Department of Sport Science, Tourism & Leisure

Olympic and Paralympic Olympic and Paralympic Values Values

Dr Dikaia ChatziefstathiouDr Dikaia ChatziefstathiouSenior LecturerSenior Lecturer

dc130@canterbury.ac.ukdc130@canterbury.ac.uk

Aims of this presentation:

to examine the nature of the ideology of Olympism in the modern Olympic movement

to identify the Olympic and Paralympic values

To explore the ways that those values can be used as “hooks” for community engagement in London 2012

Modern Olympic Movement

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was founded in 1894 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in Paris

The ideology of Olympism has been since then the ideological platform against which the Olympic Games take place and materialise.

Coubertin and Olympism

“[Olympism is] a school of nobility and of moral purity as well as of endurance and physical energy – but only if…honesty and sportsman-like unselfishness are as highly developed as the strength of muscles”

(Coubertin, 1931: p. 208)

Olympism

“Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.”

(Olympic Charter, 2007; Fundamental Principle 1: p. 9)

Olympism (cont.)

“The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.

(Olympic Charter 2007, Fundamental Principle 2; p. 9)

W.P. Brookes to Coubertin:

“The establishment of an International Olympic Association has long been a cherished idea of mine, so far as making Greece the centre; but the plan of your congress, embracing as it does, all nations, with festivals taking place in or near the capitals of all nations joining the movement, is a really superb one”.

May 23rd, 1894

British Olympic Heritage ‘The ‘Cotswold Olimpicks’ of Robert Dover, 1612 Cambridge University ‘Olympic Games’, 1620 ‘Olympic Games on the banks of the Thames’, 1727 ‘Saxon Olympic Games’, 1738 Olympic Weeks, Baron de Berenger, 1832 Olympic Festival, Leicester, 1839 Shropshire Olympian Games, 1859, 1860, 1862, 1890 Liverpool Olympics Festival, 1862 Olympic Festival, Manchester, 1864 National Olympian Games, 1866 (Crystal Palace), 1867

(Birmingham), 1868 (Wellington), 1874 (Much Wenlock), 1877 (Shrewsbury), 1883 (Hadley)

YMCA Olympic Festival, Liverpool, 1894

Anglomania

What lasting undertaking can be founded on the basis of fashion?[...]The only way to ensure any relative long-term survival of the athletic renaissance then still in its infancy was to superimpose the immense prestige of antiquity on the passing fad of Anglomania, thereby undercutting, to some extent, any opposition from the students of classicism, and to impose on the world a system whose fame spread beyond all national borders. (Coubertin 1929: lines 131 - 144)

The Olympic Ideals

Different layers: personal/ individual collective culture-specific

philosophy of life balance/ harmony strength/ perseverance competitiveness participation teamwork excellence body and mind (mens sana in corpore sano) friendship, excellence, respect youth/ independent active citizens

peaceuniversalism internationalism understanding‘brotherhood’ and ‘fraternity’cosmopolitanismenvironmentalism sustainability social responsibility

multiculturalism/ interculturalism pluralism/ diversity

Britain: From Past to Present

London as a global capital From imperialistic and colonial power to a

pluralist, diverse and multicultural society Differing worldviews and epistemologies Forum of cultural exchange Consensus around the values of Olympism

Theme 17 – Olympism and Culture

The Olympic and Paralympic Values

Friendship Excellence Respect Determination Courage Equality Inspiration

Three main streams of thought:

What do we mean by the term “community engagement”?

How can the Olympic and Paralympic values be used to leverage community engagement, well-being and pride in relation to London 2012?

Communities

Engagement

Community engagement

'Community engagement' is therefore a

planned process with the specific purpose of

working with identified groups of people,

whether they are connected by geographic

location, special interest, or affiliation or identify

to address issues affecting their well-being

Cavaye 2001

“The so-called ‘magic dust’ associated with the Games is a once in a life time opportunity for councils to use the inspiration of 2012 to help achieve existing priorities and make a difference locally”

Local Government Association (LGA)

“it is not necessarily about doing lots of new things; it is about achieving existing targets and priorities and using the Games…as the magic dust to try and actually accelerate the delivery of some of those existing priorities”

London Organising Committee (LOCOG)

Olympic ideals and community well-being

Olympic ideals as a source of inspiration for: better health/ lifestyle cooperation/ teamwork regeneration can-do mindset/ achievement

Of course there are constraints and challenges

(demonstration and festival effects, SPEAR)

HEROES

BEST OF US - ALL TOGETHER NOW

Department of Sport Science, Tourism & Leisure

Olympic and Paralympic Olympic and Paralympic ValuesValues

Dr Dikaia ChatziefstathiouDr Dikaia ChatziefstathiouSenior LecturerSenior Lecturer

dc130@canterbury.ac.ukdc130@canterbury.ac.uk