Special Olympics World Summer Games Berlin 2023
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Germany Special Olympics World Summer Games Berlin 2023 Germany What are the Special Olympics? What are the Special Olympics World Summer Games? Special Olympics Deutschland (SOD) is the German organization representing the world’s largest sports Every two years, people of different nations, cultures, movement for people with intellectual and multiple political and religious persuasions meet for the Special disabilities officially recognized by the International Olympics World Games, the world’s largest inclusive Olympic Committee (IOC). The Special Olympics were sports event – it takes place alternately as summer or founded back in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a sister as winter games. The Special Olympics World Summer of President John F. Kennedy, and today support over Games stands out for nine days of exciting and inspiring 5 million athletes in 170 different countries. competitions featuring thousands of athletes. The focus is on sports events where people with intellectual The Special Olympics’ mission is to foster the stronger disabilities compete against one another and on contests inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in all that also include people without disabilities. The wide- walks of life. Today, SOD creates self-determined options ranging offerings, which in addition to sports also cover for more than 40,000 people with intellectual disabilities the fields of culture, education, science and healthcare, – ranging from disability-specific to inclusive offerings. ensure that the Summer Games have an impact far beyond just the field of sport. Special Olympics World Summer Games Berlin 2023 PREFACE We, the Athlete Leader for Special Olympics intellectual disabilities will receive greater recognition. Deutschland, want nothing more strongly than We wish to become a natural part of society. We wish a German World Games! to train quite naturally along with everyone else in sports clubs. We Special Olympics athletes want to We want to welcome people from all over the world live unified lives, in sport and in society. here in Berlin. We want to show the world together with athletes from 170 different countries that we We want to celebrate a major fascinating festival are actively helping shape the Special Olympics and of inclusion with the World Games in Berlin. For this represent our own interests. reason, we invite athletes from all over the world to come to Berlin: Come join with us! We want to show with the spirit of sport how invaluable inclusion can be for everyone, and how Come to Germany! Let’s change the world much fun and joy can be had together. Special with the 2023 World Summer Games! Olympics Unified Sports® shows this everyday anew. But too few people experience this for themselves and know it! We wish that with the Special Olympics Mark Solomeyer World Summer Games 2023 in Germany people with National Athlete Leader and SOD Vice President Special Olympics World Summer Games Berlin 2023 I believe that the Games is an excellent helping others and not just oneself. means of fostering inclusion, comradeship, I would therefore be delighted if we could fairness and respect. For the idea that “the celebrate the Special Olympics World most important thing is taking part” is very Games with you in Germany in 2023. much to the fore here. It fosters greater solidarity, encourages people to care for Frank-Walter Steinmeier one another and engenders the happiness Federal President of the one feels when one has been successful in Federal Republic of Germany Like no other event, the Special Olympics the UN Convention on the Rights of World Games stand for interaction Persons with Disabilities in Germany between people with and without a and around the world. disability and bring people from all over the world together in a unique way. The Federal Republic of Germany would like to Horst Seehofer harness the power of these outstanding Federal Minister of the Interior, Games to promote the implementation of Building and Community The organization has made a vital more deeply in our society. That is why the contribution to creating an inclusive Special Olympics World Summer Games society in which diversity is welcomed and are not just a one-time-only event for us. all of us – with or without disabilities – can We want to spend the time leading up to live a free, self-determined life on an equal the Games, as well as afterwards, doing footing with everyone else. Berlin shares our utmost to realize an inclusive society. this goal with the Special Olympics. lnclusion is an issue that affects all of us, Michael Müller and we want to anchor this awareness Governing Mayor of Berlin In the form of the 2023 Special Olympics strongly open to people with intellectual World Summer Games we are making it disabilities than has been the case to date clear to the whole world: We are showing while at the same time promoting sports what real inclusion in society can be and in the organizations supporting people aspire to change the prevailing mind-set. with intellectual disabilities. Our hope is that by hosting the 2023 World Games we will succeed in Christiane Krajewski persuading local authorities in Germany President of Special Olympics to make sure sports clubs are more Deutschland Special Olympics World Summer Games Berlin 2023 VISION At a time where the world is moving further the walls and barriers in people’s heads. Berlin apart and there are excluding, stigmatizing and and Germany will be the trailblazer for an inclusive discriminating trends again, we wish with the society. We will show that our athletes are the largest humanitarian sports event to make a clear engine driving an open and vibrant society. All our statement to the world for an open society that ideas hinge on them. We will show that a “Unified respects everyone. Generation” is no utopia. We will use Germany’s aura to send out a key signal to the world. 60 years It is time to re-unite the world! Like no other event, after John F. Kennedy famously said “Ich bin ein the Special Olympics World Games offer an occasion Berliner,” in 2023 we will invite the entire world to question and clarify values and self-image. The to also be Berliners and take part in the Unified World Games overcome barriers and no other city can Revolution and, starting from the heart of Europe, symbolize that better than Berlin. Berlin has proved take the idea of inclusion out into the world. We will that it has the power to change the world. Across present SOI as a global player driving the realization the globe, Berlin is a prime example of diversity and of the UN Convention, among other things through an freedom, a place people yearn to be. international government program. Our vision is, with the World Games, to tear down Our vision is, with the World Games, to foster a walls internationally. The walls between nations, change in mindset throughout Germany and thus a change in how people with intellectual disabilities are perceived. We will show that our athletes can shape their own destinies in all fields of life. They will assume an active role in all aspects of the event. The World Games 2023 in Berlin will be the most inclusive Games of all time both on and off the sports fields.It will be the athletes’ Games. They will be at the epicenter of things, as confident athletes, as volunteers, as staff ers, as reporters, as fundraisers, as leaders who speak for themselves. Who bring their joy of life, their commitment, their enthusiasm, their viewpoints to bear to enrich society. This change in mindset in the population as a whole for and with people with intellectual disabilities is very important and will lay the foundations for the enduring implementation of the UN Convention in Germany. We will pay particular attention to involving children and young people with and without disabilities. Special Olympics World Summer Games Berlin 2023 The World Games will be the driver for establishing the very first “Unified Generation” in Germany. The Games are essential to link the topic of inclusion with great experiences and boost a willingness to implement the UN Convention. This applies specifically to the education sector, where the creation of unified schools needs to be promoted. The World Games will be the occasion to launch a nationwide schools campaign. We will position ourselves here as the enduring partner in educational training for inclusive (school) sport. The Games are crucial for us to further strengthen and professionalize the subprograms. They are the decisive step to reach more people with intellectual disabilities and enable greater options and opportunities locally. To date, we are only reaching 10% of the people with intellectual disabilities in Germany. We want to evolve far place in the heart of the city against the impressive more strongly into a grassroots movement in backdrop of Berlin. The competitions downtown which athletes and the partners are actors in and the opportunities for participation will allow their own organization and can act as equals in us to reach people with and without disabilities in sports and society alike. To achieve the sustainable a special way. We will exploit the fact that Berlin is goals it is therefore key that we strengthen the one of the most creative places worldwide. local and state level activities and secure funding for work in the subprograms. To this end we are We will rely on that spirit to depart down new developing national programs and campaign days digitization and marketing paths. We will develop that will remain in place after the World Games. a design for all so that our athletes have access to We aspire through the Volunteer program to involve information – a basic prerequisite for them to people in our organization in the long term and represent their own interests.