SPORT 1913 - 2013

part one_CHAPTER 1

the development of modern sport. The pio- neers of the movement did not want to iden- tify themselves to the bourgeois type of sport connected with higher social classes and which emphasized tough competitive perfor- mance in sport. They wanted sport for all without any segregation by age, gender, oc- cupation, wealth and ethnic background. They regarded worker sport as part of their grand ideologies on society along with peace, democracy, equality and solidarity. As it has been shown in the beginning of this chapter, this alternative way to contribute to sport attracted workers in the 1920s and 1930s more than the Olympic Games did at the same period. We could speculate about what the role and status of worker sport would be to- day if it weren’t for the Fascism and the Nazi regime in Europe before and during the Sec- ond World War. After the war, the international worker sport had to be re-established once again. It took place in 1946 in Brussels by founding the Comité Sportif International du Travail – the International Committee for the Workers Sport (CSIT). However, the role of the organi- zation remained internationally very weak after the war because its member unions had been destroyed in many European countries, as stated above. In addition, the Eastern Euro- pean countries with their worker sport did not want to collaborate with the CSIT because of the Cold War situation. It took over forty years before new winds

began to blow within and around the CSIT. By introducing its modern sport for all policy ap- proach, including an active international col- laboration strategy, the attractiveness of the CSIT began to grow in Europe, Americas, Afri- ca, and in the Far East. In addition to amateur based competitive sport, the emphasis was put on a holistic view of sport for all intended for adults, youth, elderly people, women, families and disabled people. The collaboration with the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE), the IOC and its Sport For All Coordinating Group as well as the European Non-Governmental Sport for All Or- ganization (ENGSO) began to bring results in terms of creating new networks of the CSIT. At the end of 2011 the CSIT consisted of 44 organizations belonging to different mem- bership categories from 34 countries. Out of all the organizations, 35 were full members from 28 countries, 3 (sub)continental mem- bers, 3 candidates for full membership and 3 applying for the member status. The CSIT had altogether over 208.260 million registered cli- ents and individual members in its action pro- grams. Out of them 5.270 million were indi- vidual members and 202.990 million were so called registered clients. The purpose of this book is to increase knowl- edge and understanding on sport in general and particularly about the development of in- ternational worker sport as part of the sport culture and society. The content has been divided into two

parts. First, the framework of consideration is described by introducing the reader to sport as a social phenomenon. Then a broad de- scription is presented on sport as a part of modern peace movement and conflict solving. Part one is finished by introducing a socio- logical model which describes worker sport as a mass movement. The second part of the book focuses to the centennial development, current state and international sports partnerships of the CSIT. The study begins with the description of the historical development of the CSIT since 1913. A special attention is given to the empirical 20 years follow-up study on structures and func- tions of the organization. After that, women’s role as a future potential is viewed by using France and the French CSIT section FSGT as an illuminating example. The study is closed by the presentation of the current and future international collaborations and partnerships of the CSIT.

15