Conference Says Sport Can Contribute to Intercultural Dialogue
Participants of a two-day conference "Sport for All as a Means for Intercultural Dialogue" called in Ljubljana on Friday for the promotion of dialogue and partnership among the civil society, national governments and EU institutions in the field of recreational sport, which in practice could strengthen intercultural dialogue.
At the conference, organised by the Sport Union of Slovenia as part of the Slovenian EU presidency, the participants also adopted the so-called Ljubljana recommendations for EU institutions, national and local governments.
The conference called for a greater role of the civil society and sport organisations in policies and programmes promoting tolerance and intercultural dialogue, and better cooperation among sport organisations, civil society and government authorities in the field of sport for all.
State Secretary at the Education and Sport Ministry Simon Starcek said that the field of sport for all was not represented in the public as much as achievements of professional sport, and that a step forward should also be made in this area, primarily in the integration and cooperation of all key players.
Recreational sport both in Europe and the world connects the biggest part of active population of different generations. It is also the widest civil society network, as it associates over 700,000 associations and clubs and is by far the most organised social movement in the EU, Starcek said.
According to him, the conference also highlighted the issues of human resources, lifelong learning, employment and professional qualifications in the field of sport for all, organisation of sport activities, and sport infrastructure.
Secretary General of the International Sport and Culture Association, Mogens Kirkeby, said that the conference attempted to integrate discussions on the role of sport in intercultural dialogue and on the white paper on sport, which was adopted by the European Commission last July.
According to Toni Llop, the president of the European Confederation for Sport and Health, intercultural dialogue is a global dimension in the lives of people, and sport organisations can bring this dimension to the local level.
Sport organisations are aware of the importance of the promotion of physical activity in local communities, as this contributes to better integration of minority groups, Llop believes.
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