To Download a PDF of an Interview with Johann Olav Koss, President

The Right To Play An Interview with Johann Olav Koss, President and Chief Executive Offi cer, Right To Play Johann Olav Koss in Tanzania (above); Right To Play At the end of the 1990s, I tried to get the UN In Thailand, there are some fi ve camps, which programming in action in China (right) agencies and International Olympic Committee also include educational efforts. We started expand- to recognize that we have forgotten this major ing the schools in the south after the tsunami. It EDITORS’ NOTE Johann Koss fi rst became involved factor in building successful societies. They in- has gained a high level of trust from the Thai gov- with Right To Play (then known as Olympic Aid) in sisted that this need is a luxury. ernment, through the School Excellence initiative, 1993 after visiting the African country of Eritrea. I realized I had to improve the concept so which all the centers are building up in Thailand. The four-time Olympic Gold Medalist made interna- people would see the need and start to build to So what you’re providing is much tional headlines when he won three Gold Medals at scale. It required a high-scale program that was broader than just sport? the 1994 Lillehammer Games in the 1,500-, 5,000-, extremely cost effective with a low cost per par- Much broader. Sport and play are tools; and 10,000-metre speed-skating events. Following ticipant and that was very strong both in the de- what we’re achieving is improved education. his 1,500m, he promptly donated the prize money velopment of individuals and their societies. Attendance rates have gone straight through the to Olympic Aid and challenged his fellow citizens to How did you build the critical relation- roof; we see academic performance improving donate 10 Norwegian kroner for each gold medal ships to ensure you would create the im- dramatically; teacher/child relationships are also won by Norway. Outside of his role as President pact you desired? much better; and the environment within the and CEO of Right To Play, Koss has also served as a We started with young college graduates schools is improving. founding board and executive board member of the who interned and started initiating activities We’re building societies through commu- World Anti-Doping Agency, where he initiated the for the children. Soon, every time we brought nity organizations, and diverse groups of people Athlete anti-doping passport. In 1994, he was ap- the Right To Play car or t-shirts to a commu- in the communities are coming together to over- pointed Special Representative for Sports for UNICEF nity, the kids knew what it was and wanted to come differences. We bring people out to talk International. Koss was declared “One of 100 participate. about child protection rights, gender equality, Future Leaders of Tomorrow” by TIME Magazine, The parents then came to see what was and health issues like clean water. The program and “One of 1,000 Global Leaders” by the World happening and, as we grew, we found that we inherently has a convening power. Economic Forum. He completed his undergraduate needed to recruit local people who had a pas- How do you work in these countries to medical training at the University of Queensland, sion for how sport can affect children to train create a sustainable model? and his executive M.B.A. at the Joseph L. Rotman them. We built our internal support within those It requires that we set up programs that are School of Management, University of Toronto. In communities for the people that were there to locally run by local people supported by local June 2005, Koss received a Doctor of Laws Honorary run the programs. money. Degree from Brock University, and in 2009, he re- There are still coaches in refugee camps First, people need to feel this is important ceived a second Doctor of Laws Honorary Degree in certain countries that have been with our or- for the children. I still have diffi culty fi nding a from the University of Calgary, and an Honorary ganization since we started in 2001. They are child who doesn’t want to play – they just don’t Doctorate from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, in volunteers who work every week providing ac- know they have the right to do it. So you need Belgium in 2011. In January 2006, the World tivities for 30 to 150 kids. to create that tipping point. Economic Forum named Johann a Young Global How has the program expanded Then you need to infl uence government Leader. Most recently, he received Ernst & Young’s internationally? policy because once you reach that tipping Entrepreneur Of The Year Special Citation award The Middle East is a critical area for us. point, you can create legislation. So the policy is for social entrepreneurship. We started there around 2003 when we part- formed in the government and it then requires nered with the United Nations Relief and Works funding. For some of these countries, it will take ORGANIZATION BRIEF The mission for Right Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East a long time before there are suffi cient fi nancial To Play (righttoplay.com) is to use sport and (UNRWA) to offer our program to Palestinian resources to support what is needed. play to educate and empower children and refugees. We expanded from there into the lo- If we create the tipping point, manage to youth to overcome the effects of poverty, confl ict, cal communities where we did our camps. We build the right legislation, and the government and disease in disadvantaged communities. operated throughout the fi ghting there during starts channeling funding towards these pro- the 2006 war with Israel and then with Lebanon. grams through the local people who are trained How did Right To Play come about? We have grown in Pakistan. When ev- and educated, we will create a sustainable model. The key was my personal experience trav- erybody was pulling out, we went in to help What will it take to be able to ex- eling around the world, particularly in war-torn Afghani refugees who were there because of pand your reach? regions and areas of poverty. I took for granted the Afghani war. We are so small – and there are young access to play in a sport program when I grew We also expanded into Pakistani communi- kids running around camps right now, throw- up – we had a safe place to go. ties. Today, we have more than 165,000 kids in ing stones at each other and creating gangs, and If you want to rebuild civil society and Pakistan in our program and over 50 percent of forming rebel groups. create safe places for people to harness their them are girls. The programs are all run by our To stop that, you need to get them playing talent and learn to believe in themselves and Pakistani staff who have been trained and are sports on the playground. It’s pretty simple, but give back to their communities, they need that extremely well-educated, both in the schools you have to be there – and you need money space. and outside. to do it.• 64 LEADERS POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. VOLUME 37, NUMBER 2.

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