31/1/2008

The launch of European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 was unfortunately without any involvement of the European sport sector

'A missed opportunity' says ISCA President Mogens Kirkeby

The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 was launched in Ljubljana 8 January. At the same time seven 'Flagship Projects', supported by the European Commission were highlighted and promoted. None of the 'Flagship Projects' has a starting point in one of the most popular and widespread civil society sectors - the sport sector.

 

"It is an unfortunate missed opportunity not to support and highlight the sport sectors capacity to assist intercultural dialogue and integration", says Mogens Kirkeby.

"It is the goal to make a grass-root oriented campaign year in 2008. What is more grass-root oriented and widespread than this civil society sector - the sport sector. The sector - especially 'sport for all' - has operational structures locally, nationally an internationally and with more that 70 million Europeans directly involved. In 2000 the Commission stressed the importance of sport as a tool for social integration of young people and estimated the sector as one of the biggest youth movements in Europe. We know from Eurobarometer surveys, that almost three in four European Union citizens view sport as a means of promoting the integration and that sport is perceived as a means to fight against discrimination, according to two thirds of European citizens."

 

"The 'Flagship projects' were an opportunity to promote and inspire the different sectors having potential to make local, national and international interventions during 2008 and beyond. It has important demonstrational value and the Commission should have used this opportunity more pro-active by ensuring major sectors were promoted. At the same time it would have demonstrated positive inter-sectoral cooperation within the European Commission", concludes Mogens Kirkeby.