The International Traditional Sports and Games Association
Introduction
Historical Notes - Background
UNESCO's first recommendation on Traditional Sports and
Games dates back to 1986. It was written by its Director General, the
Senegalese Amadou-Mahtar M’Bow. In his letter to sports ministers he recalled
the recommendation of CIGEPS which called for “the protection and development
of traditional games, dances and sports within the framework of physical
education and sport, as a means of
preserving cultural heritage".
This was followed in November 1993 by the launch of a
"World Inventory Physical Games from Tradition ". In his letter,
Mr. Arthur Gillette, director of youth
and physical activities, specifies that this field has unfortunately only been
little (or not) explored, and "this is the reason why UNESCO proposes the sector
of physical games that were once practiced by people after their work, during
their days of rest, during religious festivals, during market days, during
seasonal festivals ”.
Then there was the Punta Del Este declaration in 1999,
after the organization of the MINEPS III, an international conference of
ministers and senior officials responsible for physical education and sport from member states. The promotion
and preservation of traditional games in each country were clearly recommended.
This declaration asked to the Director of UNESCO, with the collaboration of
regional and national organizations and networks, existing and future, as well
as specialists in the field, that three objectives be achieved:
Establish a worldwide
list of traditional games and sports;
Develop a policy for the promotion of traditional sports and games at world
level;
Develop an
international charter for traditional sports and games, followed by a medium
and long-term action plan.
Point N° 1 was treated by editing an encyclopedia (very incomplete) in English (2003) and French (2005). Point N° 3 saw the development of a draft International Charter for Traditional Sports and Games at the time of MINEPS IV in Athens in 2004. Point N° 2, which requires the establishment of a platform to develop a policy of promoting traditional sports and games at global level, is still underway after four major meetings called “Collective Consultation” and numerous other
intermediate meetings. As a reminder the 1st took place in
Paris (France), at UNESCO Headquarters on March 13, 2006; the 2nd from January
17 to 19, 2009 in Tehran (Iran); the 3rd on July 6-7, 2017 in Paris; and the
4th on 13-14.08.2018 in Istanbul (Turkey).
The 2nd Consultative Consultation in Tehran saw the
decision to create one international platform ACTSG (Advisory Committee for
Traditional Sports and Games). It is following this meeting in Iran that the
majority of the experts of
traditional sports and games invited
and present decided to form a world
organization, the ITSGA, in order to help to organize the transmission of TSG
and whose statutes are set out following this historical note and the UNESCO
texts.
Preamble – Semantics - Reference to some extracts of UNESCO texts (In quotes)
In Paris France,
from 29 September to 17 October 2003, the General Conference of UNESCO (United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) voted the historical Convention for the
Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. In this convention the inter
governmental organization focused on:
“Considering the
importance of the intangible cultural heritage as a mainspring of cultural
diversity and a guarantee of sustainable development, as underscored in the
UNESCO Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore
of 1989 and in the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity of 2001,
Considering the
deep-seated interdependence between the intangible cultural heritage and the
tangible cultural and natural heritage,
Recognizing that
the processes of globalization and social transformation, alongside the conditions they create for renewed
dialogue among communities, also give rise, as does the phenomenon of
intolerance, to grave threats of deterioration, disappearance and destruction
of the intangible cultural heritage,
in particular owing to a lack of resources for safeguarding such heritage,
Recognizing that
communities, in particular indigenous communities, groups and, in some cases,
individuals, play an important role in the production, safeguarding,
maintenance and re-creation of the intangible cultural heritage, thus helping
to enrich cultural diversity and human creativity,
Considering the
need to build greater awareness, especially among the younger generations, of the importance of the intangible cultural
heritage and of its safeguarding,
Considering the invaluable role of the intangible cultural heritage as a factor in bringing human beings closer together and ensuring exchange and understanding among them,”
In Athens, Greece,
December 6-8 2004, during the MINEPS IV, delegates emphasized the advantages of
promoting traditional sports and games within education systems and further
wished to propose a draft international Charter on traditional sports and
games. Below are some significant orientations which are part of this Charter:
“Considering that
traditional games and sports form a
significant part of the cultural heritage which should be protected and
promoted, in particular, with a view to improving the quality of PES in
education systems,
Taking into account
the important values that traditional sports and games offer, through the
educational, culture, communicative and health promoting role towards the
overall development of the individual human being and one's community,
Bearing in mind that
traditional sports and games are expressions of the native culture and life
systems contributing to the communitarian identity of human beings,
Further taking into
account that traditional sports and games do not demand substantial
material and financial resources or investments, but they can contribute to
better intercultural understanding and mutual tolerance, both within and among
the communities of nations, which will contribute to build a Culture of Peace,”
Proclaims this International charter for the purpose of “supporting and promoting traditional sports and games all over the world assuring the continuation of the rich diversity of world heritage of sports culture for the services of humankind”.
Text of the
statutes
After modifications at the AGM of Verona 2011 (Italy), Santander 2013 (Spain), Lousa 2015 (Portugal), online AGM 2020, online AGM 2023,
Art 1: REGISTRATION and AIM
The association called ITSGA (International Traditional
Sports and Games Association), was founded on the 11th of July 2009
at Aranda de Duero (Spain).
It is registered at the Sous Préfecture of Brest, France
and is governed by the law of the 1st of July 1901 about associations (NGO's), modified
in the title IV by the law n°81-909 of the 9th of October 1981
concerning international associations registered in France and whose leaders
are partly or wholly foreigners.
It comprises continental or sub- continental organisations
whose goals are the promotion, the
training, the guardianship or the management of traditional sports and games in
general. It can also accept, exceptionally, national organizations as associate
members.
It can incorporate recognized experts in the field of
traditional games and sports.
This organisation has for object to represent at the world
level its network of traditional sports and games in order to safeguard, study,
exchange, promote, and develop their
practice, for a better social health, better
intercultural dialogue, and
better living of the mankind in the world.
Political discussion with a party, religious, or racial
bias are forbidden.
The social seat is in France, at Ti Ar Gouren, Le Poullic
– 29690 Berrien (http://www.tiargouren.fr/index.php).
It can be transferred to any other
place in France by a mere decision
of the Council.
Art 2: MEANS
They are to support the setting up of continental or sub
continental organisations for
traditional sports and games in order,
To support an information network
To support international meeting and conferences
To support the publishing of reports, booklets and books,
the use of audio- visual means for information and formation.
To support researches oriented to the creation of
inventories and educational applications for traditional games and sports.
In General, to support any initiative of educational
policy which improves the quality of life and social health of the population,
(Youth, adult, elder, disabled people…)
Art 3: COMPOSITION
ITSGA is composed of organisations which, in agreement
with art. 1, have been admitted to membership by the Council.
It welcomes also, to individual title, members with the
title of “experts”, recognised by it in their continents, renewable seats.
ITSGA can designate honorary members.
Art 4: An organisation newly agreed by ITSGA must serve a probationary period of two years. During the probationary period such members assume the same rights and responsibilities as all other members.
Art 5: FEE
The organisation’s members contribute to the functioning by a yearly subscription which shall be decided by the Assembly General Meeting (AGM). The level of this membership
takes care to the economic
level of the continents.
The membership is free for the experts.
Art 6: MEMBERSHIP
Membership of ITSGA shall be cancelled by:
6.1 For an organisation:
By withdrawal decided
by themselves.
By expulsion decided by the Council. The concerned body’s
Chairman shall be summoned in advance to state his/her case. In that case, an
appeal may be made to the A.G.M.
For an individual member:
By resignation.
By expulsion decided on by the Council, an individual member shall be summoned in
advance to state his/her case.
ADMINISTRATION AND FUNCTIONING
Art 7: Composition of the Congress
and voting system
ITSGA Assembly General Meeting (AGM), called Congress,
shall be composed of two collegial
bodies: the representatives of continental (or sub-continental) organisations, including the
associated members, and that one of experts.
The first college will have 4 representatives maximum per continental organisation, only one
representative for an associated member. Each representative has one vote.
The second college is composed by the experts named in
Tehran on the 20th of January, 2009, at the world meeting organised
by UNESCO and active with ITSGA. Other experts may be appointed by the Council.
Each representative has one vote.
Voting can be, if necessary, organized in virtual mode
(electronic mail), and each organization can then use the total number of votes granted for the vote.
When the Congress is physical (With effective presence or
via video conference) absent members
will be able to vote in virtual mode. These votes
will be deducted from the
organization's total number of votes.
Other delegates as well as individual members have access to the Congress when it is physical. They do not have the right to vote and they cannot intervene in the debates, except with the agreement of the President of the Congress.
Art 8: The Congress organization
With an ordinary
character the Congress
is organised every year. The elective Congress or AGM is organised every three
years.
With an extraordinary character, the Congress meets each
time it shall be convened, by the President, at the request of the Council or
at least of one quarter of the members.
Quorum is half of the members with proxy voting.
The agenda is
set by the Council and shall be
sending to each affiliated organisation and individual member two months in
advance of the meeting.
Functions of the Congress will
be:
To hear reports of the Council and those of management on the activity and the
situation of the association.
To approve accounts and deliberate on the financial situation.
To organise the election of members of the Council and then the one of the president.
To decide and ratify the yearly memberships.
To approve the acceptance of new bodies and new individual
members.
To approve honorary members proposed by the Council.
To approve the internal rules of the association, and any
proposed changes.
To decide the dissolution of the association, if
necessary.
The minutes of the Congress and accounts shall be forwarded to all members.
Art 9: Council
of ITSGA
ITSGA is conducted by a Council of 15 people maximum,
elected in a personal capacity.
Candidates must be adults enjoying their full civic and
political rights. They are presented by their organisation or by the expert
college. These candidacies have to be sent to the Secretariat one month in advance.
The Council is composed,
if possible, by at least one
representative per continent member.
There are a maximum of three elected people as experts.
Voting is by a simple majority of the participants.
Elected people from organizations lose automatically their positions when they no
longer have responsibility in their original organization
(following a resignation or an electoral process).
In order to avoid any possible conflict of interest, no
member of the ITSGA Council may be a member of the Council of another
international organization of traditional sports or games that does not belong
to the ITSGA network.
Retiring members may be re-elected.
Art 10: Election of the Council and
President.
The Council
is elected for a period of three
years. This election can be organized in virtual
mode (electronic mail) or during an AGM in physical mode
(With effective presence, by video conference or hybrid), but by counting only the voters (physical or in
virtual mode).
Once the vote for the Council
has been made candidacies for the post of
President is called. Previously, when presenting their candidacies to the Council, candidates for the post of President must have also sent a ‘work
plan’ for the duration of the term of office. The President is then elected in
virtual or physical mode and the work plan is confirmed by the Council
as soon as a first meeting, in physical mode, is possible, at the same time that the vote for the executive committee.
Voting is by a simple majority of the delegates of the
Congress.
Art 11: President’s vacancy
In case of a vacancy to the post of President, the Council
elect an interim President, by a secret vote, among its members.
Art 12: Council meetings
The Council will have a meeting at least once a year and each time it shall be convened by the President or at the request of at least a quarter of its members. Meetings can be organised in virtual mode or in physical mode.
The quorum requires
the presence of at least half of the Council members,
including proxy-votes.
Proxy voting shall be permitted with a maximum of one vote per person. The
proxy vote has to be send by the concerned person to the secretariat before the
meeting.
Voting is by a simple majority of the participants.
A minute of all meetings
is taken and send to the all
members.
Art 13: Members
of the Council shall not be remunerated for their duties and
functions.
Art 14: Official
representation of ITSGA
The President, or his representative, represents ITSGA in
all acts of civic life. He shall sanction all expenditures.
In case of representation in courts of law, the President
may only be superseded by a trustee acting under special proxy.
ANNUAL RESOURCES
Art 15: The annual
resources of ITSGA are
composed of:
The fees of the affiliated members, when this
is solicited.
Donations
The financial surplus
from events
The subsidies from states, communities and public
institutions, etc.
Resources exceptionally created
The receipt of remuneration’s given for
rendered services
Art 16: When concerned an accounting is held in order to give a yearly financial balance and a result which are presented to the Congress.
MODIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION
AND DISSOLUTION
Art 17: Modification of the constitution
The Constitution shall only be modified by the Congress on
the proposal of the council or of a quarter of the members who compose the
general assembly.
Proposals to change the constitution shall be placed on the agenda, which shall be forwarded to the affiliated
bodies a minimum of one month in advance. The AGM must be composed at least of
a half of the affiliated organisations, with proxy voting.
In either case, modifications may only be permitted by a
majority vote of two thirds of those participants.
Art 18: Dissolution
The Congress convened on to take a decision on the
dissolution of ITSGA, and specially organized to that purpose, must include
half, plus one, of all affiliated members.
Should that proportion not be reached, the assembly shall
be reconvened after 30 minutes. Then
this new meeting may validly debate whatsoever the number of participating
members (virtual or physical mode).
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