fairplay | Our game for human rights

https://www.fairplay.or.at/en/projects/our-game-for-human-rights#top

Our game for human rights

Human rights, global justice and Katar 2022

The Men's World Cup took place in Qatar from 20.11. to 18.12.2022. Even in the run-up to the event, it cast a long shadow, especially from a human rights perspective. There were and still are serious violations of labor rights in Qatar, as well as women's and children's rights.

fairplay has been addressing the issue of human rights and sustainable development in sport for years - at national, European and
international level. Under the slogan Our game for human rights, we joined forces with an alliance of civil society actors in the 2022-2024 project to advocate for sport that protects and respects human rights. The public and broad-based potential of sport is used to contribute actively and in partnership to the realization of human rights and global justice.

https://www.fairplay.or.at/en/projects/our-game-for-human-rights#top

https://www.fairplay.or.at/en/projects/our-game-for-human-rights#top

Activities

Campaigns and public relations

The project was presented shortly before the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP, April 6) in the form of a press conference on March 30, 2022, which was attended by key stakeholders and funding bodies. Sports clubs throughout Austria took part in the campaign around the IDSDP under the slogan “Our game for human rights”. Campaign materials and policies were used to call for respect for human rights.
In terms of public relations work, training was offered for sports journalists (ORF). There were targeted media collaborations with Der Standard, radio FM4 and the ballesterer magazine, among others.

Based on a template for the implementation of human rights policies drawn up by the working group on sport and human rights, Austrian sports federations have publicly committed to human rights and are committed to ensuring that human rights are taken seriously when international federations make award decisions. In addition, factsheets have been developed to support associations in the implementation of various human rights issues. Sports associations should use these activities to take a positive public stance and show that Austrian sports players and Austrian sport are taking responsibility.
Periodically published background information on the topic highlighted the responsibilities and opportunities for various players to become active, and a focus booklet (dossier) was compiled together with the Austrian League for Human Rights, which was also included in the ballesterer.

Dialogue and education

There was a panel discussion in the Club 2x11 series of events in Vienna's main library, and a speaker's tour through the federal states provided information about the situation of the affected workers on the ground. Under the title Cup of Human Rights, a soccer tournament was organized with the diasporas from those nations that are also represented in Qatar in the course of labour migration.
The fairplay action weeks in October 2022, in which all clubs in the first and second men's Bundesliga and the women's Bundesliga took part, were entitled “Our game for human rights”. As part of the this human world film festival, there was a focus on sport and human rights every year (2022-2024). Together with civil society partners, workshops were offered for young people and young adults (including apprentices) that focused on sport, labor, children's and women's rights and global justice.

Political work and networking

Together with the Permanent Representation to the EU (OV) in Brussels and members of the European Parliament, the activities in Austrian sport - based on the working group on sport and human rights - were presented as good practices, while at the same time looking at how EU stakeholders can have a positive influence on future award decisions. A dialog forum was held at the level of the Austrian parliament in 2024, where the first achievements of Austrian sport were presented and lessons learned from Qatar were discussed. Together with international partners (Centre for Sport and Human Rights, Terre des Hommes International & Germany, Amnesty International, Sport and Rights Alliance), there was networking on current topics and input from project partners at EU and UN level.