Topic: Using Global Sport as an Engine for Development
Country: Guatemala
Delegate Name: Lauren VanderZyden
School: East Grand Rapids High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Guatemala position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
While globalized sporting events such as the Olympics and the Fifa World Cup are wonderful at generating revenue and stimulating the economy in the countries that host them, these organizations are known for backdoor trading and accepting the highest bidder rather than sharing the wealth among nations that really could use the economic stimulation. As a nation, Guatemala is frequently and consistently discounted from hosting such games because of our financial struggles and instability. The people of Guatemala are frustrated and discouraged by the tendency of these organizations to discount them as a nation. Guatemala should be given the same opportunities to host said games.
In general, the Olympic Committee and Fifa allow for countries with the highest revenue to bid on spots in upcoming years for hosting of the games. This is fun and competitive for those countries who are able to put their names in for bidding, but it is discouraging to countries such as Guatemala and other poverty-stricken countries who would like to participate more fully in the games and ultimately host the games at some point if possible. It would be nice for the economy of Guatemala to receive the stimulation that the Olympics or World Cup would provide, but with the current competitive nature of the games, Guatemala is not in a stable enough situation economically to be able to compete for a spot in hosting the games. Something needs to be done about this so that the countries whose economies are suffering can also benefit from the economic stimulation provided by the Olympics and related sporting events.
As of right now, Guatemala does not have any plans to place bids in any of the games because the prices and stakes are just too high. If the pricing were lowered or countries who hadn’t hosted yet were given an opportunity, these games would be a better example of stimulation for our global economy. Not only would impoverished countries get to rebuild their infrastructure, countries that were better off could focus on preparations for their turn to host the games instead of worrying about which year to bid for a spot in.
All in all, I think that the systems in place are unfair to those at the bottom. Unless you live in a rich country that is well-off economically, the Olympics and the World Cup really do not have any appeal in terms of bidding-it is simply a waste of money. If these organizations would be willing to negotiate new requirements for hosting the games, Guatemala and other impoverished countries like it would be much more likely to enjoy themselves and participate more thoroughly in the games.
Works Cited
Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.
@olympics. "2024 Evaluation Commission Working Group Concludes Review of Candidature Files Part 1." International Olympic Committee. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.
@fifacom. "Fédération Internationale De Football Association (FIFA) – FIFA.com." FIFA.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.
