When Denmark is hit by health crises, natural disasters or security political unrest, it is not military hardware that holds everyday life together. Sorry to say. It is the people in our local community. Coaches, association leaders, volunteers, neighbourhoods, clubs and sports communities.
Right now, Denmark is in the middle of a historic rearmament. Over the coming years, we will invest around DKK 350 billion in strengthening the Danish defence.
At the same time, several people talk about the need for spiritual arming. That we must strengthen national unity, preparedness and mental resilience.
But in the midst of this broad and ambitious rearmament agenda, we are overlooking the front line which, in a crisis, will be the most sustainable and accessible.
Namely the local communities. And especially sports and association life.
Lessons from corona
During the corona crisis, we clearly experienced how fragile these local communities are when the country shuts down. Associations lost members, volunteering declined and many clubs are still struggling with the aftermath.
I experienced this firsthand when in 2020 I became chairman of Badminton Denmark in the middle of the corona shutdown and saw what this shutdown did to the sport of badminton in the following years.
If Denmark is to stand strong in future crises, it requires an internal rearmament. Because it was precisely these communities and these people mentioned above that helped us all back on our feet (and in the halls again), when people once again searched together, found well-being and togetherness in local clubs and associations.
The Norwegian model shows that sports and association life can be a structural contingency and not just something you return to when the danger is over.
Tore Vilhelmsen
Board member, ADD, formerly chairman, Badminton Denmark
It will require political will, structural support and financial prioritization of Forenings- og Idrætsdanmark. But it is by no means impossible.
DKK 45 million has been set aside in the Finance Act for 2026, which over the next three years will be used to teach Danes about crisis preparedness. And it is positive that they now prioritize educating us Danes in what preparedness is. But we need more than that. And more funds than DKK 15 million must also be found. per year for a three-year period.
Norway has done it
In Norway, with the latest total defense plan, culture, sport, voluntary association life and leisure activities have been formally included as part of the preparedness. In a crisis or war, according to the plan, the government must ensure that “arenas and meeting places for culture, sport and voluntary activities” are preserved as far as possible.
It’s not just about maintaining entertainment in a time of crisis. It is about maintaining cohesion, social stability, hope, identity and mental space for the population when everything else falters.
The Norwegian model shows that sports and association life can be a structural contingency and not just something you return to when the danger is over. It should help us get through the danger itself. This is a model that Denmark could benefit from being inspired by.
In Denmark, we still do not have a comprehensive plan that ensures that associations and sports clubs can survive a crisis. And what happens to the volunteering, finances, facilities, members when it really has consequences?
What does a gymnastics club do when it loses half its members and several volunteers?
How do we help associations that are on the verge of collapse in a crisis, but which in everyday life bind people together?
Who takes responsibility for sports and leisure life becoming part of national resilience as a supplement to the military?
For now, the answer is: None. And that should worry us all.
Sports and associations should be considered critical infrastructure
If the goal is a strong, resilient society, sports and association life should not be a luxury. It should be part of the preparedness. Research indicates that strong local communities promote social cohesion, mental resilience, resistance to misinformation, trust and social capital. All qualities that are essential for getting through a crisis as best as possible.
If we in Denmark follow Norway’s example, we can end up with a model that supports cohesion across social strata, ensures communities and social meeting places and preserves mental and physical health.
If we want to be a society that not only survives, but stands strong after a coming crisis, we must not only invest in fighter jets, bullets and armored vehicles.
Tore Vilhelmsen
Board member, ADD, formerly chairman, Badminton Denmark
How exactly we are going to solve this in Denmark, I do not have the answer to. But here are a few suggestions:
A contingency fund for civil society, so that associations have a financial buffer if membership numbers fall, facilities are closed or activities are suspended.
A national strategy that recognizes sports and leisure communities as part of society’s overall preparedness and not as a luxury. But as necessary social and democratic infrastructure.
We must invest in internal defence
In Denmark, we are ready to make the necessary military investments. There can be no more doubt about that.
But we must also prioritize investment in our society’s resilience, cohesion and future stability. And this will, all else being equal, be a small amount compared to the DKK 350 billion. DKK, which is invested in military rearmament.
If we want to be a society that not only survives, but stands strong after a coming crisis, we must not only invest in fighter jets, bullets and armored vehicles.
We must invest in people, communities and sports. Because it is precisely the internal rearmament that holds society together. And what we ultimately defend.
