Olympism and Social Justice Institute
(12-2-09) Boston, Mass. - Sport in Society (SIS) is pleased to announce the launch of its Olympism and Social Justice Institute, which marks SIS’s official recognition as one of the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Studies Centres (OSCs). As such, SIS becomes one of ten OSCs worldwide, and the only OSC in the United States. The Olympic Studies Centres collaborate and exchange information in order to encourage research and disseminate knowledge on the Olympic phenomenon. By becoming an IOC Olympic Studies Centre, Sport in Society will further contribute to the documentation and circulation of the ideals of Olympism, with a particular emphasis upon social justice and human rights.
Sport in Society’s values directly reflect the goals of Olympism, a way of life that blends sports with culture and education. The aims of Olympism to “use sport to promote the balanced development of people as an essential step in building a peaceful society that places a high value on human dignity,” draw a natural parallel to Sport in Society’s vision to utilize “the power and appeal of sport to create a just world by eliminating discrimination, hate, and violence, while creating lasting solutions, and promoting healthy development and social responsibility.” Sport in Society will engage the IOC Olympic Studies Center to represent a joint dedication in using sport for development and peace.
Through research, education, and advocacy, Sport in Society has been at the forefront of promoting Olympism to advance human rights and bring about social justice. Partnering with various organizations, SIS has hosted workshops and seminars with the goal of drawing attention to the values of Olympism. In June 2009, Boston’s participation in the International Olympic Committee’s “Olympic Day” consisted of an Olympic Day Walk, which was hosted by Sport in Society. During the, 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Sport in Society also partnered with the Olympism Project and initiated an effort to provide inspirational and motivational messages to Olympic athletes, using posters with quotations and images depicting the Olympic spirit. The aim of the campaign was to ensure that the Olympic values would not be lost when competition began.
Dr. Cesar Torres (SUNY-Brockport), Sport in Society Research Fellow, and the Chair of the advisory group for Sport in Society’s Olympism and Social Justice Institute, says, “The launching of the Olympism and Social Justice Institute is a commendable initiative of Northeastern’s Sport in Society. The Institute represents a commitment to promote the study of the intersection between Olympism and social justice in all its complexity. It also manifests a commitment to support programs seeking to realize the values inherent in this intersection. The Institute’s engagement in Olympism and social justice, both in theory and in practice, provides it with a distinctive character.” Sport in Society’s Olympism and Social Justice Institute is honored to be officially recognized as an Olympic Studies Centre and looks forward to expanding furthering the use of Olympism for positive social change.