Universal Human Rights Education and Sports

Universal Human Rights Education and Sports: A Crucial Connection for Social Justice within and

through Sports

Konstantinos (Kostas) Koutsioumpas School for Global Inclusion and Social Development University of Massachusetts Boston

Overview1. Human Rights Education in International Law2. Implementation of Human Rights Education

through Sports Programs 3. Implementation of HRE through Sports

programs4. Human Rights, Sports, and International

Development5. Conclusion/Discussion

Human Rights Education in International Law and in Intergovernmental Organizations

• UN Charter, 1945 promotes:a) “solutions of International social, health….and

international cultural and educational cooperation”b) “Universal respect for, and observance of, human

rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion” (art. 55)

*Member States to “take joint and separate action in co-operation with the Organization”

UDHR 1947Education as both duty and right

• “every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms.”

• “everyone has the right to education” (e.g. form of physical education)

• “shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms” (Art. 26)

The Human Right to Human Rights Education (Baxi, 1997)

The Right To Everyone To Education

ICESCR, 1966 art. 13 (164 State Parties)“education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and the sense of its dignity, and shall strengthen the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms”

Human Rights Education And The Right To Sport/Physical Education

CEDAW, 1979 (189 State Parties)Art. 10

“in the field of education, and in particular to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women: a) the same opportunities to participate actively in sports and physical education, and b) access to specific educational information to help to ensure the health and well-being of families.”

Art. 13Art. 13 requires State members to eliminate the discrimination against women “in other areas of economic and social life in order to ensure, on a basis of equality of men and women, the same rights in particular: the right to participate in recreational activities, sports and all aspects of cultural life.”


CRC, 1989 (196 State parties)Art. 29

education of the child should be directed to (a) “the development of the child’s personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential” and (b) “to the development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and of the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations”

Art. 31“respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities of cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity”


CRPD 2006 (162 State Parties)

Art. 24an inclusive system of education at all levels and lifelong learning shall be directed to “the full development of human potential and sense of dignity and self-worth, and the strengthening of respect for human rights , fundamental freedoms and human diversity”

Art. 30the States parties to take necessary measures “to encourage and promote the participation, to the fullest extent possible, of persons with disabilities in mainstream sporting activities at all levels….. including those activities in the school system”

UN Declaration of Human Rights Education and Training, 2011

(UNGA, 2012, preamble)

“ States are duty-bound, as stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other human rights instruments, to ensure that education is aimed at strengthening

respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms”

Challenges:UN Human Rights Mechanisms – not significant contribution

(MacNaughton, 2016)

Implementation of Human Rights Education through Sports Programs

• UNESCO 1974 - Recommendation Concerning Education for International Understanding, Cooperation and Peace and Education Relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom on Human Rights Education -– Focus to reach a wider national audience in general and the younger generation in particular , “which can be attracted to the ideals of Unesco through the Associated Schools system, the Unesco Clubs and sporting activities”

• 1978 – International Charter of Physical Education and Sport – human rights education?

• 1993- UNESCO’s International Congress on Education for Human Rights and Democracy World Plan of Action on Education for Human Rights and Democracy, guidelines and objectives on different levels of action:1. School System (i.e. Physical Education)2. Non-formal setting (e.g. “through leisure and sport”)3. Research, information and documentation (e.g. “games” as a human rights media “for

teaching non-literate and children”)

Implementation of Human Rights Education through Sports Programs

• 1995-2004 UN Decade for Human Rights

• 2005 – UNGA established the World Programme for Human Rights Education1. Phase 1 – 2005-2009 (2010 evaluation – examples of physical education and sport

clubs as means of human rights education)2. Phase 2 – 2010-20143. Phase 3- 2015-2019

• 2011 – HRC resolution recognizes “that sport and major sporting events can be used to promote awareness, understanding and the application of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”

• 2014 – HRC 1st progress report (22 States, 5 national HRI, & 8 NGOs)– Main challenge: raising awareness of all sports actors with the aim to become a vector of

promoting the Olympic Ideals/sport values- – only way to achieve a culture of peace “where people can endorse the Olympic ideals

and make their way of life” is through education …but not human rights education?

International Charter of Physical Education, Physical Activity, and sport (Revised in 2015)

Art. 11.1“Sport for development and peace initiatives should aim at eradicating poverty, as well as strengthening democracy, human rights, security, a culture of peace and non-violence, dialogue and conflict resolution, tolerance and non-discrimination, social inclusion, gender equality, the rule of law, sustainability, environmental awareness, health, education and the role of civil society”

*Single reference vs

multi-faceted and largely unmanageable objective

Human Rights, Sports and International Development

• 2000 UN Millennium Declaration: urged members “to observe the Olympic Truce, individually and collectively, now and in the future, and to support the International Olympic Committee in its efforts to promote peace and the Olympic Ideal”

• 2001- UN Office of Sport for Development and Peace• 2002 – UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace• 2003 – 1st Report on the potential contribution towards achieving the MDGs:

1. Sport and Health 2. Sport and Education3. Sport and Sustainable Development ✕ human rights education ?4. Sport and Peace 5. Sport and Communication 6. Sport and partnerships 7. Sport and HIV/AIDS

• 2004 UNGA resolution – “Include sport and physical education as a tool to contribute towards achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration and the broader aims of development and peace;” (UNGA, 2004, ¶ 4(b)

• 2004 - Sport for Development and Peace International Working Group

Human Rights, Sports and International Development

• 2008 – IWG SDP Final Report with recommendations to governments: health, children and youth, women and girls, persons with disabilities, and peace. Great attention on identifying/acknowledging the RtS and PE

in HR instrumentsX no integration of human rights education in sports programs addressing issues beyond sports-related

2009 – IOC joins the UNOSDP (3 International forums on SDP)2013 – 3rd forum’s session “on how to position sport as catalyst for achieving the MDGs”

Contribution of Sport to the MDGs (UNOSDP, 2016)

But…..insufficient evidence of its contribution towards Development Lack of realistic and contextually relevant outcomes Dependence of aid agencies with excessively ambitious non-sporting agendasReproduction of established social relations (Coalter, 2010; 2008; Levermore, 2008; Hartmann & Kwauk, 2011)

Potential Contribution of Sport to SDG and post-2015 International Development Agenda

Civil Society’s call for integrating Human Rights into the post-2015 International Development Agenda (Pillay, 2013)2015 – UN Sustainable Development GoalsDeclaration of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development – sport’s role for social progress in all goals2015- Position of the IOC, on behalf of the Olympic and Sport Movement “the Contribution of sport to the SDG and the Post Development AgendaGoals: 3, 4 5, 11, 16, 17Human Rights Education?

Where do we go from here?

Human rights education: Global movement (Tibbits, 2008) Strategy for applying human rights to development policy and practice/ Transformative

Pedagogy (Marks 2008) Strategy for Development (Dias, 1997)

Integrating Human Rights Education into Sport and PE: (WHY?) Legal and ethical obligation to provide free and compulsory education that to

promote the realization of human rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Contributing to more fundamental change and transformation Building capacity of both rights holder and duty bearers Unite distinct communities –human rights education, sports/PE, human rights law

and human development Addressing the gap of inequalities/inequities both in developed and developing

countries

QuestionsDeclaration of Human Rights in Sports?

THANK YOU!