Prevention of Unsporting Behaviors

Sport Journalist Yannis Theodorakopoulos, IFOSE Vice President Dimitris Papanagiotou, IFOSE President Antonios Tzikas, IFOSE Secretary General Dr. Ioanna Mastora and Dr. Elizabeth Khawajkie, UNESCO Paris, Director of the Educational Department

1^st international preliminary meeting

“a new generation changes the world”

athens november 11-13, 2006

The participants of the meeting unanimously agreed on the following:

• Apart from the multilateral education and refinement, another main aim in a child’s ultimate education should be his Social and Ethical development. Therefore, along with his academic achievements, we should concentrate on the refinement of his mind with activities other than the ones included in a school syllabus. 
•  The Social education and refinement should be an inseparable part of the ultimate educational program. Therefore, efforts should be focused on introducing and applying Social Education in schools all over the world, which will contribute in the formation of a new society.
• According to scientific research, the most appropriate age for all kinds of intervention is the Pre School age. Therefore, educational intervention, should take place during this age as well.
• Teachers, scholars, and trainers ought to realize the immense value of communicating with a child’s emotions. Olympic Education as a means of culture is proved a very powerful tool in their hands, since it contains a variety of social and ethical messages.
•  Parents too, should be well prepared and willing to provide stimulating environment and communicate with their children. Furthermore, the cooperation and the good relationship between parents and teachers are very important. Therefore, everyone involved should be given clear guidelines through lectures, leaflets and meetings.
• Promotion of Social Education requires thorough scientific study and research. IFOSE has stressed the necessity and has already proceeded in the establishment of the European Research Center, which will specialize in the above issues as well as the promotion of Olympism and the prevention of unsporting behavior. Furthermore, it will conduct research and will educate teachers with lectures, workshops and other educational material.
• The development of a campaign with the slogan “fair play in all aspects of life” in English and Greek will convey “fair play” as a role model in society and will attract the interest of people and mass media.
• This was a preliminary meeting. In Spring of 2007, IFOSE will hold an International meeting in Athens with representatives from world organizations such as UNESCO, UN, IOC, ICSSPE, etc. in order to finalize the logistics concerning the creation of a better, happier, most just world.