奧林匹克抗議運動打開它的視域對主辦者
星期三， 2008年4月23日
由 Tania Branigan 并且 保羅・ Kelso |
連接的圓環在每個中國焦炭瓶和飛躍的運動員在每麥克唐納紙袋作證到世界的最大的公司相信的力量這夏季奧運會揮動。
但花費巨大的總和，主辦北京比賽的公司將由抗議的成功促進的運動家發現自己一場新，更加蒼勁的戰爭的目標在中國的人權紀錄沿火炬中轉路線。
昨天西藏小組的聯合警告可口可樂它是「complicit在一個人道主義災害」，除非它使用它的影響保證西藏從火炬路線投下了。 并且明天，夢想為Darfur將發射一個重要「報告卡」在比賽的主辦者。
運動家敦促公司按國際奧林匹克委員會和北京為變動-或冒險損壞他們的品牌。 「公司[誰不行動]將得到物理抗議; 他們將收到信件; 我們將要求人關閉他們的廣告」，主任說Ellen Freudenheim，公司勝過在夢想為Darfur，爭辯說，他們在蘇丹應該給中國施加壓力施加壓力作為它的主要油買家。
顯示中國的橄欖球上尉的廣告
鄭Zhi在北京。 相片： 色味淡的雪茄煙Cortes或路透社
「主辦者不制訂政策，并且我們瞭解那。 但結合他們有關於國民生產總值加拿大，世界的第八大經濟的等值; 他們有政府事務辦公室; 他們有遊說的企業; 他們有國際存在-，并且他們全都參與政治」。
謹慎的活動家瞄準太代表品牌的星： 喬治Clooney已經說他提出了Darfur的問題與Ω、奧林匹克主辦者和給做廣告他的手錶製造者。 目標將創造多米諾作用，因為spokespeople或消費者壓力主辦者，反之推擠IOC入遊說中國。
每一個12個全球性夥伴為今年事件支付了£30-40m 4年的成交。 IOC女發言人昨天說： “A number of companies engage in partnerships with the IOC and the Olympic Movement to help us fund the work we do and spread the Olympic values. Their support is key not only to the success of the Olympic Games but also to the sustainability of the Olympic Movement.
In the period 2001-2004, sponsors contributed $1,459m, 39% of the IOC’s revenue.
Activists believe their protests are already having an effect. The angry reception afforded the Beijing torch relay in London, Paris and San Francisco earlier this month caused acute discomfort to the relay sponsors Coca-Cola, Lenovo and Samsung. Last week, Human Rights Watch accused “cowardly” partners of “remaining “largely silent” in the face of abuses; just a few days earlier the media freedom body Reporters Without Borders disrupted Coca-Cola’s annual general meeting.
Campaigners say some sponsors are raising concerns privately.
“Realistically, everyone who signed up for Beijing knew there were various risks involved,” said Damien Ryan, a Hong Kong-based media consultant advising several sponsors. He acknowledged that this “risk factor has escalated”. Activists are well aware that multinationals hope sponsoring the Beijing games will give them privileged access to 1.3 billion increasingly wealthy people without entrenched purchasing habits.
“Almost all of the top level sponsors want to leverage the games to a better market position in China,” said David Wolf, president of Beijing-based corporate advisers Wolf Group Asia.
Olympic sponsors argue it is simply unfair to hold them responsible for every action by the Chinese authorities.
The sportswear giant Adidas, a Beijing rather than IOC partner, said in a statment it was “conscious of the exceptional importance of the protection of human rights”. “Sponsors, however, should not be expected to solve political issues. We clearly see the limits of our influence.”
A Coca-Cola spokesperson pointed out that the soft drinks giant had supported the Olympics since 1928, expressed “deep concern” for the situation in Tibet and cited its support for charities working in Sudan.
Amnesty has asked all Beijing games partners to raise human rights concerns directly with the IOC and Beijing.
“The universal declaration on human rights calls on every individual and organ of society, which includes corporations, to ensure human rights are respected. Corporations do have influence, and we would call on them to exert it publicly,” said Robert Gooden, Amnesty’s Asian-Pacific campaign co-ordinator.
See More:Sports World NewsHave Your Say: Olympic protest movement turns its sights on to sponsors
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008at 5:44 amand is filed under Activism News, Sports News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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