Rio 2016 Olympic Games and diplomatic legacies (original) (raw)
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Strategies for Improving Brazilian Public Diplomacy with the 2016 Summer Olympics
Brazil has undergone significant transformation in the last decade. From transitioning to a democracy to becoming the world’s sixth-largest economy, Brazil is a regional leader in Latin America and a key player in the emerging bloc of rising nations, the BRICS. To further support its rise, Brazil succeeded in obtaining the rights to host two of the world’s largest sporting events, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. However, doubts about Brazil’s preparedness for these events leave many wondering whether the country is able to become the world leader it seeks to be. Can Brazil lead in the world if it spends billions on soccer stadiums rather than on health care and education? How do the Olympics affect Brazil’s long-term goals in foreign policy? This paper discusses some of the ways in which the Brazilian federal government can construct an effective agenda around the Olympics using public diplomacy principles and tools to help achieve its greater aspirations as a global leader. The Olympics offer an ideal opportunity to initiate such efforts, as hosting major sporting events bring in large amounts of foreign visitors, investments, and exposure that is not easily found in other circumstances. More importantly, it gives the world an opportunity to learn more about Brazilian culture and people, which the government can then use to grow its “soft power,” or influence without force or coercion.
Olympic Diplomacy and the Emerging States: Striving for Influence in the Multipolar World
The world of sports is a reflection of the world of politics. It is becoming increasingly multipolar with the emerging states hosting mega sporting events. Firstly, the article problematizes the concept of multipolarity and, secondly, globalisation by questioning whether the Olympic Games reinforce national identities and promote national interests by using Olympic diplomacy as a soft power tool. In doing so, the article explores the correlation between the changes in international affairs and the hosting of and participation at the Olympic Games by emerging states such as Brazil, China and Russia. The analysis distinguishes globalisation from the role of the nation-state, by highlighting the evident differences between emerging states in terms of hosting the Games, but also takes into consideration geopolitical and geo-economic parameters.
Central to this article is the use of sports mega-events as part of a state’s ‘soft power’ strategy. The article offers two things. First, a critique of the ‘soft power’ concept and a clearer understanding of what it refers to by drawing on the political use of sports mega-events by states; second, the article seeks to understand how and why sports mega-events are attractive to states with different political systems and at different stages of economic development. To this end a case study of an advanced capitalist state (London Olympics, 2012) and a so-called ‘emerging’ state (FIFA World Cup, 2014; Rio Olympics, 2016) will be undertaken in order to shed light on the role of sports events as part of soft power strategies across different categories of states. Key Words: Soft power; sports mega-events; political use of sport; Brazil; UK
Interrogating States’ Soft Power Strategies: A Case Study of Sports Mega-Events in Brazil and the UK
Global Society, 2015
Central to this article is the use of sports mega-events as part of a state's 'soft power' strategy. The article offers two things. First, a critique of the 'soft power' concept and a clearer understanding of what it refers to by drawing on the political use of sports mega-events by states; second, the article seeks to understand how and why sports mega-events are attractive to states with different political systems and at different stages of economic development. To this end a case study of an advanced capitalist state (London Olympics, 2012) and a so-called 'emerging' state (FIFA World Cup, 2014; Rio Olympics, 2016) will be undertaken in order to shed light on the role of sports events as part of soft power strategies across different categories of states.
Of Mechanisms and Myths: Conceptualising States’ “Soft Power” Strategies through Sports Mega-Events
Diplomacy & Statecraft, 2016
Joseph Nye's concept of 'Soft Power' has become an increasingly used term to help explain why states-including so-called 'emerging states'-are paying greater attention towards acquiring various forms of cultural and political attraction. However, within mainstream International Relations, Political Science, and Sport Studies literature, a continuous debate remains as to what actually constitutes soft power, how national leaders go about acquiring it, and how forms of attraction convert into power outcomes in both the short-and long-term. This paper endeavours to overcome these issues by offering an 'Ideal-Type' model which details states' soft power strategies, the mechanisms they use, and the tangible future outcomes they gain. The paper is separated into five sections. First the concept of soft power is introduced and its contribution, application and limitations are critically evaluated. Second, crucial background information on the various national authorities engaged with to arrive at the ideal type is offered, along with a discussion of the research methods used. Third, the paper advances an ideal-type model of a state's soft power strategy, explicitly detailing, in the process, the considerations and rationale behind the design. Fourth, empirical data gathered by the authors around Germany's hosting of the 2006 FIFA World Cup and Qatar's acquisition of the 2022 FIFA World Cup is used as 'test cases' to show the utility of the
Identifying Sports Diplomacy Resources as Soft Power Tools
Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 2019
Although hosting international high-profi le sporting events such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup are attractive soft power tools for governments to achieve public diplomacy goals, not all sports diplomacy eff orts are mega-sporting events. This study explores the use of sports diplomacy by nations and attempts to identify the most applicable sports diplomacy resources available to governments to employ as soft power tools. The data for this research are composed of 30 online surveys completed by international experts in the fi elds of sports and public diplomacy. The responses were qualitatively analyzed using the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM). After running two rounds of fuzzy Delphi, sports diplomacy resources were classifi ed into three categories: "Sports Events," "Sports Human Capitals," and "Sports Products." Further, "sports players"; "women's sports"; "hosting/participating in regional, international, continental, or global events"; "coaches"; and "authentic sports leagues" were identifi ed as the most important sports diplomacy resources.
Of Mechanisms and Myths: Conceptualizing States’ ‘Soft Power’ Strategies through Sports Mega-Events
2016
Joseph Nye’s concept of ‘Soft Power’ has become an increasingly used term to help explain why states – including so-called ‘emerging states’ – are paying greater attention towards acquiring various forms of cultural and political attraction. However, within mainstream International Relations, Political Science, and Sport Studies literature, a continuous debate remains as to what actually constitutes soft power, how national leaders go about acquiring it, and how forms of attraction convert into power outcomes in both the short- and long-term. This paper endeavours to overcome these issues by offering an ‘Ideal-Type’ model which details states’ soft power strategies, the mechanisms they use, and the tangible future outcomes they gain. The paper is separated into five sections. First the concept of soft power is introduced and its contribution, application and limitations are critically evaluated. Second, crucial background information on the various national authorities engaged with to arrive at the ideal type is offered, along with a discussion of the research methods used. Third, the paper advances an ideal-type model of a state’s soft power strategy, explicitly detailing, in the process, the considerations and rationale behind the design. Fourth, empirical data gathered by the authors around Germany’s hosting of the 2006 FIFA World Cup and Qatar’s acquisition of the 2022 FIFA World Cup is used as ‘test cases’ to show the utility of the ideal-type. The paper concludes by reflecting on the contribution this model makes to current literature and how it could be used in future research.
Soft Power, Sports Mega Events and Emerging States: The Lure of the Politics of Attraction
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This article highlights and analyses a hitherto largely neglected dimension to the growing agency of large developing countries in global affairs – their hosting of international sports mega-events. Why are large developing countries hosting sports mega-events and what does this contemporary phenomenon tell us about the significance of, for example, the Olympics and World Cup in global affairs? We explore these questions through brief examination of the cases of the three most active sport mega-event hosting states in recent times; Brazil, China and South Africa. The 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and the up-coming 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil provide interesting examples with which to explore developing country agency in the international system and in particular the discursive basis of that agency. We see the hosting of sports-mega events as the practice of public diplomacy by states to both demonstrate existing soft power capability as well as pursue its further enhancement.
Chinese Soft Power and Public Diplomacy: Football as a Tool to Promote China-Brazil Relations
2019
Since the proclamation of the People's Republic of China (PRC), 70 years ago, sports have been used as a political and diplomatic tool. In October 2014, China issued the policy “Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Sports Industry and Promoting Sports Consumption” (国务院关于加快发展体育产业促进体育消费的若干意见). Since then other public policy documents have been published to leverage the growth of the country's sports industry by promoting the development of strategic sectors to meet a bold goal: by 2025 the sport industry generates $ 813 billion for the economy of the country. One of these public policies is the “China’s medium and long-term football development plan (2016-2050)"- (中国足球中长期发展规划 2016—2050年), thereafter ‘The Plan’. That plan is also relevant for China's diplomatic and trade relations, as explicitly demonstrate the perception of sports as an instrument of public diplomacy and soft power. 45 years ago, the PRC and Brazil established their diplomatic relations. Since ...
Soft power at home and abroad: Sport diplomacy, politics and peace-building
Soft power is the power to persuade whereby one actor in a non-coercive manner convinces another to want the same things he/she wants. Sport can be used as tool of soft power both internationally and domestically. Peace-building and nation-building can be achieved through four mechanisms of sport diplomacy and politics: image-building; building a platform for dialogue; trustbuilding; and reconciliation, integration and anti-racism. These mechanisms are not deterministically controllable and can have unintended consequences. On the one hand, sporting events can be used as a means of building trust between adversaries. On the other, the hostilities between peoples can be mirrored on playing fields. This article examines the intended and unintended consequences of each mechanism. It also examines the role of confounding economic factors. Each article comprising this Special Issue explores a different mechanism of sport politics and public diplomacy.