FLASH NEWS – 5 / 2010

The European Fair Play Movement (EFPM) was established in 1994 in the FIFA House in Zurich and is a European non-governmental organization. National Fair Play organizations from 40 European countries have joined the EFPM since 1994. The main aim of the EFPM is to promote Fair Play and Tolerance in the broadest sense (in sports and everyday life) at European level. The EFPM seeks to achieve this goal by supporting its members; by helping to promote Fair Play campaigns where sports organizations take the initiative; by co-operating with authorities to foster Fair Play themes and by facilitating regular contacts between the various European sports organizations. The goal of EFPM Flash News is to inform about EFPM activities and to establish closer contact not only with all the EFPM members but also with all European governmental and non-governmental sport institutions and organizations, aiming to support and to contribute to the promotion of Ethics in Sport and to the spreading of the Fair Play values and principles in all sporting activities as well as in daily life. All EFPM members, the above-mentioned organizations and institutions, and associations following the same goals, are invited to communicate information relating to EFPM aims and to these goals (conferences, congresses, special events or initiatives, Fair Play prizes, books…).

All information should be sent to: [email protected]

During the European Olympic Committees Executive Committee meeting held in Malta, it was agreed to grant the European Fair Play Movement the recognition of the European Olympic Committees. The EFPM is grateful and honoured with this distinction, meaning undoubtedly a significant step forward in the creation of a renewed climate of mutual understanding and cooperation enabling a joint and fruitful joint work on the spreading of the fundamental values of Olympism.

The 16th European Fair Play Congress dealing with the topic „Fair Play Education in Schools: A Shared Responsibility“, was successfully organized by the Czech Olympic Committee and its Fair Play Club in at the end of October 2010. Delegates of 25 European Fair Play organizations took part in the event under the patronage of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) and the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE). It was a great pleasure to welcome the representatives from the Suomen Työväen Urheiluliitto (TUL) and Schweizerischer Arbeiter-, Turn- und Sportverband (SATUS) as observers, as they are aiming for their respective affiliation to EFPM. Androulla Vassiliou (Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth), Margaret Talbot (President of ICSSPE), and Patrick Hickey (President of EOC) greeted the European Fair Play family via kind letters. The latter underlined “that sport is the only school subject which seeks to prepare children for a healthy lifestyle and focuses on their overall physical and mental development, as well as imparting important social values such as fairness, self-discipline, solidarity, team spirit and tolerance”. At the same occasion, the 16th General Assembly of the EFPM was held in Prague. Information was provided about the activities of the Executive Committee Members, the financial situation as well as different challenges for the future.

Further details of the 16th EFP Congress and General Assembly will be provided in the next Play Fair! magazine. The EFPM has established two joint-ventures of cooperation, with the International Workers Sports Confederation (CSIT) and the International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA). During the last CSIT’s General Assembly held last September in Agrigento the EFPM President, Carlos Gonçalves, and the CSIT’s President, Harald Bauer, signed a declaration of intent for a joint- venture between both organizations, aiming to establish a closer cooperation and to enable the spreading of the Fair Play values and principles through and in sports. The CSIT is the umbrella organisation of the National Workers Sports Federations. The document was re-signed during the 16th EFPM General Assembly, held in Prague last October 30th.

During the same event, a “Memorandum of Understanding”, aiming at the fulfilment of the same goals, was signed by the EFPM President and by the ISCA’s President, Mogens Kirkeby. The ISCA understands sport/ culture as an essential part of education and a privileged way of educating people to be responsible citizens in the society. One of the ISCA’s main aims is the promotion of the ethical values of sports in its broadest sense. The EFPM is extremely pleased about the cooperation with these two renowned and prestigious non-governmental sports organisations, enabling the accomplishment of its mission near new target groups, namely those involved in the sport for all.

As announced in previous communications, the 17th EFP Congress in 2011 which will take place in Poreč/ Croatia is starting to shape up! Organizers are the Croatian Olympic Committee, the Municipality of Poreč and Sports organizations of Poreč under the patronage of the European Olympic Committees, the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education and supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Croatia and the Sports Journalists Association of Croatia. The topic of the Congress is: “SPORT AS PART OF CULTURE - FAIR PLAY AS PART OF SPORT CULTURE”. We would like you to pay attention to a change of date: The Congress will be held from 27 September to 01 October, 2011.

Under the leadership of Miroslav Cerar the Awards Jury of the EFPM announced the European Fair Play Awards under the auspices of the European Olympic Committees in 2010.

„In Memoriam” European Plaque of Merit and Diploma goes to - Piotr NUROWSKI (1945-2010), former President of the . Piotr Nurowski was always in the fulfillment of different tasks and positions to promote and spread the values and principles of fair sports, not only in Poland but also across Europe. He was an outstanding supporter of the EFPM positions. According to his humanistic understanding sport should always be in the service of Mankind.

European Plaque of Merit and Diploma goes to - the campaign “FAIRNESS IM SPORT”, created by the sports department of the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, aiming to fight against doping, and every kind of cheating, to promote and develop Fair Play principles in sports, education and everyday life. The campaign contains an own manifest. Many popular athletes (f.e. Mirna Jukic, Werner Schlager, Luc van Lierde) were supporting the campaign, as well as several Austrian sports associations and organizers of big national and international events. Everybody signing this manifest was given a transparent wristband, symbolizing fair and clean sport.

European Fair Play Diploma goes to - Romas BERTONAS, President of the Lithuanian Association of Running Amateurs, for his contribution to the implementation of ethical values in sports and the education of youth in the spirit of Fair Play and Tolerance. He has been a long-standing supporter and benefactor of sports clubs for street children, orphan athletes and young athletes in the rural area. He also organized various historic running competitions, such as “Help saving the Baltic Sea”, and has proven exemplary behaviour throughout his career as sports coach.

The house of the European Parliament was the venue for a press conference on Fair Play and clean sports, organized by Iva Zanicchi (Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Development), Salvatore Iacolino (Vice-Chairman of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee), and Ruggero Alcanterini (President of the Italian Fair Play Committee). Special guests included Chantal Borgonovo, President of the "Borgonovo Foundation", the wife of Stefano Borgonovo, the football player who played for AC Milan and Fiorentina and is affected by the neurodegenerative disease (ALS), and Fulvio Collovati former football player, member of the Italian World Cup winning team in 1982. The aim of the press conference was to introduce the Project "Clean Sport", which focuses on fighting against doping and combating the excessive use of drugs in sport. It also calls for promoting an ideal of "clean" sports consisting of redefining a monitoring system on doping substances. Moreover, its goal is to strengthen the cooperation between national sport federations and the International Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and also to introduce restrictions on the sale of illegal doping drugs on the internet.

At this occasion, may I also kindly ask each Fair Play fan to share any news concerning projects, activities and similar pieces of information worth knowing and publishing. This of course includes updates about acts of Fair Play that you might have witnessed as well. We all can learn from other people and organizations which is why it is very important to keep sharing ideas. Finally, in case you have any comments about improving the Flash News don’t hesitate to contact me.

I hope that you will visit the EFPM website and enjoy it: www.fairplayeur.com

See you soon and don’t forget: Fair play - the winning way!