Play the Game 2015: The deadly disease of inactivity: Is the world ready for a cure?

A few weeks after Play the Game 2015, governments from all over the world will gather in Paris and hopefully sign a new joint global agreement on sports policy: a completely revised UNESCO Charter on Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport. During Play the Game 2015, experts will discuss the challenges envisaged in implementing such an agreement and the closing session of the conference has been dedicated to this.

Science tells us that inactivity is more deadly than obesity, and governments look for remedies that can protect them against exploding health budgets. We also know that an active lifestyle is not only an essential part of the cure, but also a big asset for many people in their everyday lifte.

So why do governments hesitate to support the infrastructure, the human skills and the association life that can inspire people to move? Are governments, local authorities, sports organisations and other stakeholders able to make attractive offers to people of all age groups, abilities and interests.

The need for investing more in participation
To qualify the debate, Philipp Müller-Wirth, specialist from UNESCO’s Anti-Doping and Sport Programme will talk about the intentions of the revised charter, emphasising the need that all stakeholders invest more in an active lifestyle for ordinary citizens, independent on their age and talent.

On top of the UNESCO Charter agenda is the right of every human being to have access to sport, play and exercise. In his capacity as consultant from ICSSPE, the world’s largest network of organisations concerned with sport, Richard Bailey will be able to let delegates in on what the sports community hopes to achieve from the charter and whether it can be a possible solution to some of the challenges that physical inactivity pose.

Sport for development
And to give examples on the beneficial powers of sport and how these can be nurtured, Play the Game is happy to welcome Bob Munro, the founder of the Mathare Youth Sports Association in Kenya, a self-help youth sports for development project that has 30,000 youth participating in different activities, such as sports, environmental clean-ups, AIDS prevention and leadership training.

Investing in sport and sports participation
The Danish Institute for Sports Studies/Play the Game invites all delegates to join some very exciting sessions in the ‘Idan Development Forum’. The Forum discusses the potential and pitfalls of measuring sports participation and the usage of sports facilities, and discuss how sports organisations can adapt to rapidly changing consumer trends and participation patterns.

Highly qualified speakers from research institutions like the Mulier Instituut, Malmö University, Danish Institute for Sports Studies, and 4 global London discuss the newest data with representatives of sports organisations needing to adapt to the changes such as the Flemish Sports Federation (VSF), the Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF), The European Confederation for Company Sport, and the new National Platform for Street Sport in Denmark.

On Wednesday the 28^th October we present an interesting mixture of new facilities and open spaces, attractive nature, vibrant community sport, and iconic architecture right at the doorstep of the conference.

The City Architect of Aarhus, The Aarhus Sports Council, and the Danish Foundation for Sports and Culture Facilities lead the way on a short guided bus tour to one of Denmark largest urban developments at the harbour front in Aarhus East. Get inspired before the final plenary session on UNESCO’s Charter on Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport.