The IOC's involvement in assistance projects for human development is aimed at improving, through sport and physical activity, the quality of life and well-being of people who live in the most disadvantaged regions of the world. It is a matter of using sport as a means for positive change. Although these projects are specific and merely symbolic, the Olympic Movement's contribution is intended to complement the efforts of governments and inter- and non-governmental organisations to meet the challenges of our society. The IOC's commitment in this area is based on the need to place sport, which has become a real social force within society, at the service of human development. "The goal of Olympism is to place everywhere sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to encouraging the establishment of a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity."
Olympic Charter, Fundamental Principles, paragraph 3
It has been looked upon by the greater Manchester Conurbation to identify the relationship between ethnicity, culture and participation in sport. Countries including Africa, Bangladeshi, Caribbean, Chinese, east African, Asia and India where compared to a British white group. The results showed that it was in fact the gender differences which showed the biggest participation difference. To be a female Muslim, Hindu or Sikh is likely to result in a lower participation rate. It seems that the higher in importance a religion becomes, the lower the number of participants of sport. The ethnic minorities tend to be of Muslim, Hindu and Sikh cultures. Asian groups do not think highly of sport unlike other groups. Because of this fact there are very few role models in the Olympics for these people. A lot of cultures are kept to traditional standards which may and often not agree with some sports. For example sharing facilities and showing parts of the body.
Racial prejudices have been difficult to over throw. Even to this day racism and stereotyping has great effects of ethnical minorities. It is very rare that you see a black swimmer in the Olympic pool mainly because of the stereotypical saying that black men can’t swim. The dominant groups’ determines the access and opportunities available, this makes it hard for the ethnical minorities to challenge those social determinants and very few succeed.
I think that the participation level of ethnical minorities is gradually increasing as facilities in these areas of the world have dramatically got better in recent years. It is now a lot more acceptable for these minorities to take part in sporting events such as the Olympics. Stereotyping and racism is slowly being faded out of sport due to projects that have been launched. There are still problems though. Racism and stereotyping still goes on and religion isn’t going to suddenly change to allow women to participate in sport but in the long run the participation levels of ethnic minorities will continue rising.
