Gwangju Mayor Kang Un-tae
GWANGJU – “Let’s make a pledge to uphold human rights in youth sports”.
Gwangju, the host city of the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade, officially proposed to make a pledge to uphold human rights in youth sports. The proposal was made during the 74th AIPS Congress held at COEX in Seoul on March 24th.
At the presentation session, with 200 sports journalists from 126 countries in attendance, Mayor Kang Un-tae said that young athletes in many parts of the world still face violations of their rights to education due to training pressures, and often subject to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and to the risk of doping. He said that there is a pressing need for a joint effort in the sports world to improve the situation for young athletes.
Gwangju, as an example for democratization in Asia – through the May 18 Democratic Uprising -prepared to become a UN-designated city for human rights by modifying its human rights system and developed its human rights index in each area of society.
Planning to become a globally advanced city in human rights in 10 years, Gwangju has recognized human rights-related issues in sports, while preparing for the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade.
Young athletes who will be university students in 4 or 5 years time will participate in the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade, and there is a pressing need for a joint effort in the sports world to improve the situation for them.
Mayor Kang noted that they would finish all the preparations necessary to become UN-designated city for human rights, and interact with world sports, by establishing a systematic research and educational system and put youth on the major agenda by holding a global human rights forum.
He also said that they would run globally advanced research and educational programs to raise awareness with FISU and UNESCO about the anti-doping culture.
Mayor Kang emphasized that human rights in sports is essential for us if we are to consider a better future for both mankind and sports, and asked for the world journalists’ support and cooperation to help make the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade a special sports event in its support of human rights in youth sports, and thus rewrite the history of human rights in world sports.
During the presentation session Gwangju suggested cooperation programs with other host cities as well.
Secretary-General Yoon-suk Kim from the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade Organizing Committee – another speaker along with the mayor – suggested a plan to minimize the difficulties and challenges they could face while preparing for this global sports event by establishing networks with other host cities.
With this network among host cities they can also exchange volunteers with each other when they need experienced, skilled staff. Mutual efforts can help ensure a successful event using TIMS – a system based on Korea’s cutting-edge IT technologies.
Secretary-General Kim said that games management, promotion and marketing-related difficulties for hosting mega sports events could be overcome by cooperation of host cities, and by finding ways together to leave a better legacy for mankind through sports events would help develop the international sports world.
(Source: Gwangju 2015 SU OC)
The Gwangju promo booth
The 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade Organizing Committee participated in the 74th International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Congress, held at COEX, Seoul (Samsung-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul) from March 22 to March 27. The OC promoted the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade among sports journalist from all over the world.
The Organizing Committee also set up a booth inside the COEX exhibition hall during the AIPS Congress in Seoul, in order to familiarize AIPS members with the Eco-friendly, Peaceful, IT-based and Cultural Universiade (EPIC Universiade).
On March 24th, the OC also joined the presentation for IOC, FIFA and FISU, together with Shenzhen (Universiade in 2011) and Kazan (Universiade in 2013), and made a progress report during this session.
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