No.48 September 2006 |
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Introduction
In attempting to find information on the issue of
human rights in sport, one is confronted with a plethora of possible options
emanating from the fact that “human rights” per se is such
a broad field of interest. This is further exacerbated by the fact that
ethical and moral matters also find impetus here. The following collection
of web resources is merely the tip of the iceberg when researching this
topic, nonetheless, the resources below should provide a good starting
point. With this said, it is important however, to gain a full understanding
of the concept of “human rights”. This can be done by accessing
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights website at http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/education/training/udhr.htm.
From here, numerous resources can be accessed which refer to basic human
rights and human rights resources. Sport governance sources and sport agencies
This section contains information on selected resources relating to
the governance of sport and its agencies, as well as some of the policies
and Laws on Human Rights in Sport that govern this.
European Sports Charter
www.sportdevelopment.org.uk/European_sports_charter__revised_.pdf This link provides access to a 7-page policy of the Council of Europe, specifically dealing with sport in Europe. As part of the aim of this document, attention is given to the protection and development of the moral and ethical bases of sport and the human dignity and safety of those involved in sport. International Sports Law
http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/International_Sports_Law.htm This is a guide, which can be used by researchers to explore the multifaceted dimensions of international sports law, referring specifically to those international governing bodies of sports. This guide also includes international treaties and key policy documents which include such themes as human rights, discrimination, violence and women and sports, amongst others. Centre for Sport Studies, Malmö University
College
http://www.idrottsforum.org/articles/carlsson/carlsson_fransson/carlsson_fransson051130.html#_ftn14 Investigation into Youth Sports, Official Sports Policy and Children's Rights in Sweden, including some of the moral dilemmas confronting children’s involvement in sport holistically. Athletes for Human Rights, Center for the
Study of Sport in Society, Northeastern University
http://www.sportinsociety.org The mission of Athletes for Human Rights is to research, educate and advocate on human rights in and through sport, focusing on the role of athletes and sport to impact social change locally, nationally and globally. The Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University utilizes the power and appeal of sport; works locally, nationally and globally to identify and address social problems in sport and in society. The Center conducts research, develops programs that offer solutions, and educates and advocates on the emerging issues. Sport Development.org http://www.sportdevelopment.org.uk As mentioned in a previous version of the Bulletin web resources article, sportdevelopment.org.uk is a collection of resources containing numerous documents on sports development in the United Kingdom and Europe. Included in these are documents on policy issues, which affect sport in the UK. A subject list of topics and topical issues, which amongst others, includes education, health, crime, performance, inclusion, protection, disability, minority, gender and youth can also be found at this site by clicking the following link: http://www.sportdevelopment.org.uk/html/catagories.html. Sport Organisations
Some prominent sport governing bodies and sport agencies do actively
address issues of human rights. Two such examples are the Olympic Movement,
at an international level, and the Australian Sport Commission, at a
national level.
The Olympic Movement
http://www.olympic.org The Olympic Movement represents the most influential and important body dealing with and impacting modern day sport. Contained within the Olympic Charter (which is available as a PDF document at http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_122.pdf), the requirement of respect for human dignity and preservation of human right is clearly stated. This Olympic Movement’s website also contained numerous articles and references to the issue of human rights and its role within sport.
International Paralympic Committee
http://www.paralympic.org/release/Main_Sections_Menu/index.html This website also contains an extensive set of links to other sports websites, which concern themselves with disability and other sport related matters. Australian Sports Commission
http://www.ausport.gov.au The Australian Sports Commission contains an extensive list of resources, including services, information, legislation and policies in relation to such human rights issues as anti-doping, harassment and discrimination, child abuse and sports ethics. These can be found at http://www.ausport.gov.au/ethics/contacts.asp. Human Rights Organisations and Sport
The following organisations deal specifically with issues related to human rights and matters of human rights as these relate to sport. Amnesty International
http://www.amnesty.org/ Contains numerous articles related to sport and the role of sport in human rights matters. These can be accessed by means of the search function provided within the portal. Human Rights Council of Australia
http://www.hrca.org.au/Sport_and_human_rights.htm Special investigation into the contribution of sport towards the advancement of human rights. Business and Human Rights Resource Centre
http://www.business-humanrights.org An independent, international, non-profit organisation in partnership with Amnesty International and academic institutions, this organisation aims to address issues of business and human rights, including social corporate responsibility. This is becoming an important part of commercial and globalizing sport and sport business. International Foundation for Human Rights
and Tolerance http://www.humanrightsandtolerance.org Advocating human rights education to both adults and children so as to effectively combat violations of human rights, focussing on the issues of children and religious freedom. This organisation makes extensive use of sport and recreation events to raise awareness of these issues and also to serve as an information sharing instrument. Special interest groups
This section is a small selection of specific advocacy groups that aim
to promote the rights of specific societal groups within sport. These
are ordered according to interest group.
Women's Interest
International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women http://www.iapesgw.org/ International Working Group on Women and Sport
http://www.iwg-gti.org/e/index.htm Youth Youth for Human Rights International http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/ Formed in 2001 as an outreach project of the International Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance (see above) in support of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education 1995-2004. Other International agencies
In this section, attention is given to organisations, which serve the
interest of groups and causes at an international and multinational
level. The most prolific of these is the work carries out by the United
Nations.
United Nations
Several specialised agencies of the UN undertake and support programmes and projects to protect and enhance basic human rights across the globe. The UN has very specific agencies and projects dealing directly with sport as well as other agencies which direct their attention to sport even though their main focus areas lie wider than just sport and recreation. The following agencies serve as an illustration of this. Sport for Development and Peace
http://www.un.org/themes/sport/ International Year of Sport and Physical
Education
http://www.un.org/sport2005/index.html Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights
http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/ United National Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
http://www.unesco.org/human_rights/ World Health Organization (WHO)
http://www.who.int/en/ Council of Europe http://www.coe.int/T/E/Cultural_Co-operation/Sport/ This resource concerns the integrity and the virtues of sport by promoting sport for all as a means of improving the quality of life, facilitating social integration and contributing to social cohesion. The Council of Europe regard the role of sport in society and its contribution to health as important. This specific resource also contains various categories of information related to sport and human rights.
Researched by:
Sálmar Burger Center for Leisure Studies Department of Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Science LC De Villiers Sport Centre, University of Pretoria, 0002 South Africa Tel.: +27 12 420 6050 Fax: +27 12 420 6099 salmar.burger@up.ac.za ![]() http://www.icsspe.org/portal/index.php?w=1&z=5 |