16/9/2011

Introduction by ISCA President

Dear Friends,

 

Welcome to the ISCA General Assembly 2011 Paris, France.

 

We are meeting at the 17th ISCA General Assembly with the aim of “Moving People”. We are meeting with aim of sharing experiences, practices and political arguments for creating societies of “Moving People”. We are meeting to provide, share and transform international knowledge into national development.

 

Since 2004 we have combined the ISCA General Assemblies with open congresses on specific topics with actuality and relevance for the ISCA members as well as for other stakeholders of the Sport for All sector.
The congress topics have been “Education and development through sport” (2004), “Fair Play” (2005), “Autonomy of Sport for All” (2006) “Get Fit, Healthy and United Through Sport for All” (2007) and “Sport and Health – from theory to practice” (2008). In 2009 we introduced the congress brand “MOVE” with the topic “MOVE2009 Active Cities –sport, health and citizenship” followed by the “MOVE2010 Sport and Health – strategic partnership” and this year we connect the General Assembly with the “MOVE2011 - Think global, MOVE local”.
With the title “Think global, MOVE local” we would like to underline our main aim to provide, share and transform international knowledge into national development.

 

The 17th ISCA General Assembly
The General Assembly is our highest authority and this role cannot be stressed enough. It is our democratic platform to discuss, decide and elect. At the General Assembly, we will gather to update each other and to discuss and decide on future directions. One of the topics for us to discuss and decide is the ISCA 2012-2013 priorities. These priorities will be direction and guidelines for the members, Executive Committee, Continental committee and not least for the staff.

The priorities 2012-2013 are important directions and tools which can pave the way for successful practical and political actions. “Moving People” successfully!

 

ISCA is the members – the members are ISCA
For an umbrella organization as ISCA the members are the body and soul. ISCA is the members - and the members are ISCA.
Members and especially the core members commitments and contributions have been crucial for ISCA historically and will be very important ISCA in the future. Therefore, members and membership as such, should be discussed at our General Assembly. We should discuss how to secure that all members – with the diversities of capacities that we naturally have – both benefit from membership and contribute to the development of ISCA. We should discuss how the members with less capacity can be more involved in our activities and how the members with higher capacity can strengthen the profile and activities of ISCA for the benefit of all member and the grassroots sport and physical activity sectors.

 

Election of Executive Committee
This year, for the first time since the foundation of ISCA, all members of the Executive Committee are standing for election at the same General Assembly. Two years ago we changed our statutes and created two years election periods. This year one President, two Vice Presidents and five member of the Executive Committee have been nominated and are standing for election for a two year period 2012-2013. The Executive Committee is the political leadership of ISCA between the General Assembly. Therefore it is important that the General Assembly give its guidelines and support to the future Executive Committee.

 

Thank you to our local hosts, La Ligue de l’Enseignement, Union Française des Œuvres Laïques d’Education Physique (UFOLEP) , Union Sportive de l’Enseignement du Premier Degré (USEP) and the associated MOVE2011 congress partners, Sport and Citizenship, the French Ministry of Sport and the French National Olympic and Sport Committee (CNOSF).

 

UFOLEP and USEP are founding members of ISCA. They have either together or individually been represented in the Executive Committee since the foundation of ISCA in 1995. UFOLEP and USEP together with La Ligue de l’Enseignement, also represents a long French tradition of creating civic and voluntary based organizations for the purpose of improving life of the citizenship. This movement did not come easy in France, but when it was a reality it was a strong reality and a tradition which has developed the country.
UFOLEP and USEP, together with the three other French ISCA members represents a pluralism and diversity of grassroots sport in France – as well as the they underline the belief of pluralism and diversity we practice within ISCA.

 

On behalf of the ISCA members, I would like to thank UFOLEP and USEP political leaders and staff members for long lasting commitment, for your efforts during preparation of the MOVE2011 congress and the 17th ISCA General Assembly

 

Kindest regards,
Mogens Kirkeby, President