The International Olympic Committee Wants Your Perspective

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) wants to hear from you. From now through December 31, 2008, the IOC has an open invitation for people to share their thoughts and ideas about the Olympic Movement. This sounding board is called the Virtual Olympic Congress.

The Virtual Olympic Congress is an online portal where the general public and members of the Olympic Family can express their perspectives about the role of sport in society. Ultimately, these contributions will help the IOC prepare for the 13th Olympic Congress being held in Copenhagen, Denmark, October 3 to 5, 2009. It is the IOC’s first wide-ranging public consultation before an Olympic Congress.

2009 Olympic Congress

The Olympic Congress comprises parties in the Olympic Movement, namely the IOC, National Olympic Committees, International Sports Federations, Olympic Games Organizing Committees, athletes and their support staff, referees, judges, technical officials and the media. Congresses have regularly addressed specific themes, such as physical education, unity and sport and Olympic regulations.

The 2009 Congress will reflect on the theme The Olympic Movement in Society, to analyze the Olympic Movement’s strengths and weaknesses, and evaluate the opportunities and challenges it faces. This theme was chosen to reflect the connections between the Olympic Movement and society at large.

"The 2009 Olympic Congress wants to directly impact grassroot sports as much as elite [sports], as they are directly linked to one another," said IOC President Jacques Rogge. “Elite athletes are the models for future generations and contribute to the promotion of their sports at all levels of competition. In Copenhagen, we certainly want to find out how we can strengthen these links so that sport can fully accomplish its mission in a modern society." 

Open forum

Submissions are being accepted on five themes: Olympic Athletes; Olympic Games; The Structure of the Olympic Movement; Olympism and Youth; and The Digital Revolution. Within these themes, the IOC is soliciting opinions on an array of subjects ranging from whether athletes should have the opportunity to prepare for life after elite competition to what role should sport play in the education system.

Every contributor can write two submissions of up to 1,000 words apiece, with each covering a separate theme. Submissions may be sent electronically.

“It is indeed a unique opportunity for the Movement to come together to discuss the issues that concern us and to evaluate the main changes in the society in which we live,” said President Jacques Rogge. “[Public contributors] are an essential constituent for the success of our Movement.”

In 2009, an editorial committee will review all submissions and select which to publish in the Congress proceedings and in the final document that will be presented to the 2009 Congress Commission. Select contributions will also be made available on the IOC website in 2009.

Share your voice. To learn more, visit 2009congress.olympic.org.

 

Olympic Congress topics

1894: Paris – Re-establishment of the Olympic Games (IOC is founded)

1897: Le Havre – Sports hygiene and pedagogy

1905: Brussels – Sport and physical education

1906: Paris – Art, literature and sport

1913: Lausanne – Sports psychology and physiology

1914: Paris – Olympic regulations

1921: Lausanne – Olympic regulations

1925: Prague – Sports pedagogy – Olympic regulations

1930: Berlin – Olympic regulations

1973: Varna – Sport for a world of peace – The Olympic Movement and its future

1981: Baden-Baden – United by and for sport

1994: Paris – Centennial Olympic Congress, Congress of Unity

2009: Copenhagen – The Olympic Movement in society