6.6.2007

 

 

The objective of the workshop was to review the present situation in the NBDSF member countries, to review the NBDSF activities as a whole with SWOT-analysis, to prepare the sports festivals of next year, to draft the NBDSF action plan for 2007-2012, to prepare the election of the next president, and to discuss the forthcoming symposium of ICSD in July 2007 in Zagreb.

 

At the workshop the above mentioned objectives were carried out according to the plans. This memorandum includes the most central issues discussed at the workshop. 

Finland was responsible for both chairing and financing of the workshop.

 

The appendix of this memorandum includes the participant list of the workshop with the e-mail addresses, the NBDSF SWOT and plan of action for 2007-2012. 

 

A representative from each country presented a short introduction on the present situation of their own deaf sports federation. It was a pleasure to note especially that the activities of the Deaf sports federations from Denmark and Iceland had developed well after their financial and functional problems during the past few years.

 

The situation in Norway seems quite worrying. For instance, Norway did not have any representatives in Salt Lake City. It had been impossible to receive any further information on the situation in Norway because Norway was not present at the workshop.

 

Iceland mentioned that they are not satisfied with the EDSO activities. Especially the communication between the EDSO administration and Iceland has been very poor.

 

Joint issues between the member countries were for instance general appreciation of the deaf sports compared to the Paralympics activities, challenges in co-operation and communication between the federations and sports clubs, decrease in national competition activities and in numbers of participants, financial challenges, decrease of volunteers and elected officials.

 

It was noted that only the Deaf sports federations from Finland and Sweden had chosen also the development of women's and girls' physical exercise and sports activities as their field of priority. In addition to that only the sports federations mentioned above organise training sessions and seminars for their sports clubs regularly. Some of the member countries also have great challenges in co-operating equally with the national Paralympics organisations.

 

During a discussion it was decided that a joint declaration will be drafted together where a plea will be sent to authorities in the NBDSF member countries in order to receive funding for physical exercise and sports activities of the deaf that is equal with the funding of the activities of hearing and Paralympics organisations.

The NBDSF SWOT-analysis drafted on 17-18.11.2004 was reviewed. It was agreed that it still is valid. The drastic decrease in the number of participants in the NBDSF games was added in the weaknesses. (SWOT appended)

 

These will be the first this kind of sports festivals ever. That is why the festivals' sports programme will be limited into ten sports. The goal is to organise festivals that are as first class as possible in order to ensure the continuation of the sports festivals. Thus it is important to create an event with as good reputation as possible so that the sports festivals to be organised in 2012 would receive as large participation as possible to commemorate the NBDSF 100th anniversary.

 

To please the organisers of the festivals the sports programme of the sports festivals was decided as follows: Track and Field, Mini-football, Golf, Bowling, Floorball, Park-orienteering, Badminton, Swimming, Street-basketball and beachvolley. In addition to these a Tug- of war will be added in the sports programme. When it comes to Minigolf and Tennis, the situation is still open.  

 

The international rules of each sports federation will be followed in the competition rules of each sport held during the festivals. Urban Mesch and Juha-Matti Aaltonen were given the authority to use their consideration in using flexibility in some of the rules when needed. Aaltonen and Mesch were given the authority to use their own judgement in the possible division into sections, drafting the time-table for the games and other practical organisational issues.

 

Further a plea was sent to the member countries to prepare themselves for possible hassles and other challenges in the organisation of the games because the festivals will be organised for the first time and on an island.

 

The official invitations for the games and pre-registration forms will be sent to the NBDSF member countries in September. Additional information on travelling and accommodation possibilities and prices will be sent together with the pre-registrations. The member countries are responsible themselves for forwarding the invitations to their own member clubs.

 

The final registration should be made by the end of April next year and the names of the participants should be sent to the organisers of the festivals a month prior to the event.

 

A decision was made that each national organisation should agree to do marketing for the festivals to increase the number of participants. It was noted that the number of preliminary registrations has been disappointingly low.

 

The Deaf Sports Federations in Finland and Sweden will apply financial support for the organisational expenses of the festivals. In addition, financial support will be asked from the Mariehamn and Åland governments. 

 

 

It was decided that the final decision on the enclosed plan of action could be made at the NBDSF ordinary meeting on the following day. The action plan for 2010-2012 will be approved at the meeting in 2009.

 

After a discussion a decision was made to propose the following to the NBDSF ordinary meeting: 

 

Estonia     2007- 2011

Denmark     2011- 2015

Latvia     2015- 2019

 

The idea is that after every other four year period the country of presidency would be from a Nordic country and after that from a Baltic country, in turns.

 

It was noted that at least the representatives of Finland and Sweden from the NBDSF member countries have plans to participate in this symposium. Iceland mentioned that they have not even received an invitation to this event. The participation of other countries was still open.

 

The organisational structure on the agenda of the symposium was reviewed where the activities of ICSD (Deaflympics) and the World Championships would function separately - however under the ICSD. It was agreed that this proposal for changing of the organisational structure was still unclear and demanded careful reviewing in Zagreb. The objective of this symposium is to prepare new organisation, Vision and fields of priority for the ICSD to be discussed and decided upon at the Congress in Taipei.

 

The memorandum was drafted by Juha-Matti Aaltonen