TO PLAY (2024–2026) HUMANITARIAN POTENTIAL OF PHYSICAL AND PLAY-BASED ACTIVITY: SOCIO-PEDAGOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE RIGHT TO PLAY GLOBAL STRATEGY (2024–2026)

Abstract

The article presents a socio-pedagogical analysis of the Global Strategic Plan of the international nonprofit organization Right To Play for 2024–2026. The study aims to substantiate the humanitarian potential of physical activity and play-based learning as a conceptual tool for psychosocial compensation, trauma recovery, and systemic transformation of non-formal education amidst contemporary global crises (armed conflicts, educational loss, and deteriorating youth mental health). It is proven that under conditions of classic educational system disruption, sports and play activities lose their purely recreational status, transforming into a fundamental socio-pedagogical technology for developing resilience, alleviating anxiety, and fostering social-emotional skills. Three foundational principles of the organization’s approach are identified: Youth Agency, localization and contextualization (reliance on local community experience and traditions), and evidence-based pedagogy (utilizing empirical data to reform macrosystems). The findings reveal that the methodological core of the Strategy is the ecological «Theory of Change» model, structured according to U. Bronfenbrenner’s concentric systems approach. This model enables the cascaded extrapolation of positive outcomes from the child’s micro-level (selfesteem growth, empathy, positive relationships) through meso-design (capacity building of teachers/facilitators, parental engagement) to the macro-systemic level (intersectoral partnerships with governments and donors). Four core program areas (early childhood care and education, quality primary education, gender equality, and psychosocial support) form an operational matrix for creating inclusive, Safe Spaces.