Page 28 - aips-IV-23.indd

FOCUS
FOCUS
AIPS and UNESCO, hand in hand against racism and discrimination
By Carlos Julio Castellanos
The International Sports
Press Association
(AIPS) will implement a
series of strategic actions
aimed at strengthening the
role of media in the fight
against racism and discrim-
ination, in cooperation with
the United Nations Educa-
tional, Scientific and Cultur-
al Organization (UNESCO).
This was announced by the
Vice President of AIPS and
President of AIPS America, Colombi- an journalist Carlos Julio Castellanos Rincón, who represented sports journal- ism at the third edition of the Global Fo- rum against Racism and Discrimination organised by UNESCO from from No- vember 29 to December 1, 2023 in São Paulo, Brazil.
ACTIONS AGAINST RACISM Castellanos Rincón received this designation from the President Gianni Merlo, in line with the parallel actions that AIPS has been working on in its leading role, as part of the celebration of its centenary in Paris in 2024. The AIPS delegate focused his speech on the role that the media plays in shaping social perceptions of racist be- haviours in sports, with reference to the positive impact of one of the association's flagship programmes, the Young Report- ers Programme.
COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION “With this partnership, UNESCO will support the AIPS Young Reporters Programme, contributing to the comprehensive edu- cation of new generations. This includes providing ideas to educate young report- ers about sports for development and sports values. UNESCO staff will also
L-R: André de Jeu; Fernanda Garay Rodri- gues; Soraya Carvalho; Katia Rubio; Risper Biyaki; Daiane dos Santos; Carlos Julio Ca- stellanos; Dênis Rodrigues Da Silva; and Giu- lia Schiacci
participate in AIPS training sessions,” said Carlos Julio Castellanos.
AIPS CENTENARY CELEBRATION “AIPS and UNESCO plan to celebrate the centenary of the Association in Paris this year, at the UNESCO headquar- ters, during the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in the French capital,” said the President of AIPS America. Indeed, AIPS will organise a Journalists on the Podium Ceremony, during which special recognition will be given to those who have extensive experience in Olym- pic coverage. Likewise, UNESCO will participate in the AIPS Centenary Con- gress in Santa Susanna, Spain, scheduled from April 29 to May 2, 2024.
AGREEMENTS Among the conclusions and agreements with UNESCO, the As- sociation committed to providing suffi- cient media coverage for World Organi- sation events related to sports and Fit for Life; “This involves developing informa- tion and collaborating on joint opinion articles to amplify the impact of these in-
itiatives,” said Castellanos Rincón.
GENDER EQUALITY AIPS will participate in gender equality training designed for sports journalists as part of Fit for Life. “The focus will be on address- ing toxic and sexist cov- erage of women's sports and strengthening capa- bilities for inclusive sports
coverage. This includes collaboration in training development, participation in training sessions, whether online or in-person, with the support of the UN- ESCO Field Office,” explained the South American communicator.
POWER OF THE MEDIA This collaborative effort between the parties reaffirms the commitment to harness the power of media to combat racism and promote inclusion in sports. The moderator of the sports panel of this third Global Forum titled: The Ball is in Our Court: Using sport as a tool to combat racism, was psychologist Katia Rubio, associate professor at the Faculty of Education at the University of Sao Paulo. Accompany- ing Carlos Julio Castellanos as panellists were André de Jeu, Director of the Sports and Municipalities Association of ACES Europe; Daiane dos Santos, Olympic gymnast from Brazil; Dênis Rodrigues Da Silva, representing the Minister of Sports of Brazil; Fernanda Garay Rod- rigues, the top exponent of Brazilian volleyball as an Olympic medalist in To- kyo; Risper Biyaki, the Kenyan multiple marathon champion; and Soraya Car- valho, manager of the Olympic Institute of Brazil.
28 | AIPSMAGAZINE