the initiative’s potential to drive reintegration and rehabilitation. “Sport offers a constructive pathway for at-risk youth and former offenders alike. We’ve seen its impact through programs like Pencak Silat in Thailand’s deep south. I hope ASEAN continues to adopt sport as a reintegration tool,” he said.
The SYCP Initiative was born out of the Olympism365 Summit: Sport for a Better World, where over 100 organizations from more than 70 countries committed to using sport to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). These commitments aim to generate over USD 200 million in value over the next four years.
“This program is a tangible example of sport and criminal justice stakeholders working together to promote the strengths of young people and reduce risk factors leading to involvement in anti-social behavior and youth crime,” said Ollie Dudfield, the IOC’s Olympism365 Associate Director.
Interested organizations can review the application criteria and guidelines here.
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