7 - 13 March 2002
Issue No.576
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 7 - 13 March 2002 Issue No.576 |
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Programmed for the future
An international gathering in Cairo took some innovative steps to help mentally disabled athletes. Abeer Anwar looks at what the future holds
One major target of Special Olympics International (SOI) is decentralisation. Following a four-day meeting in Cairo, it appears that the organisation is well on the way to meeting its goal.
SOI's regional office in Cairo hosted the first- ever meeting of regional directors for organisational development held outside the United States.
Meeting from 27 February to 2 March, 25 delegates descended upon the Egyptian capital to map out the future of mentally disabled athletes around the world. The delegates represented the world's six regions: the Middle East/North Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe/ Eurasia, Africa, North America and Latin America. In addition, six experts from SOI headquarters in the US made the trip.
The meetings introduced the new Program Development System (PDS) to all organisational development directors looking to double the number of athletes served globally by SOI by 2005 through increasing competitive and training opportunities for athletes with special needs.
Also appearing for the first time was the Program Informational Profile (PIP) which includes programmes for athletes, coaches, volunteers and families. PIP will help the programmer plan ahead not only on a quarterly basis but up to 2005. PIP is web-based, giving the directors a quick overview of all the programmes in their region.
The meeting focused on a developmental profile which will give the region's managing directors the ability to see which programmes need help and in what fields so that they can deploy all available resources needed to attract the greatest number of mentally disabled athletes.
Jim Schmutz, who will become SOI vice president for sports development next month, said he thought the meeting did better than if it had been held at SOI headquarters in Washington. "It was a great chance for all of us to meet, share ideas, work in groups to develop our programmes and create a team," Schmutz said.
Schmutz added that the PDS system was a positive step "which will serve the region's staff and help our movement based on a web system.
Helen Macnabb, the SOI vice president for organisational development, described PDS as being "of great value, but it is going to take time to be applied properly. It is a lot to introduce at one time but it will also help a lot."
Ron Vederman, SOI director for schools and youth, explained how a new curriculum will be applied at a number of schools worldwide. "We have prepared a curriculum for children to teach them simple and clear ideas about mentally disabled people to bridge the gaps between them and those with special needs from the early stages of life," Vederman said. This will change the look of the world in the coming decades and will help form a healthy and cooperative society.
Yasmin Abu Freikh, responsible for schools in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region, said Egypt was starting to introduce the idea of the new curriculum in Egypt and that Misr Language Schools would be the starting point.
"The MENA region will start holding a number of training sessions to educate officials in the region on the new system," MENA's regional managing director Ayman Abdel-Wahab said, adding that he was ready to host more such events in the future "to further discuss decentralisation."
This week, Abdel-Wahab will meet David Mutambara, Africa's managing director, to exchange views about their work in the region and how the Egyptian experience has gained a worldwide reputation.
Compaq and Microsoft companies sponsored the SOI event and were glad they did. "It was a pleasure to help sponsor such a gathering and provide the computer system," said Compaq managing director Tarek Heiba. Added Microsoft Egypt's managing director Ali El- Faramawi, "It is a great honour to provide a helping hand for the mentally disabled and their inclusion in society."
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