The Olympic Games are the driving force behind all activities of the Olympic Movement. However, the Olympic Movement wants to play a larger role in line with the overarching theme of the upcoming Olympic Congress “The Olympic Movement in Society”. The IOC can act as a catalyst for good in many fields, as illustrated in this video featuring President Rogge. The IOC works hard to ensure its programmes benefit people, particularly in developing and emerging countries. The video highlights some issues addressed by “Olympism in action”, and includes the following examples:
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[li]the importance of education, such as in Kip Keino’s schools in Eldoret, which are supported by the IOC; [/li][li]social support and job opportunities, such as in the OlympAfrica and OlympAsia projects; [/li][li]bringing groups together, such as in Liberia; [/li][li]tree planting as an environmental initiative in China; [/li][li]recognising women’s achievement and promoting them to leadership positions as done in Jordan; [/li][li]helping athletes to look beyond their sports careers. [/li][/ul]
The Olympic Congress that will take place in Copenhagen from 3-5 October 2009 will take a closer look at some of these issues and make recommendations that will strengthen the Olympic Movement’s role in society.