Sport in the Environment of National Minorities

Best Practice Guide SPORT IN THE ENVIRONMENT OF NATIONAL MINORITIES BETWEEN INTEGRATION, ASSIMILATION AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY The aim of the project is to create the collaborati- SportSport in in the the Environment Environmen of National Minorities – Betweent Integration,ve partnerships Assimilation and between Linguistic sports Diversity clubs, which are active in the social environment of dierent of National Minorities national and ethnic minorities. – Between Integration, Networking has its beginning with the several transnational project meetings (meeting of each Assimilation partner organized). and Linguistic Diversity Participants will not only be engaged in the reali- zation of the project people, but also people who work in those sports clubs that are active in the eld of national minorities in other European countries. Each meeting will last 3 Sport days and there are about 12 people in the Environment attend. of National Minorities To strengthen the cooperation, an Internet contact platform will be develop. The target group of this web-side will be all national and ethnic minorities from all Europe. As a summary of the project we plan an international children's sport meeting. During the event many teams from various national minorities can meet, children will play sports and coaches and sta tie networks and share expe- riences. As a product with a guide "Best Practi- ce" is being developed, where all partners present its pattern projects. COORDINATOR: Niemieckie Towarzystwo Oświatowe, Polska Deutsche Bildungsgesellschaft www.dbg.vdg.pl www.os.1919.pl PARTNERS: Vilniaus Sporto Klubas Polonia, Lithuania, Asociatia Pentru Tineret si Sport ERDELY- Iusa- gi es Sport Egyesulet, Romania, 2 University of the Basque Country, Spain, Makkabi Deutschland e.V., Germany. Best Practice Guide COORDINATOR Niemieckie Towarzystwo Oświatowe (German Educational Society), is an association active in the community of Germans living in Poland in the Upper Silesia region. This organization is specializing in educational opportunities, school projects and sport involvement. It implements projects that combines education and physical activity. It also works for multiculturalism and the consistent cooperation of all res- idents of Silesia region. SportAkademie OS1919 Deutsche Bildungsgesellschaft PARTNERS: The project’s partners are 4 organizations active in communities of national and ethnic minorities in various European countries. Vilniaus Sporto Klubas Polonia, Asociatia Pentru Tineret si Sport University of the Basque Makkabi Deutschland Lithuania, – ERDELY – Ifjusagi es Sport Country, Spain, e.V., Germany Egyesulet, Romania PROJECT ERASMUS+ SPORT PROGRAMME 2016 Support to Collaborative Partnerships Project Number: 590421-EPP-1-2017-1-PL-SPO-SSCP Erasmus+ is the EU Programme in the fields of education, training, youth and sport for the period 2014–2020. Education, training, youth and sport can make a major contribution to help tackle socio socio-economic changes, the key challenges that Europe will be facing until the end of the decade and to support the imple- mentation of the European policy agenda for growth , jobs, equity and social inclusion. 3 Sport in the Environment of National Minorities – Between Integration, Assimilation and Linguistic Diversity INTRODUCTION – SPORT IN THE WORLD BETWEEN GLOBALIZATION AND CULTURAL IDENTITY Bartosz Prabucki, specialist in traditional sports and games, author of the blog: www.inspirowanysportem.pl In the current world, where globalization is some- and a mirror of society. Sport is a great tool, helping times a threat for collective identities of many com- various social groups to maintain, protect, express munities, especially ethnic and national minorities, and promote their collective identities, so important they need tools to maintain and express these iden- in the globalised world. tities. They use their cultural heritage, helping them to distinguish one from another. The elements of Ethnic groups and national this heritage are, among others, language, territory, minorities maintaining their identity religion, customs and history. One of the strongest through sport elements of culture, used to this aim, is also sport. Ethnic and national minorities are those especially prone to fight for maintaining their own identity and Sport as an element of collective culture. One of the most interesting examples in this identity context are the Basques and Scots. Sport is nowadays a global phenomenon. Derived from ancient, traditional plays and games, it has been The Basques and their quest for evolving through centuries to gain its current status. self-identity It has many variations and dimensions – it can be The Basques are a very interesting group, living in professional, amateur, recreational, national, region- two political states – France and Spain – but having al, local etc. their own territory called Basque Country. It is a cultural area at which an ethnic group using Basque But sport is not only physical activity. It is not only language (Euskara) live. The Basques need to face a about competition, records, medals or practice at specific situation – they are surrounded by two big- recreational level to maintain good health. As many ger nations – French and Spanish – and separated research have shown, sport is much more – it (and into two states. This particular situation was and still has always been) a significant expression of culture is a difficult, but also interesting, situation of an ethnic group and, at the same time, national minority living in Europe, having its own territory, language, customs and identity, but being deprived of their own state and the possibility to rule over its own area. In this situation, the Basques have developed a really strong sense of collective identity. They use some elements of their unique culture (religion, language, songs, poetry, dance, cuisine etc.) to maintain, promote and express it. One of them is sport. Relations between sport and identity in the Basque Country We can ask – how the Basques use sport to express their own identity? The examples are many – one of the most interesting are Basque traditional sports, played, among others, during their famous feast – A friendly match of pelota a mano (with bare hands) – Aste Nagusia, Bilbao, 2013 (photo: Bartosz Prabucki) Aste Nagusia (Eng. Great Week). 4 Best Practice Guide During Aste Nagusia, there is a friendly tournament, played at a special pelota court, called el fronton. There are also workshops at which instructors present this game and teach people how to play. Every- one can try. Including a pelota tournament in the programme of Aste Nagusia – a feast of Basque identity, considered a treasure of Basque culture, and organising open workshops dedicated to this sport, is an obvious prove, that this sport is for the Basques something more than just an entertainment – it is an important element of their identity and culture. Workshops for everyone – la pelota vasca (Basque Ball), Aste Nagusia, Bilbao, 2013 (photo: Bartosz Prabucki) Other sports, played at Aste Nagusia, are rural sports, called in Basque herri kirolak. This is a group name Aste Nagusia is an annual, big feast (fiesta) which is a for Basque sports associated with their traditional great expression of Basque culture. You can see, for way of living and working. Many of them are derived instance, Mari – Basque goddess – the main figure from past Basque labours, such as timber sports like of their mythology – who comes to Bilbao to start the Aizkolariak, consisting in cutting wooden trunks as fiesta. There are also many elements of Basque cul- fast as possible using axes. These sports are an ex- ture – dance, cuisine, songs and special, improvised pression of traditional Basque traits – force, power poetry (Betrzolaritsa) etc. Very important elements of and strong character and treated as important parts every fiesta are also Basque, traditional sports. of their identity. The most popular of them is called la pelota vasca Second example – Scottish identity (eng. Basque ball). It is a sport similar to squash. The and sport main task is to hit the ball against the wall so as your The Scots are a nation being in a different situation opponent could not hit it. Depending on variety, you to the Basques as thy have their own political terri- use a bare hand or different kinds of racquets (in- tory – Scotland. However, they have been fighting for cluding a very specific one, a curved, basket-shaped centuries to be fully independent from the British. racquet called la chistera). Pelota is one of the most significant elements of Basque identity. The origins of this sport, the specific style of playing it, the differentiation between pelota and other sports, the rivalry between the Basques and the Spaniards in the past and a simple consideration it by the Basques as “our own sport” have made this sport unique. Nowadays, it has both amateur and professional variants. It is played by men and women. There are even special schools of pelota, tournaments and leagues. There were even attempts to include it into the programme of the Olympic Games. Regardless its modern variants and contemporary professionalization, it remains an important element of Basque national identity. Many Basques know pelota and watch matches regularly – especially older men, but also younger ones, women Aizkolariak (cutting the trunks) – Aste Nagusia, Bilbao, 2013 (photo: and children. Bartosz Prabucki) 5 Sport in the Environment of National Minorities –

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