Sport and Cultures in Dialogue Brochure (PDF, 1.87 MB)

Project summary

With the project “Sport and Cultures in Dialogue” ISCA (International Sport and Culture Association), CESS (European Confederation sport and Health) and 10 national sport organizations from 10 European countries set out to facilitate a direct and trans-national dialogue between citizens in existing EU member countries and in 3 candidate/potential candidate countries in South East Europe - Macedonia, Albania and Croatia - focusing on the role that sport and sport organizations can play in developing strong civil societies.

The main activities of the project include organization of 3 local Citizens’ Panels in Macedonia, Albania and Croatia and a Sport Citizens’ Forum to be held in Slovenia.

It is the premise of this project that civil society plays a key role in the EU accession process of South East Europe with Croatia and Macedonia as candidate countries and Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo as potential candidate countries. Civil society organizations can help raise awareness about and support the reforms required to comply with the conditions for enlargement. These conditions are related to principles of democracy, rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms as well as market economy and are spelled out in, among others, the Treaty on the European Union and the Copenhagen Criteria. Pushing for reforms in these areas, civil society organizations in candidate countries can assist in bringing their countries closer to EU membership.

ISCA views the grass-root sport sector as a particularly important element in the process of developing civil society and active citizenship in Europe and elsewhere. Sport plays important societal roles and has an enormous potential for bringing together and mobilizing citizens of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Facts

Project period: February 2010 – January 2011

Co-funding Agency: Education, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency  Grant decision for action no. 2009-4615/001-001

Objectives

• To create a platform for citizens in existing EU countries and EU candidate/potential candidate countries - Croatia, Macedonia and Albania - to debate the role of sport in promoting volunteering and developing strong civil societies.
• To strengthen the civic competencies of citizens from EU member countries and EU candidate/potential candidate countries - Croatia, Macedonia and Albania - related to policy dialogue, deliberation and democratic decision-making processes.
• To provide EU policy makers with citizens’ opinions and recommendations on the role of sport and sports organisations in strengthening civil society in South East Europe.
• To build and sustain partnerships and networks between citizens and sports organisations in EU member countries and EU candidate/potential candidate countries - Croatia, Macedonia and Albania.

The European dimension

Sport and Cultures in Dialogue puts European citizens and European civil society at the centre stage and evolves around reinforcing the role that civil society organisations can play in democraticsocieties. In particular, the project has a strong link to the ongoing process of EU enlargement by setting up structures for dialogue and promoting partnerships between citizens and organisations from current EU member countries and organisations in EU candidate and potential candidate countries. In doing so, it provides valuable input to the ongoing process of European integration and to the development of a future European democratic identity based on sharing fundamental values while at the same time also recognizing and taking into account cultural differences.

By bringing together citizens from current EU countries and candidate countries/potential candidate countries to meet, interact and debate an issue that is directly relevant to them, the project also contributes to the creation of a European public sphere for political and cultural debates. 

Methodology and activities

With this project ISCA, CESS and its project partners will organize and facilitate a direct and trans-national dialogue between citizens in existing EU member countries and citizens in candidate/potential candidate countries in South East Europe - Croatia, Macedonia and Albania. The dialogue will focus on the role of sport in developing civil societies and in particular highlight current strengths and weaknesses of sport and its organizations and exchange best practices on sport’s societal roles through three Citizens’ Panels and a Sport Citizens’ Forum.

Both the Citizens’ Panels and the Sport Citizens’ Forum will use a wide array of facilitation formats. The aim of these is to ensure that each participant has an opportunity to express his or her views on the matters discussed.

Sport and Cultures in Dialogue Brochure (PDF, 1.87 MB)

The Citizens’ Panels

The Citizens’ Panels will be organized in Skopje/Macedonia; Zagreb/Croatia and Tirana/ Albania. The purpose of the Citizens’ Panels is to facilitate a dialogue that is citizens-centred (taking a countries and sports organizations as starting points, but engaging citizens in their personal capacity), specific (relating to the host country’s particular situation) and culturally sensitive (acknowledging and working inside the vastly different starting points in terms of civil society concepts and development).

Participants in the Citizens’ Panels will share experiences on the role of sport and sport organisations in developing civil society and formulate input to the Sport Citizens’ Forum. Citizens’ Panels will take place in:

Tirana on 7 – 9 May 2010

Skopje on 28 – 30 May 2010

Zagreb on 1 - 3 October 2010

A Sport Citizens’ Forum

A Sport Citizens’ Forum will be organized in Ljubljana/Slovenia. With input from the Citizens’ Panels the Sport Citizens’ Forum will formulate conclusions and recommendations on the role of sport and sport organizations in promoting volunteering and developing civil society. The conclusions and recommendations of the Sport Citizens’ Forum will be captured in a declaration which will be disseminated to national public authorities and policy makers at EU level. The Sport Citizens’ Panel will take place in:

Ljubljana on 19 – 21 November 2010

Deliverables of the project

• Sport and Cultures in Dialogue leaflet
• 4 preparatory partner meetings

• Sport and Cultures in Dialogue website

• 3 Citizens’ Panels with reports
• A Sport Citizens’ Forum
• A Sport Citizens’ Forum declaration with recommendations on the role of sport and sports organizations in strengthening civil society European for national public authorities and policy makers at EU level
• Sport and Cultures in Dialogue newsletter
• Project evaluation
• Midterm report on implementation of activities
• Final report

Target group

The target group of “Sport and Cultures in Dialogue” include, among others:

• Persons who represent the leadership or management level of the involved civil society organizations
• Citizens who are active in civil society debates and/or in civil society organizations at the grass-root level, such as citizens’ groups, NGO’s, educational institutions, organizations that are active in the field of voluntary work etc.
• Representatives of local authorities and organizations
• Representatives of European public policy research organizations (think-tanks)

Project partners

International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA)
European Confederation sport and Health (CESS)

Danish Gymnastic and Sports Association (DGI)

Union Sportive de l`Enseignement dru Premier degree (USEP)

Italian Sport for All Association (UISP)

Romanian Sport for All Federation (FRSpT)

Bulgarian Young People Federation (BYPF)

Macedonia Sport for All Federation

Citizens’ Association for Recreational Movement (GARD)

Intelektualet e rinj, Shprese (IRSH)

Croatian Medical Association, Croatian Sports Medicine Society

University of Zagreb, Faculty of kinesiology

Sport Union of Slovenia (SUS)

Contact

International Sport and Culture Association
Tietgensgade 65,

DK-1704 Copenhagen,

Tel: + 4533298026 // Fax:+ 4533298028
[email protected]

Contact persons:

ISCA Secretary General: Jacob Schouenborg, [email protected]

ISCA project managers: Saska Benedicic Tomat, [email protected]

Anders Tharsgaard, [email protected] and Hanne Muller, [email protected]