Consultative Committee of EPAS (Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport) of the Council of Europe hosted a virtual webinar on physical education (PE) and school sports as a creative approach to human rights and democracy. The event was held online on Monday 21 February 2022.

The aim of the webinar was to discuss the relevance of school sports and physical education as a tool for promoting human rights and democracy, and to discuss how PE teachers and coaches can implement a values-based physical education and sports training approach. School sports and physical education (PE) are important means to raise future generations in the spirit of the core values promoted by the Council of Europe – human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Fair play in sport means learning to respect the rules and providing everyone with an equal chance of taking part in sporting activities. At its best sport can encompass and promote the principles of friendship, fair play, fairness and respectful sporting behaviour.



The event was moderated by Ms Francine Raveney and was opened by the Chair of EPAS Consultative Committee Mr Kole Gjeloshaj, followed by the welcome address from the Head of the Sport Division of the Council of Europe Ms Sophie Kwasny.

The European Sports Charter as the focal point for values-based physical education teaching and sports training was presented by Mr Michael Trinker, Senior Project Manager at the Council of Europe. Opportunities and challenges of school sport in promoting the human rights: an international perspective was shared by Mr Hrvoje Custonja, Secretary General of the International School Sport Federation (ISF).



From the educational institutions, the concepts which have proven successful for promoting values-based physical education teaching and sport training were presented by Ms Ana Znidarec, Member of Croatian national team for psychological crisis and trauma intervention and assistant professor at the University of Zagreb. The importance of moving and the right to do sport/play is crucial for holistic child development: From neuroscience to multisectoral active play promotion was presented by Ms Caterina Pesce, Associate professor at the Foro Italico University of Rome.

Good practice examples: Sports & the values and principles of the CoE was shared by Ms Rose-Marie Repond from the European Physical Education Association (EUPEA), followed by the project Start to Talk – a new approach to combat abuse and harassment in sport, presented by Ms Elena Casero, Project officer at the Council of Europe.



Over 200 participants attended the webinar, including the European University Sports Association (EUSA) and the EUSA Institute.

For more information, please see https://www.coe.int/en/web/sport/webinar-physical-education-and-school-sports-a-creative-approach-to-human-rights-and-democracy-