SPORT IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS EXPECTATIONS, POSSIBILITIES AND EFFECTS (original) (raw)

INTERNATIONAL SPORT IN THE STRUGGLE FOR POLITICAL COOPERATION

Political significance of sport is usually bound with international rivalry and conflict. However, sport tends to have a role in fostering international dialogue and cooperation as well. Th e aim of the article is to present the most important examples of this role of international sport. There is a number of examples verifying the hypothesis about consensual role of sport in international politics. Despite political significance, sport is not purely a part of the world of politics. Th is situation grants sport with an advantage in possibility of establishing international cooperation. Some actions that could seem completely impossible concerning political reality, turned out to be possible in sport. Sports contacts can pave the way for a further, political agreements. For instance a number of specific ‘sports diplomacies’ have taken place, that were used by some countries in order to enhance their capabilities of impacting the international political system.

The Relationship Between Sport and Politics in the International Arena of the Modern and Contemporary Period

GYMNASIUM

For a long time in the theory of international relations, the role of sport in promoting and developing relations between different states was neglected, which attracted criticism from specialists such as, for example, Trevor Taylor. The need for studies on the role of sports movement in the development of international relations was pointed out by Peter Beck, who pointed out that the theory of international relations has kept an appreciable distance from sport. In this paper I want to fill this information gap based on a series of unprocessed documents, primary sources, found especially in the Balkan region. Sport overcame the barrier of behaviors and social processes that are based on spending free time, succeeding through the involvement of politics to become a "player" in the arena of international relations.

A Game of States - Sport and International Politics

Eracle - Journal of Sport and Social Sciences, 2023

The aim of this special issue is to address some of the most salient questions currently at the junction between international sport and politics. Co-guest edited with Valentina Fedele and Nicola Sbetti

Between and beyond politics: Sport and foreign policy in a globalizing world

Sport is increasingly and inextricably linked to a multidimensional matrix of cultural, economic, environmental and political spheres in contemporary social life. Within the context of globalization, it is thus no surprise that we are witnessing an ever closer convergence of sport and foreign policy. In order to respond to novel social, political, cultural and economic pressures, states are increasingly turning to sport as a foreign policy instrument; and they cannot ignore the corresponding influence that global sport has on their core interests.

SPORT AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The Role of Sport in Peace-building The contribution sport can make towards peace-building efforts has generally been considered at the grassroots and nation state levels. At the grassroots or community level, sport can be seen to provide a useful way of creating an environment in which people can come together to: work towards the same goal, show respect for others and share space and equipment. All these aspects are crucial to peace-building processes and are exemplified in findings from a Peace Players International programme. A study on the role of sport in fostering social integration among different ethnic groups in South African schools showed that several factors contributed to the use of sport being successful in bringing about exchange and building relationships between different groups, including sport’s non-verbal means of communication; sport as a means to engage in collective experience and establish direct physical contact; and sport’s ability to transcend class divisions.

Sport for Development in International Relations

Politics in Central Europe, 2021

This article introduces the concept of sport for development and peace both as a theoretical notion and a part of the political-economical practice. Together with a brief definition and a historical overview, the main goal is to present the sport and development in the context of international relations, a network of stakeholders, practical implementation within major projects and its progressive inclusion into the development documents and strategies. Specifically, the article highlights the adoption of the concept by two major institutions, the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee as formal umbrella organisations. Furthermore, the role of the sport for development within the UN’s agenda of Sustainable Development Goals is elaborated. Since the topic is a frequent object of academic research and critical analysis, the article concludes with an outline of the commonly mentioned contested topics and critical debates which permeate both academic production and activi...