Sport for Development and Peace?
International Forum Sports and Development, Bad Boll, 12-14 February
2005
Detlef Dumon, ICSSPE, Germany
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The KiJuBallett of Christina Schilling,
Switzerland, Biel-Bienne. The KiJuBallett (Kinder-und Jugendtanzgruppe,
Children and Youth Dance-Company) is a formation of the Childrens
Dance-School, where they learn the new dance style ,Afro Rythme
Danse` (African Contemporary Dance), developed by Christina Schilling.
"Afro Rythme Danse" is a union of rhythm and dance. Photographer:
E. Fink, CH-Biel | |
Opportunities and boundaries of development
through sport – these were the two sides taken in which a 2 day
long ongoing discussion took place at the Evangelische Akademie Bad
Boll, Germany. The initiative to hold the event was taken by ICSSPE
President Gudrun Doll-Tepper and Programme Director Reverend Volker
Steinbrecher, Evangelische Akademie. Though they are well aware of certain
activities by governments and UN agencies, both criticise the still
existing issue of underestimating sport as a tool for development by
many national governments, international governmental organisations
and by the corporate sector.
"Isn't it fantastic what happens right now between India and
Pakistan?", Steinbrecher comments on the recent cricket match
between the two National teams attended by both Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and President Gen. Pervez Musharraf. "And resources of
sport have not all been siphoned, yet." - But, can sport actually
initiate communication between two countries that have been at war
against each other for a couple of decades? Former IOC Vice President
Dr. Thomas Bach warned conference participants not to expect too much
of an influence sport might have on world politics, even if involvement
in political affairs may be of limited success, as the engagement
of the IOC which led to a common entry of both, the North Korean and
the South Korean team under one flag in the opening ceremony of the
Olympics, 2000 in Sydney. This then leads to further questions such
as should the IOC also get active in for example, abandoning sport
facilities and equipment that have been produced through child labour?
Sport Development Projects and their discussion are nothing new.
Often these projects follow more than one aim: the support of a developing
region, country or societal group and the political or economical
interest of the donor country. Development aid by German authorities
for example, is called International Development Co-operation, which
follows the principle of balance of interests which also includes
the necessary input and benefit for German Sports. One speaker described
the common situation that models for development tools have been developed
and are being sold to governmental agencies for their development
projects instead of looking at the real needs of a recipient which
means respective organisations try to find a problem for the solution
they are trying to sell.
A more optimistic view was taken by Aneesa Al-Hitmi, president of
the Women's commission of the NOC for Qatar and FIFA representative
of her country, during her keynote speech at the Bad Boll conference.
Looking at the upcoming Asian Games and further national activities
to develop professional sports in Qatar, in her opinion, large sport
events can influence a nation's physical activity. Supporting this
stance, Adolf Ogi, UN Special Adviser on Sport for Development and
Peace, also urged the sceptics among the conference participants not
to hesitate any longer.
The more controversial aspects of sport export were highlighted by
Roland Renson, Leuven, Belgium. He asked for examples in which sport
has been successfully used as a means of nation building. He referred
to examples in which sport could be interpreted as a modern form of
colonisation and recommends that sport development needs scientific
credibility and should only be granted if wished by the recipient.
Joe Maguire, ICSSPE Regional Coordinator Western Europe from Loughborough,
UK, looks at the pros and cons of international sports development:
"On the one hand, and reinforcing the views of the sports-industrial
complex, global sport is viewed as a thoroughly progressive and liberating
phenomenon that opens up the potential for greater human contacts...
In contrast to such sentiments, the present structure of global sport
can also be seen as a symptomatic of a new and consumer dominated
phase of western capitalism."
During the discussion it became quickly obvious that not all participants
had the same understanding of what the main focus of the conference
was. Depending on cultural, biographical and educational background
definitions of sports, physical education and physical activity vary
and therefore it is difficult to reach an agreement to which extent
the different fields can support the development of the others.
"Our plan was promote the International Year of Sport and Physical
Education and I see the conference in Bad Boll together with our partners
of the Evangelische Akademie as an important means to demonstrate
to the broad public and ministries responsible the benefits of a physically
active society.”, Gudrun Doll-Tepper emphasises. The conference
referred to the 1st Magglingen Conference in 2003 and will be one
pillar of the upcoming 2nd conference in December 2005, in the context
of which a 2nd World Summit on Physical Education is planned to update
participants of changes since the 1st Summit in Berlin, 1999.
The conference preparation showed that interest of different societal
groups varies tremendously. The greatest interest was found in the
group of experts who work practically in the development field, followed
by scientists of various sport science sub-disciplines. The German
government supported the conference to a large extent. Little interest
was shown by the media and by the corporate sector, though support
for the conference was given by DaimlerChrysler and Robert Bosch GmbH.
Even organisations who are active opponents in the battle against
globalisation and its deformities, decided not to take part. Also,
the interest seemed to grow after the Tsunami in Southeast Asia which
still received a lot of media attendance in the weeks before the conference.
Talking to one of the present journalists our assumption was confirmed:
Stories need to be good-selling. Discussions and analysis of sport
and development seem largely confined to academics without attracting
attention of a broader public audience on the same scale as mainstream
professional and commercialised sports. But DaimlerChrysler Vice President
Michael Inacker claims that DaimlerChrysler doesn't only support sport
activities that receive great media attendance and that some of the
support happens without public attention.
In her final statement Gudrun Doll-Tepper argues that there is enough
evidence of how work in the development area can be done - despite
the necessity of scientific monitoring and ongoing research work.
She strongly believes the International Year of Sport and Physical
Education should be used as an opportunity to further sport for development,
health, education and peace.
The organisers are currently producing a documentation of the conference
in German and English which will include presentations and summaries
of the different sessions and additional declarations and documentations.

http://www.icsspe.org/portal/bulletin-may2005.htm
Sport for Development and Peace?
International Forum Sports and Development, Bad Boll, 12-14 February
2005
Detlef Dumon, ICSSPE, Germany
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