The President of the ROC spoke about the activities of the ANOC Culture and Education Commission headed by him.
Good morning, Acting President of ANOC, members of the Executive Council, distinguished delegates and guests of the ANOC General Assembly.
In 2022, the International Olympic Movement is undergoing a real test of strength, sustainability and dedication. In this regard, the ANOC Culture and Education Commission has developed more efficiently than ever before. ANOC should continue to impartially promote true Olympic values, Olympic education and culture around the world, reminding that the main mission of sport is to bring people and nations together through peaceful competition.
The main focus of the work of the ANOC Commission on Culture and Education was a close study of the experience of the National Olympic Committees, as well as the development of new formats of events and projects to promote Olympic culture and education, which became the subject of discussion at the online meeting of the Commission on September 21, 2022.
Unfortunately, scholarship programs of ANOC and other organizations have recently faced a number of difficulties. The Commission discussed new formats of educational projects, as well as approaches to organizing relevant events aimed for promotion among our key stakeholders.
One of these projects is the International Forum of Young Olympians, which has been held annually by the Russian Olympic Committee on International Children’s Day since 2018. This year, about 250 young athletes from Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and China, as well as famous athletes and Olympic champions, took part in various educational events dedicated to Olympic values, Fair Play, the purity of sports, the education of athletes, and the harmonious development of mankind.
This project was highly appreciated by the Members of the Commission, in connection with which it seems necessary for us to transfer this experience to other countries, especially to the countries of the African continent.
Another event dedicated to youth and friendship, which took place this summer, was the 7th International Sports Games “Children of Asia”. More than 1,500 young athletes from 13 Asian countries and 8 regions of Russia competed in 19 various sports. The program of these Games included an extensive cultural base, as well as motivating and inspiring meetings with famous Olympians and champions of the Children of Asia Games of previous years. At present, the Children of Asia Games International Committee is already preparing for the next major event – the 2nd Winter Games which will be held in 2023.
In addition, our Commission would like to highlight the importance of disseminating the Olympic Values Education Program (OVEP) to the NOCs, as well as the importance of the cooperation of the National Olympic Committees with the national ministries and departments responsible for education and the National Olympic Academies. The Commission believes that the exchange of best practices of National Olympic Committees will contribute to the development and promotion of Olympic education throughout the world.
We invite the ANOC Executive Council to support our idea to summarize the most successful projects in the field of Olympic education and launch a series of webinars and seminars where NOC representatives could share their own experience, as was previously done by colleagues from the ANOC Media Commission.
Commission members also discussed projects of the National Olympic Committees in the field of Olympic culture. One of the best platforms for spreading knowledge about the Olympic values, as well as for promoting various cultural initiatives, are Olympic museums. In some countries, Olympic museums have been around for a long time, while in other countries National Olympic Committees are only planning to create such institutions. Through the work of Athletes’ Commissions of different NOCs around the world, we can inspire athletes to hand over their medals, equipment and memorabilia to museums to infuse the Spirit of Olympism in ordinary people and talk about how sports can make the world a better place. It would be greatly appreciated if all National Olympic Committees could share their experience in this area and if the Commissioners could review and select the best practices. In this regard, the Commission proposes to create a single network of Olympic museums.
Another issue that was discussed at the meeting of the Commission was the training programs for athletes and scholarship programs, which this year were not as accessible as before, as well as other educational programs for athletes, which have recently faced many problems. At the same time, the education of athletes is still one of the most essential tasks. It seems to us that this topic would be more relevant to discuss with the ANOC Athletes’ Commission, since they know the needs of athletes best of all. In general, cooperation with the Athletes’ Commission in the field of Olympic education is of paramount importance, as athletes serve as role models for the younger generation.
The members of the Commission hope that our contributions and recommendations will be supported in order to enhance cooperation between NOCs and improve Olympic education and culture around the world.
Thank you for your attention!
