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The Olympic Movement can advance in relation to Human Rights
The Olympic Movement can advance in relation to Human Rights
Human rights are rights that are considered essential to all human beings, irrespective of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and freedom, freedom from slavery, from torture, freedom of expression, and the right to work and instruction.The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in Paris on December 10, 1948, by the General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations (United Nations, 1948).The Olympic Charter itself considers that “the practice of sport is a human right” (IOC, 2019, p. 11). And more than that, it practically fuses the Olympic Movement with human rights when it declares that “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” (IOC, 2019, p. 11).Thus, it appears that it is always opportune to be attentive to the relationship of everything that is associated with the Olympic Movement and human rights. However, the moment we live in calls for Traditional Peoples, homeless people, ethnic and race minorities, people directly affected by development projects associated with the Games, and people living in the regions where construction sites “land” in the name of the Games may also suffer negative impacts associated with such initiatives.For example, it has been pointed out by researchers in the area that since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers in the United States of America, security policies at the international level have been used as a way to justify actions against local populations as well. This type of subterfuge, unfortunately, could be observed in recent sport mega-events, such as the 2010 world Cup in South Africa, and in Brazil, both in relation to the 2014 World Cup and in relation to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Additionally, evidence gathered by research carried out by academics, as well as by entities linked to the human rights area, has pointed out worrying practices, such as the gentrification of areas associated with the Games, creation of exception laws that benefit local elites in detriment of majority shares of the population, expulsion of less fortunate populations from urban centers to areas of difficult access, denial of information, restriction on the right to free movement, and police brutality.In an article recently published by “Diagoras: International Academic Journal on Olympic Studies”, with the title “Human Rights and the Olympic Movement: estrangements and approximations”, an authorship of Daiana Viacelli Fernandes and mine, we addressed several questions related to the Olympic Games and human rights issues. One of the important observations of this work is that all the editions of the Olympic Games analyzed (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio de Janeiro 2016) presented problems related to human rights. And while it can be argued that the Games themselves may not be directly related to such occurrences, the association of these problems with the Games is something that cannot be controlled. Thus, it remains even more relevant that the Olympic Movement acts so that situations of this nature are prevented.Thus, it seems that it is increasingly perceived as of utmost importance that researchers, volunteers, managers, civilian leaders and other parties involved are vigilant so that the Olympic Movement, and not only the IOC, develops a healthy and prolific relation with human rights issues so that they can become an integral part of the Olympic Movement in particular, and of sport in general. The Olympic Movement can advance in relation to Human Rights, yes, but that depends on everyone involved and not just Olympic leaderships and official documents.
“Thus, it appears that it is always opportune to be attentive to the relationship of everything that is associated with the Olympic Movement and human rights.”