Educational Institutions…Athletes…Social Change…

Soolmaz AbooaliMuhammad Ali CenterLouisville, KYMarch 29-30

Examples Muhammad Ali

Athlete, political, and social force Gholamreza Takhti

Athlete, political and social force Mia Hamm

Athlete, social force Dikembe Mutombo

Athlete, social force

Operationalizing Terms

Athlete: Mind – “I will”Body – “I can”Spirit – “I am”

Social Change: an alteration in the social order of a society.

At the base is change in the human thought process

“Athlete” + “Social Change” Through sport, the athlete is required to engage in

thought processes - as an individual first - in order to be successful For example, “I will”, “I can”, and “I am” require

analysis and reflection Athletes are thus trained and equipped with the skills

to ask who, what, when, where, and why- the questions that lead to personal change, new insights, and ideas

Mind-Body-Spirit Connectiondirectly linked to

Thought-processes that generate ideas

Questions: Should athletes even advocate anything

beyond their respective sport? Why don’t we see more athletes engaged

beyond the playing field?

Answer: Absolutely. Athletes qualify as human

beings with fundamental rights. Lack of 1) space 2) guidance on how to

effectively engage

Utilizing Educational Institutions: The Athlete’s Court Away from Court

Education as key to: (World Bank data)

- Creating Theory, Idea level- Applying Praxis level- Spreading knowledge Transformation level

Other key phrases related to education and social change:Reducing poverty and inequality, dynamic and democratic societies, sustained economic growth, critical thinking

Educational institutions as safe space to develop ideas that address key elements above

Initiatives Watson Institute for International Studies,

Brown University Sport and Development Project: change the way we

define sport and how to enhance its role in community development

University of Tennessee at Knoxville Center for Sport, Peace, and Society: cultural

understanding, to enhance student learning, to improve community welfare, and to foster social change.

School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University Sport and Peace: Scholar-Athlete Initiatives: media

platform that highlights individuals and research in the sport, peacebuilding, development and sport diplomacy fields.

Case Study Israeli-Palestinian basketball youth group at

the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, GMU

Purpose: emphasize leadership skills through sport/martial arts that transfer into life

Theory: identity, narratives, dialogue, conflict analysis

Praxis: martial arts drills focusing on building trust, emotional stability, energy exchange

Transformation: From skepticism to a hug

Moving Forward Merging Theory & Praxis:

Universities (Theory) = idea development Fieldwork (Praxis) = transformations play out

Creation of an Athletes for Social Change Association: Promote and oversees theory & praxis in curriculum

development Create inter-disciplinary space for research, critical

analysis, and exchanges Leverage public-private partnerships between universities,

corporations, non-profit, media, and governments

Key Messages

To change social order, athletes must move toward becoming Scholar-Athletes

Merge Theory & Praxis at university space that allows for thought processes/ideas to be developed

Athletes for Social Change Association: An interdisciplinary entity that helps develop

curriculum, research, and public-private partnerships

Thank you