TAKING THE RIGHT TO PLAY TO ETHIOPIA YV Introduction Why would anyone need the “right” to Play works with high-profile athletes Focus play? After all, if you grew up in like Canadian Olympian Clara Hughes In this News in Canada you were likely able to go to to raise awareness about the importance Review story, the local park, play in the gym at of uniting people through sport and Canadian Olympian Clara Hughes visits school, play outside at recess or on a creating a global community. Athlete Ethiopia to view school sports team. You may even have Ambassadors raise awareness and funds the impact of Right been fortunate enough to get to play in for Right To Play programs and visit To Play programs. an organized sport like gymnastics or the countries where such programs are Although she was soccer. It is also very likely that you being run. Right To Play also trains uncertain what to expect when she have been able to play with games and local and international volunteers as first began her trip, toys with your friends and family. coaches to maintain the programs when she came away But not all children have the same the Athlete Ambassadors return to their from Ethiopia with opportunities. Children born in parts of home countries. a new respect for the world ravaged by war have no And it is not just about fun. Right To its people and for playing fields. Landmines are often Play uses games and sport to educate the power of sport and play. planted in conflict areas and can maim children about HIV/AIDS transmission or kill children who mistakenly play in and about healthy living. Joey Cheek, a these areas. In some fields, abandoned speed skater and Olympic medal winner army vehicles and used ammunition and from the U.S., visited Zambia in April Further Research artillery make it impossible for children 2006 as a Right To Play Athlete Am- For more informa- tion on Right To to do something as simple as kick a ball bassador. He was able to witness what Play, visit the Web around. In the worst cases, conflict school is like for many children of the site at zones can contain mass graves often world. He visited the district of www.righttoplay.com. referred to as killing fields. Children Chawama, where there was no electric- living in such areas engage in little ity in the schoolrooms and as many as sport or play. 70 children in a classroom smaller than YV Sections Furthermore, millions of children the size of his own bedroom. At one marked with this have been displaced from their homes school he visited, over 200 children symbol indicate content suitable for because of war, famine, or drought and were orphans, having lost their parents younger viewers. become refugees. Often having to walk to either HIV/AIDS or wars in other many kilometres to reach a refugee countries. camp, these children and their families On the other hand, because the chil- have very few possessions and suffer dren he visited had participated in Right from extreme poverty and poor health. To Play programs, they could recite all Conditions within the camps are often the ways HIV can be transmitted. This quite dismal and violent, leaving little means that in the future these children opportunity for play. may have a lower chance of contracting The Right To Play organization is the virus themselves. If that turns out to trying to change this by bringing sport be the case, then Right To Play and its and play programs to some of the supporters will truly have something to poorest nations in the world. Right To cheer about. CBC News in Review • January 2007 • Page 32 To Consider 1. With a partner or small group, list 10 different sports that people play in Canada. 2. Where do people play sports in your town or city? 3. Why do you think people play sports? 4. What do you personally believe are the benefits of sport? 5. How do your parents, your school, and your community encourage play and participation in sport? 6. How would your life be different if you were unable to play sports and games? 7. Do you believe children everywhere should have the right to play? Provide three reasons for your answer. CBC News in Review • January 2007 • Page 33 TAKING THE RIGHT TO PLAY TO ETHIOPIA YV Video Review 1. Describe how Clara Hughes felt at the beginning of her trip to Ethiopia. As you view the video, respond to the questions using the lines provided. 2. What are living conditions like for many people in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia? Be specific. Quote “Look After Your- self. Look After One Another.” — slogan from Right To Play Web site 3. How did Clara Hughes come to be involved in Right To Play? 4. Hili Yesus Yetuyeh is the 17-year-old Ethiopian featured in this News in Review video. Describe the following: (a) how he came to be handicapped (b) how he came to be involved with Right To Play (c) the impact Right To Play has had on his life (d) his future plans 5. Ten-year-old polio survivor Muktar Gameda had a profound impact on Clara Hughes. She described Muktar as having “pure courage.” What do you think “pure courage” means, and why did Hughes describe Muktar this way? CBC News in Review • January 2007 • Page 34 6. Describe someone you know who has “pure courage.” 7. Describe how Clara Hughes felt at the end of her trip to Ethiopia. In what way had her feelings changed? CBC News in Review • January 2007 • Page 35 TAKING THE RIGHT TO PLAY TO ETHIOPIA YV Clara Hughes Canada has many talented athletes. But Championship in speed skating in 2003 Further Research Clara Hughes is the only Canadian who and 2004, and a gold medal at the 2006 To learn more has won medals at both the Summer Olympic Games in Turin, Italy. about Canada’s Olympic efforts, and Winter Olympic Games. She is Hughes believes that her involvement consider a visit to only the fourth athlete in Olympic in sports helped save her from becom- the Web site of the history to do so. ing involved in some bad choices as a Canadian Olympic The reason she was able to win teenager. On the Sport for Life Web Committee at medals at both the Summer and Winter site, Hughes explains how watching www.olympic.ca, Olympic Games is because she excels Olympic athletes perform inspired her and for informa- tion about the in two separate sports: cycling and to change the way she was living her Special Olympics, speed skating. She earned two bronze life. visit medals for cycling at the 1996 Summer “When I was young, I became in- www.specialolympics.ca. Games. She earned her first Olympic volved with kids who smoked and got medal for speed skating at the 2002 into a lot of trouble. I was swayed in a Winter Games. At the 2006 Olympic destructive direction, and sport is the Winter Games she won both gold and one thing that pulled me out off this silver medals in speed skating. path. Sport had a profound, life-altering Clara Hughes was born in Winnipeg effect on me, and I would like to share on September 27, 1972. She grew up my journey with young people. Without playing a variety of sports, including the examples of the Olympic athletes I ringette, hockey, volleyball, track and saw as a youngster, my life would be field, soccer, and softball. Her Olympic very different. Becoming an athlete dream began in 1988 when she was 16 gave me awareness, and made me years old. She had been watching the change the way in which I lived, my Olympic Winter Games on television goals and values.” and fell in love with speed skating. She told her family that one day she would Source: Sport for Life (www.sportforlife.ca/teamsfl/ represent Canada in that same sport. clarahughes.asp) – accessed January 24, It very quickly became evident that 2007 her prediction would come true. In 1988 she began speed skating, and in her first Hughes isn’t only an elite athlete. She is year of competition earned a silver also a humanitarian and a philanthro- medal at the National Championships. pist. In 2003 she became an Athlete Two years later, she began cycling, and Ambassador for Right To Play. Her it was this sport that led her to her first strong beliefs in the positive power of Olympic competition. Although she is sport and play and a desire to increase an accomplished cyclist—with over 100 awareness of the organization led her to victories in cycling, including two donate $10 000 to Right To Play when Olympic bronze medals—speed skating she won her gold medal at the 2006 is her first love. Olympic Winter Games. She challenged In 2000 she shifted her focus back to Canadian individuals and organizations speed skating. Since that time she has to donate as well. And they did. By the become one of the top long-distance end of 2006, Canadians had donated skaters in the world, winning the World almost $500 000. CBC News in Review • January 2007 • Page 36 Responding Definition 1. (a) With a partner or in a small group, create a definition for the word A humanitarian is a hero. person who is committed to (b) Decide what accomplishments or qualities a person must have to be improving human considered a hero.