Guadalajara 2010

The 11th International Congress of Educating Cities “Sport, Public Policies and Citizenship. Challenges for an Educating City” took place in Guadalajara (Mexico) from 22nd to 24th April 2010.

Despite the European airspace disruptions caused by the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjalla, nearly 1400 political and technical delegates from local governments and representatives from civil society organisations from 97 cities of 13 countries attended the presentations and debates.

The Congress‟ Scientific Committee, made up of a group of people from the academic and political world and sports professionals, selected a total of 154 experiences. Of these, 118 were presented in thematic workshops or in the poster area.

The presentations of experiences were preceded by a plenary conference, led by the former sportswoman and president of the Baccigalupo Foundation, Ms Cecilia Baccigalupo, and the manager of the Foundation, Ms Andrea Benaim, and a second one led by an academic from the Institute of Sciences Applied to Physical Activity, of the University of Guadalajara, Dr Pedro Reynaga.

Also worth noting is the Round Table of Experts on “Sport, Public Policies and Citizenship”. Academics such as Dr. Clara Jusidman, President and Founder of the Mexican Association Iniciativa Ciudadana y Desarrollo Social; Dr. Alicia Ziccardi, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Social Research at the National Autonomous University of Mexico; Dr. Joan Manuel del Pozo, Councilor of the Catalan Audiovisual Media Corporation; and Dr. Diana Sagástegui, Professor at the University of Guadalajara, participated.

Another highlight of the Congress was the celebration of a Round Table of Mayors with the purpose of debating and sharing experiences around the design and implementation of local sports policies. The Table was chaired by the Mayor of Guadalajara, Mr. Aristòtil Sandoval, and participated by the Mayors of Mollet del Vallès, Mr. Josep Monrás; Sorocaba (Brazil), Mr. Vitor Lippi; and Vallenar (Chile), Mr. Cristian Tapia.