A challenge from FISU Forum to improve equality in student sports

The theme for the conference of the International University Sports Federation FISU was “University Sport: Creating a Better World”. The speeches, discussions and workshops that took place during the conference week covered the social impact of exercise and sports, sports diplomacy, and equality and inclusion in university sports.

Tia: “What particularly interested me in the programme were the different perspectives on how exercise and sports impact society: how they link so many areas of life, and how much influence they can have at best. My own responsibility as an organiser of sporting events and as a sports instructor were also emphasised. The event also made me think about how much I take my ability to move for granted, and how one person can promote exercise for those with additional support needs, for example.”

Niko: “When talking about human rights on a global level, there is the danger of being lulled into thinking that things are pretty good in Finland. However, the programme at the Forum challenged us to see the problems in the exercise and sports sector in the same way that the Finnish Don’t break the game campaign did. The speeches and discussions also challenged FISU as an organisation to take steps towards improving the inclusion of women. It was a pleasant surprise that the discussion on gender equality also touched on non-binary people, which is still fairly unusual in those circles.”

A safer space as an export product

During workshops, the participating countries were given the opportunity to give presentations on their own projects related to the themes of the Forum. Tia and Niko gave a presentation on the safer space guidelines for university sports, which OLL’s networks were working on last winter.

Tia: “We summarised the safer space guidelines, and I gave a few examples from my life as a student and sports instructor. In the presentation we gave a comprehensive overview of what a safer space means, what can threaten it, and how it can impact people’s exercise habits. Most of the presentations contained a lot of marketing, but they also gave some good tips on things like organising events or studying abroad.”

Niko: “We received a lot of praise for our presentation and the safer space guidelines from all over the world. In our closing remarks we pointed out that good manners and common sense are often enough, as long as everyone agrees on what they mean and consist of. This presentation was really our most important task during this trip, as the themes of improving equality and inclusion are at the heart of OLL’s international activities.”

Learning from student projects

During the week, the students participating in the Forum worked on projects set by FISU, which were then presented to the other participants on the Saturday. Tia ended up as project manager in a team which worked on making student sporting events even more memorable.

Tia: “Carrying out a project in an international team taught me a lot, opened my eyes and challenged the little grey cells. I got to practise team work with people with different language skills and cultural backgrounds and dividing up tasks in a way that took everyone’s skills into account. You can also never get too much practice in making compromises. It was beneficial to go outside my comfort zone and speak English on stage. Others were great models for working on a stage: the American member in my team in particular lacked neither volume nor confidence!

In general, the team presentations were a bit repetitive as nearly all of them had come up with the idea of building an app. But it was fun to see the influence of the FISU Ambassadors at the Forum, and to have a bit of academic competition rather than just competing in sports.

Maintaining partnerships

In addition to learning, these international events are also good places for networking and maintaining relationships with other organisations.

Niko: “We always have lots of unofficial conversations with our sister organisations at these events. Finland is one of the countries that emphasises advocacy work to improve the opportunities to exercise for all students and promote an active lifestyle, whereas most of the sister federations focus more on competitions. In Zagreb we discussed our upcoming advocacy work with partners who share our values in areas like human rights and climate responsibility.”

Tia: “I still find FISU a bit of a mystery, but I learn more with each webinar. I’m heavily involved in the student activities at my university, and it’s wonderful to see that I could actually have an impact in an organisation the size of FISU and create change that affects student sports all over the world!

The best part was of course the social programme, such as playing volleyball and the day as a tourist in Zagreb, as well as the new acquaintances I made during the week. My new friends and I have already discussed where in the world we should meet up next, and how we can get them to Finland to make snowmen and go skiing!”