INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

prepare their own Agenda 21 based on the model adopted by UNCED,
the Olympic Movement decided to prepare its own version of Agenda
21.
“In general terms, this document says that all the actions
undertaken by the Olympic Movement must take place with due
respect for the environment and in the spirit of sustainable
development, encourage environmental education and allow
specific activities to help preserve the environment”. (IOC,
1999)
Most studies in sports events and environmental concerns are
related to the impact that these events bring to the environment, and
usually these articles tend to focus upon their negative impacts. Hariis
& Huyskens (2002) discuses the effects of public events on the
environment and uses the Olympics as a concrete example of a well
succeed attempt in this direction.
The challenge now is on how should the ideals, the education
through sport and the one hundred years cultural background of the
Olympic Movement, give support to the environmental desirable
changes?
Promoting environmental education can be seen as a responsibility
of governments and educational institutions. But actually it is
everyone’s responsibility. Each person’s action interferes with the
environment and therefore it is everyone’s concern. Raising awareness
of this responsibility could be one of the elementary goals of
environmental education.
2004 is the European Year of Education through Sport, which
shows that sport has been recognised as a tool for educational
changes. So why not link environmental education to the Olympic
Educational legacy?
The social responsibility touches some Olympic values such as
respect for persons or fairness, but it cannot be fully expressed by
them. One of the major criticisms on the Olympic values is about their
lack in multiculturalism. Isn’t social responsibility a multicultural
value? And isn’t environmental sustainable development a
multicultural responsibility? Then why is social responsibility not yet
one of the Olympic values?
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