17 th INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON OLYMPIC STUDIES FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS, 2009 July Professor Andy Miah, PhD University of the West of Scotland, UK Applied Ethics & the Olympic Movement Lecture 5 of 5 HUMAN RIGHTS & THE OLYMPICS

Questions about bodily integrity and freedoms lead naturally into discussions about human rights. This particular articulation of social responsibility is enshrined within the Olympic Charter, but the politicization of rights as a form of global governance limits their ability to flourish as an explicit articulation of Olympism. This lecture explores a range of questions associated with human rights, asking whether the philosophy of Olympism extends to the political project of human rights promotion.

Human Rights as a Founding Concern of the Modern Olympic Movement Human Rights as Contested Ideological Space Human Rights as a Focal Point for Olympic Discourse The Contribution of the Olympics to the Promotion of Human Rights

Human Rights as a Founding Concern of the Modern Olympic Movement

Human Rights as Contested Ideological Space

Human Rights as a Focal Point for Olympic Discourse

The Contribution of the Olympics to the Promotion of Human Rights

Do people have the right to ‘morphological freedom’ (Sandberg 2001)? Yes. Grounded in notion of human dignity and what it means to be human UNESCO Declaration on Human Rigths and the Human Genome Human Rights as an embodied freedom: A link to the previous lecture

Do people have the right to ‘morphological freedom’ (Sandberg 2001)?

Yes. Grounded in notion of human dignity and what it means to be human

UNESCO Declaration on Human Rigths and the Human Genome

Rendtorff (1998) The principle of human dignity signifies that the human beings have a special position that places them over the natural and biological position in nature. As a moral being and because of its status as a human being the notion of ‘dignitas’ is contributed to its intrinsic value and place in the world. From the beginning it emphasized this out-standing position of the human being in the universe.

The principle of human dignity signifies that the human beings have a special position that places them over the natural and biological position in nature. As a moral being and because of its status as a human being the notion of ‘dignitas’ is contributed to its intrinsic value and place in the world. From the beginning it emphasized this out-standing position of the human being in the universe.

Post-War era Development of various international legal instruments designed to assert the rights every person, in order to avoid abuse of humanity

Development of various international legal instruments designed to assert the rights every person, in order to avoid abuse of humanity

Human Rights as a Founding Principle of the Olympic Movement The Olympic Charter 2007

Whose rights? These rights are not just expectations we have of the Olympic Movement, they are also rights owed to the Olympic Movement Principally, to recognize its right to control aspects of its intellectual property.

These rights are not just expectations we have of the Olympic Movement, they are also rights owed to the Olympic Movement

Principally, to recognize its right to control aspects of its intellectual property.

Jacques Rogge “ Like the Olympic Games themselves, the impact of this resolution goes beyond borders. Beyond religion. Beyond cultures and languages. Beyond politics. Through sport and the values it represents, we can all make a winning difference and inspire a peaceful society that preserves and nurtures human dignity.” United Nations General Assembly, 31 October, 2007 ‘Sport for Peace: Winning the Difference’

“ Like the Olympic Games themselves, the impact of this resolution goes beyond borders. Beyond religion. Beyond cultures and languages. Beyond politics. Through sport and the values it represents, we can all make a winning difference and inspire a peaceful society that preserves and nurtures human dignity.”

United Nations General Assembly, 31 October, 2007 ‘Sport for Peace: Winning the Difference’

Human Rights as Contested Ideological Space What are human rights? How are human rights upheld? How does the concept apply differently across the world? When did this concept emerge?

Philosophical Political Social Legal Economic Olympism Olympic Truce? Non-discrimination Court of Arbitration for Sport Olympic Solidarity What sort of concern is a human rights concern?

Philosophical

Political

Social

Legal

Economic

Olympism

Olympic Truce?

Non-discrimination

Court of Arbitration for Sport

Olympic Solidarity

Immanuel Kant Golden Rule Treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself ‘respect for persons’ Core Olympic value Integral to ‘fair play’

Golden Rule

Treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself

‘respect for persons’

Core Olympic value

Integral to ‘fair play’

The establishment of the UN Universal Declaration of human Rights in 1948 occurred one month before the opening of the 1948 London Olympic Games Human Rights as a Focal Point for Olympic Discourse

The establishment of the UN Universal Declaration of human Rights in 1948 occurred one month before the opening of the 1948 London Olympic Games

1968 Mexico Tommie Smith and John Carlos The Contribution of the Olympics to the Promotion of Human Rights

1968 Mexico

Tommie Smith and John Carlos

Alwyn Morris (LA,1984) Part of the “Mohawk nation” living in Canada Raised eagle feather on the medals podium to recognize his heritage He said...

Part of the “Mohawk nation” living in Canada

Raised eagle feather on the medals podium to recognize his heritage

He said...

‘ was I taking something away from them and their Olympic experience? And, as I answered the questions about the fact that I was going to do something, I had to qualify the reasons why I was going to do it. In the end my teammates were in full support. The Federation for Canoeing in Canada was in full support. The International Federation for Canoeing was in support. It was not a shock for anybody and it was well advertised by the media that something was going to happen that was very special.’

‘ was I taking something away from them and their Olympic experience? And, as I answered the questions about the fact that I was going to do something, I had to qualify the reasons why I was going to do it. In the end my teammates were in full support. The Federation for Canoeing in Canada was in full support. The International Federation for Canoeing was in support. It was not a shock for anybody and it was well advertised by the media that something was going to happen that was very special.’

Sydney 2000: ‘The Games’ comedy series The Apology to Indigenous people of Australia The Contribution of the Olympics to the Promotion of Human Rights - informal activism

Sydney 2000:

‘The Games’ comedy series

The Apology to Indigenous people of Australia

Sydney 2000 ‘ for oppressed peoples who are denied many other avenues for positive life experiences, sport has been a critical outlet and source for this soul affirming magic.’ (Godwell 2000) First international conference on Human Rights and Sport, Sydney 1999 (my first major conference presentation, where I spoke about the rights of the genetically different)

‘ for oppressed peoples who are denied many other avenues for positive life experiences, sport has been a critical outlet and source for this soul affirming magic.’ (Godwell 2000)

First international conference on Human Rights and Sport, Sydney 1999

(my first major conference presentation, where I spoke about the rights of the genetically different)

Athens 2004: Protesting the lives lost in the construction of Olympic Venues

Beijing 2008: Are we still too close to judge?

Mia Farrow and Darfur

Media War on Tibet Reporting

Media War on Tibet Reporting: New York TImes

Jacques Rogge in advance of the Beijing 2008 Olympics

Vancouver 2010

Sydney 2000

‘The Right to Appeal to Humanity’ Darren Godwell (2000) First international conference on human rights and sport, Human rights council of australia, sept 1999 See Taylor (2000) Human Rights and Sport. Does the philosophy of Olympism extend to the political project of human rights promotion?

‘The Right to Appeal to Humanity’

Darren Godwell (2000)

First international conference on human rights and sport, Human rights council of australia, sept 1999

See Taylor (2000) Human Rights and Sport.

“Nobody loses when one expresses something personally. Nobody loses. Not a country, not a team, but in fact it provides even a broader recognition of who that person is, the place they came from and why they are competing for their team” Alwyn Morris 2000 .

“Nobody loses when one expresses something personally. Nobody loses. Not a country, not a team, but in fact it provides even a broader recognition of who that person is, the place they came from and why they are competing for their team” Alwyn Morris 2000 .

Is the Olympic Truce a Human Rights Promotion Project?

A Proposal The IOC Commission for Olympic Games Activism

A Proposal

The IOC Commission for Olympic Games Activism

When the Olympics arrives in your country consider the following: If Olympism consists of a valued ideology, then is it reasonable that a nation commits to it for only 5 years of Games time preparation? Which people who are organizing your Games will continue their commitment to the Olympic ideals - as a humanitarian movement - in the years that follow your Games? Our job is to hold these people to account, for longer than they expected!