Sport manifest
"Jubilee of Sport"
Rom, the 28th and 29th October 2000

FOR A SPORT MANIFEST

Sport is one of the most important elements of modern times. It involves many people all over the world and is developing more and more. It can be either directly practised or considered as a show, but it is a great source for everybody, as it can carry out many tasks :

  • as play, which in its nature implies joy and creativity, and urges individuals and the collectivity to make use of one’s spare time;
  • culture, as allows people to know the territory and the environment better ;
  • health, as it improves one’s physical condition ;
  • educational, as it contributes to a balanced personal growth at any age ;
  • social, as it promotes a more united society, fights against intolerance, racism and violence and contributes to integration of social minorities ;
  • ethical and spiritual, for in committing to moral values, it wishes to contribute to the full development of the human person ;
  • religious, for developing the potential of the person, it leads to appreciate life, which for believers is a gift from God.

Sport is a simple way to communicate with people and delivers important messages :

  • it is important to be strongly committed in order to reach one’s goals ;
  • it is necessary to be aware of one’s limits and capabilities ;
  • it is important not to give in at the first hint of trouble ;
  • victory and defeat are part of human life, consequently it is necessary to win without ambition, without humiliating one’s opponent and accepting defeat, being aware of the fact that it is not a tragedy and that we can win simply by doing our best ;
  • we have to follow the rules of the game and respect our opponents without exasperation in any competition.

We think that the function and potential of sport must be protected and strengthened as there are new phenomena endangering the ethics and principles of sport.

Sport cannot become a further clement of separation between rich and poor. Moreover, ever bigger contracts and victory cannot deprive sport of its moral values.

Seeking and training new talents among minors does not mean violating childrens’fundamental rights : the right to play, to be educated and to live a serene life in their families.

The nature of sport cannot be violated by using products or resorting to practises endangering an athlete’s health and changing results in an unfair way.

Sport cannot be available only for rich countries. Rich countries cannot impose their sports models on less developed countries. These countries cannot be used as reservoirs for the exploitation of new talents.

We want sport to :

  • have the human person and the protection of his or her moral and physical integrity as its focal point ;
  • allow people to hold ideals and discover values which will improve the quality of individual and social life ;
  • develop in a way which can highlight the aspect of fair, joyful and friendly encounter, open to co-operation, even in important competitions or professional careers ;
  • respect the needs and physical capabilities of all, as regards age and social condition, without excluding the weak, the poor, the elderly or disabled people ;
  • contribute to supporting the idea of peace, of co-operation between peoples and of development of poor countries.

On behalf of the athletes, managers and experts of the Olympic movement for the Jubilee of Sport of October, 29, 2000, we want to commit ourselves to promote, organize and witness sport in the following manner :

  • especially for children and young people, sport must be a school of democracy, participation and solidarity ;
  • sport must oppose any form of discrimination, intolerance and violence and defeat any example of prejudice and nationalist pride ;
  • sport must refuse any form of exaggeration and exploitation and any practise giving more importance to economic interest and success than to human.