Special Olympics Athletes Take Centre Stage at Refugee Forum
European Union supports forum bringing together global experts on refugees, intellectual disabilities, and those using sport around the world to address the global refugee crisis
AIPS, SIGA and The Olympic Channel make formal commitments to support Special Olympics Europe Eurasia
Special Olympics Athletes launch ‘Inclusion Revolution’ Athlete Manifesto
Special Olympics Europe Eurasia kicked-off the global celebrations for the movement’s 50th anniversary with its On the Margin’s forum, which put the challenges faced by refugees with intellectual disabilities firmly at the top of the agenda, and provided an opportunity for organisations to better understand how sport can contribute to meeting those challenges, and to commit to taking action to do so.
There are currently an estimated 22.5m refugees globally (UNHCR), of which it is estimated that 7.7 million have disabilities, with at least half a million having an intellectual disability (World Health Organisation). This underserved, invisible group of people face some of the most unspeakable forms of discrimination, social isolation, exploitation and abuse. They exist on the margins, in an already marginalised population.
Delegates from across Europe heard from a range of leading voices to include Dutch Sports’ Minister – Bruno Bruins; Ian McFarlane from the United Nations Population Fund; Nick Keller, Founder & President Beyond Sport; Human Rights Watch Disability Rights Division Director – Shantha Rau Barriga, and the European Commission’s Deputy Head of Sport, Marisa Fernandez Esteban.
At the heart of the agenda were the Special Olympics Athletes and Unified Partners, each of whom shared their stories; how they had to flee from their countries of origin, and how, as refugees, the Special Olympics Unified Sports programme (where individuals with and without intellectual disabilities play sports together) was fundamental to successfully building new lives from the most challenging of circumstances.
President & Managing Director, Special Olympics Europe Eurasia, David Evangelista, said:
“Refugees face social isolation, discrimination and abuse – who better to extend the hand of friendship to them than our athletes who, throughout history have consistently been marginalised & who implicitly understand the idea of being left on the sidelines. Our athletes are laying down a marker that integration is possible and can be delivered effectively through the unifying power of sport. Our athletes are the peace-makers, they are the ones leading our inclusion revolution.”
Delegates were challenged – through structured design thinking roundtables – to identify, and commit to, actions that would contribute to supporting refugees with intellectual disabilities through the unique power of sport. Over 100 commitments were made at the Forum, including the formalisation of commitments to the Special Olympics movement from International Sports Press Association (AIPS), Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) and The Olympic Channel.
Crucially, in its 50th year, Special Olympics shared their vision for the future – a vision that sees it change from a being movement for the athletes to one that comes from them. In a fitting close to the day, the athletes shared their own manifesto; The Revolution is Inclusion.