INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY 7th JOINT - IOA

The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to
building a peaceful and better world by educating youth
through sport practised without discrimination of any kind and
in the Olympic spirit, requires mutual understanding with a
spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play (p7).
If we add to this Baron Pierre de Coubertin’s famous dicta ‘all
sports for all people’ (quoted in During and Brisson, 1994, p187) and
‘All games, all nations’ (Coubertin, 1934, p.127) we seem to have a
recipe for the core values of Olympism: fair play, education and
multiculturalism. Universalism seems to be more ‘universal’ than
‘multiculturalism’ as it includes, not just all cultures, but also all
nations, races, genders, social classes, religions and ideologies.
Keeping in mind that universalism is an ideal and therefore can
always be improved, there are still ways that the Olympic Games
could change to become more «Olympic».
We recommend the following suggestions to make all areas of
sport more ethical. Most are related to the most important stakeholder
and leadership organisation of the Olympic Movement – the IOC.
First, to create an independent IOC Ethical Commission that the
current IOC Ethics Commission could report to. Currently there are no
ethical experts in Ethics Commission which is also a significant
omission so, related to this first recommendation, in this Commission
and in the IOC more generally there should exist rigorous minimum
standards and qualifications for IOC members if they are to be reelected/chosen
for positions.
Second, to use public pressure, the media, and the pressure of
other IOC members to force the IOC to become more transparent and
a more internally ethical and democratic organization.
Third, to introduce and require that membership to the IOC be
through a democratic vote, perhaps by linking IOC member voting to
the NOCs by using each particular NOC´s sport committee members
as the local ´constituency´.
Fourth, to possibly exclude some western sports, e.g. football
(because of the lower importance in comparison to the World Cup
most elite players do not attend the OG), boxing (because it may be
considered immoral and aggressive) and equestrian (because it is
elitist).
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