Building Social Capital through Zurkhaneh Sports

1. BuildingSocial Capital throughZurkhaneh Sports Mohsen Mehralizadeh President, International Zurkhaneh Sports Federation Tehran – I.R. Iran

2. SPORT FOR ALL: MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF BUILDING SOCIAL CAPITAL 25 -30 September 2007 Buenos Aires, Argentina

3. The aim of this presentation is to address: In The Name of God 1 - Iran Policies, Activities and Results for Sport for All Promotion. 2 - Traditional Sports and Sport for All Promotion. 3 - What are Zurkhaneh Sports?

4. Iran Policies, Activities and Results for Sport for All Promotion. Main Question: • As the first step for Sport for All promotion one face to this main question: What is Sprot for All? • He or she has to define very correctly this term from different point of views then will be able to design the promotion plans. Thus in IRAN we started to study about that and we found : • Sport For All is an investment for providing the health of society. • Sport For All is an important factor for growing the Human Sources. • Sport For All is an important factor for integration of Cultural Minorities. • Sport For All is a social Capital

5. Iran Policies, Activities and Results for Sport for All Promotion. And finally we came into FUNDING IN SPORT FOR ALL IS AN IMPORTANT BENEFICIARY SOCIAL INVESTMENTAND NEVER BE COUNTED AS AN EXPENSE

6. Prof. Dr. Peter Kapustin, State University of Wurzburg, Germany and Private University of Seekirchen, Austria in the description of Sport For All. • SPORT FOR ALL not as a duty, but as a chance not as a mass sport, but as an individual sport and as a group sport nevertheless a global movement with very different programs and ways of life. • SPORT FOR ALL not only a physical activity, also part of the individual Lifestyle and the cultural life in a society. • SPORT FOR ALL not only different kinds of sport with international rules, norms and standards, also a variety of changing and adopting rules, materials and facilities with regard to the target groups and possible situations. • SPORT FOR ALL not only a fixed program, also a wide field of and for flexibility and creativity, relaxation and recreation, experience and adventure • SPORT FOR ALL one, but a healthy way of self realization and social integration.

7. Iran Policies, Activities and Results for Sport for All Promotion. Policies 1- Quantative and Qualitative Development of Access to Sport For All • To pave the way for women participation in Sport For All • To pave the way for people with disabilities participation in Sport For All • To present facilities for low-income level of society in Sport fort All. • To increase the existing facilities and sources • To modify the pattern of Sources distribution

8. Iran Policies, Activities and Results for Sport for All Promotion. Policies 2- Propagation of Sport Culture in the Society • Cooperation with mass Media for elevating the knowledge of people towards Sport For All • To use the religious, tribal and social habits to encourage people to do physical exercise and Sport • To develop Sport Culture among children and youths

9. Iran Policies, Activities and Results for Sport for All Promotion. Policies 3 - Reforming the National Structure of Sport For All • To decrease Government involvement in Sport affairs • To improve interaction among Sport For All foundations. • To use a concrete system in Sport For All • To use a national concrete system for evaluation and control in Sport

10. Iran Policies, Activities and Results for Sport for All Promotion. Policies 4 - expanding the partnership of public organizations in promoting Sport For All • To support active NGOs foundation in Sport For All • Special support to the organizations of Sport For All for woman, people with disabilities and low-income level of society • Propagation of Volunteering Culture in Sport For All

11. Iran Policies, Activities and Results for Sport for All Promotion. Policies 5 - Developing Information Technology and Communications in Sport For All • Modifying the methods of gathering and distributing Information in Sport For All • Taking benefit of the modern Technologies in educating and developing sport • Creation of a concentrated information system

12. Iran Policies, Activities and Results for Sport for All Promotion. Policies 6 - Interaction Policy with Mass Media • One of the most effective policies in promoting Sport For All in Iran was cooperation with Mass Media. Existence of numerous national & provincial Radio & TV channels as well as the exclusive sport Radio – TV channel provide good opportunities to create motivation for physical exercising & sport among Iranians. • Mass Media paved the way toward promoting Sport For All by producing Sport programs and broadcasting Sport events. • Annually we produce and broadcast more than 500.000 min (569.400 min) sport works in Radio channels and more than 400.000 min (414.000 min) sport works in TV channels. Meanwhile the share of excusive sport networks is about 138.000 min sport works production.

13. Iran Policies, Activities and Results for Sport for All Promotion. Activities • During my previous incumbency as the Deputy of I.R. Iran President and Head of Physical Education Organization, in cooperation with TAFISA we succeeded to promote and found Sport For All as a systematic activity in the daily life of people. • To achieve this goal, in planning the comprehensive plan of Sport, we have founded a particular Organization headed by the Deputy of I.R. Iran Physical Education Organization, that is the highest level governmental authority of Sport in Iran, entitled “Center for Sport For All Promotion and Deputy of Sport For All Affairs”

14. Iran Policies, Activities and Results for Sport for All Promotion. Activities • This Deputy includes provincial sub councils. They organized different Sport events every week; Symposium on Sport For All, hiking, climbing, early exercise, Zurkhaneh and …. Meanwhile we encouraged other state and non government organizations to arrange such activities in every weekend by their propagandistic aims. • Many of the Governmental and Non Governmental organizations inserted Sport For All exercises in the beginning of their daily programs.

15. Iran Policies, Activities and Results for Sport for All Promotion. Activities • According to the present statistical, the rate of the citizens’ participation in the Sport For All increased from 8% to 16% during two years. It means double increase within two years that is a good result. • We hope that Sport For All can decrease the death rate caused by cordial –vascular disease that still sits at the first place of the death rate list.

16. Iran Policies, Activities and Results for Sport for All Promotion. Results 1 - Refer to I.R. Iran Healthy Ministry declaring in the 8th World Congress of Global bank: life expectancy increased among women to 74 years old and among men to 73 years old. No doubt beyond other effective factors, Sport For All promotion can consider as a more effective factor in this increment. 2 - The mentioned policies and activities caused to increase the people participation in Sport For All from 16% in 2003 to 24% in 007.

17. Iran Policies, Activities and Results for Sport for All Promotion. Results 3 - Non governmental involvement increased in Sport For All promotion. 4 - It increased the quality of Sport practicing in the schools and universities.

18. Traditional Sports and Sport For All promotion There are many local and traditional games in the history of countries that unfortunately many of them that configured the important part of Human Culture and Civilization are going to be eradicated.  For example in our county Iran with a 10.000 years Civilization and different traditional and local games and sports, we have inserted an agenda in the Deputy of Sport For All Affairs is to organize Local and Traditional Games Festival to preserve and support the revival of such games and sports. Zurkhaneh is one of these traditional Sports that is being revived within recent years.  Noting to the Traditional Sports is an invaluable source for Sport For All promotion. As traditional sports belong to the customs and culture of people so they accept it eagerly and enjoy it.

19. What is ZURKHANEH Sports? 1- History and Activities • Zurkhaneh is one of the Iranian Traditional Sports that is not only allocated to Iran region and also in the other regional and common cultural countries spread to Central Asia, South and West of Asia and even to some parts of Europe • Zurkhaneh Sports History goes back to 3000 years ago. • As Dr. Mehrdad Bahar , Iranian Mythology Researcher believes: Existing customs would be searched in prehistory era, it means pre-emerging of script.

20. What is ZURKHANEH Sports? 1- History and Activities • Dr. Mehrdad Bahar believes that many of the Zurkhaneh Customs are the recreation of the Iranian common Mythological Customs. • During Zurkhaneh History, it has been completed by the athletes’ performances. Nowadays it is available for us as an important man achievement. • In addition to improving physical abilities and Strength, Zurkhaneh emphasizes on improving mental abilities, Social values and humanism.

21. What is ZURKHANEH Sports? 1- History and Activities • As Zurkhaneh can be practiced only by playing its exclusive music and rhythm “Zarb o Zang”, we can name it the origin of Modern Aerobic Sports. • By performing Zurkhaneh skills, Rhythm and Music the athletes improve and develop their physical and mental abilities. • The International Body of Zurkhaneh Sports has been founded on 11 October 2004 with the great cooperation and support of TAFISA and specially deceased Prof. Jurgen Palm. IZSF “International Zurkhaneh Sports Federation” has been constituted in a constituent assembly approved and supported by representatives from 22 countries.

22. What is ZURKHANEH Sports? 1- History and Activities • IZSF spread its activities in different continents, its members increased to 34 countries. Zurkhaneh has been added to participant games in the 4th TAFISA World Sport For All Games–Busan 2008. • In addition to IZSF events and festivals in different continents, Zurkhaneh has been accepted as one of the participant sports in the 2nd Islamic Games – Tehran 2009.

23. What is ZURKHANEH Sports? 2 - IZSF values • Heroism • Ethics • Friendship • Solidarity • Morality • Tolerance • Respect to others • Love of country • Pride of Country • Generosity and Sympathy • Chivalries Spirit • Combine art and literature

24. What is ZURKHANEH Sports? 3 - IZSF Mission To improve the Physical and Mental healthy of people and revival the Zurkhaneh worthy Values.

25. What is ZURKHANEH Sports? 4 - IZSF Visions • “Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere playing Zurkhaneh Sports having fun & get fit” • Developing Zurkhaneh Sports in all 5 continents and its inclusion in Continental Olympic Games and International events. • Inserting enjoyment of Zurkhaneh Sports and its morality values in people daily lives.

26. What is ZURKHANEH Sports? 5 - IZSF objectives • Establish strong partnerships with indigenous communities and Leaders in promoting Zurkhaneh Sports. • Developing Zurkhaneh Sports Values and skills. • Fun and Enjoyment through Zurkhaneh Sports and achieving a sense of accomplishment.

27. We Hope That By Joining In Traditional Sports, You Cause To Diversity In World Sport. And We Hope That The Values Of Traditional Sports Be Noted And Developed As Social Capital.

28. See you soon at : Zurkhaneh Sports events • in TAFISA 4th world Traditional Games in Bussan 2008

29. Thanks You For Your Kind Attention