How can sport organisations like IOC,FIFA & UEFA play an active role to create peaceful world through sport?
Following on my previous article “Sports: an enabler for peace? Can Sports Diplomacy play a role in resolving conflict? – Part 1”
I try to answer the following questions
1.?????How can sports prevent conflict and can then sporting platforms like Olympics, an official match plays a role in resolving conflicts?
2.?????Can a platform/framework be created to discuss, negotiate and communicate to stop conflicts?
3.?????Can the sporting sanctions, pulling off events and sponsorship work?
Everyone asks what is the cost of war? I would add to that question, what is the cost of peace?
Over the last couple of days, the tensions have risen between Russian and Ukraine. Russia chose to escalate the tensions by going out for a full blown war. As Russia invaded Ukraine, sanctions followed. Below are the some of the sanctions from sports organisations
IOC
FIFA & UEFA
FIBA
Euro League Basketball
International Governing bodies of Tennis
ITF
Formula 1
Sanctions consisted of banning Russian and Belarusian Athletes and clubs from competitions. Even though I partly agree with the sanctions but does these sanctions help? As India’s first Prime Minister said, when one is trying to solve the problem, it does not help calling names and condemning. [1]
领英推荐
The IOC in its statement mentioned ‘The Olympic Movement is united in its mission to contribute to peace through sport and to unite the world in peaceful competition beyond all political disputes. The Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games, World Championships and World Cups and many other sports events unite athletes of countries which are in confrontation and sometimes even war.
At the same time, the Olympic Movement is united in its sense of fairness not to punish athletes for the decisions of their government if they are not actively participating in them. We are committed to fair competitions for everybody without any discrimination.’
The current war in Ukraine, however, puts the Olympic Movement in a dilemma. While athletes from Russia and Belarus would be able to continue to participate in sports events, many athletes from Ukraine are prevented from doing so because of the attack on their country.[2]
As mentioned in the second paragraph of the statement, ‘the Olympic Movement is united in its sense of fairness not to punish athletes for the decisions of their government if they are not actively participating in them’. ?Do the Athletes who have nothing to do with decision of Vladimir Putin deserve these sanctions? This is not the first time a country is invading another country, and unfortunately, this is not going to be the last time. This can be a short term solution but we need to create a framework for a long term solution.
For example, In 2009, the UN General Assembly granted the IOC Permanent Observer status. This decision enables the IOC to be directly involved in the UN Agenda and to attend UN General Assembly meetings where it can take the floor, thus providing the possibility to promote sport at a new level.
In April 2014, the UN and the IOC signed an agreement aimed at strengthening collaboration between the two organisations at the highest level. The agreement underlined that the IOC and the UN “share the same values of contributing to a better and peaceful world through sport.”
n 1993, the UN General Assembly approved a Resolution that further solidified IOC-UN cooperation with the decision to revive the Olympic Truce, by adopting a Resolution entitled “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal,” which calls upon Member States, before every edition of the Games, to observe the Olympic Truce and to cooperate with the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee in their efforts to use sport as a tool to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation in areas of conflict during and beyond the period of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.[3]
‘The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.’
Fundamental Principles of Olympism, Olympic Charter.[4]
The International Olympic Committee’s role is apolitical, but it can play a more active role in diplomacy. Organisations like IOC, FIFA, UEFA, etc can be part of the solution with its influence. Amidst the uncertainty, they should they keep the communication lines open and continue to open a private channel of dialogue to make sure there is a long term solution.
I want to end this article with positive story of power of sport. The photo of some members of Indian Women’s cricket team spending time with baby daughter of Pakistan team’s captain Bismah Maroof after their World Cup match today has gone viral.
This photo is not just heart-warming but emphasizes the need of people to people exchange through sport. In 2000, at the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards, Nelson Mandela, declared that: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.”[5] The evidence is there for you all to see. I have always believed in the power of sport and how powerful medium it can become in case of Russia-Ukraine conflict to play crucial role in bring people parties of the conflict to the table to negotiate peace.
References
[2] https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-eb-recommends-no-participation-of-russian-and-belarusian-athletes-and-officials