OpEd: Speak Up Now to Change Olympics

(ATR) The IOC may not be known for listening to what the public thinks about the Olympics, but fans and critics alike currently have an extraordinary opportunity to have their say on what's needed for the Games of the 21st Century.

December 31 is the deadline for the public to voice ideas and opinions to the IOC via the so-called Virtual Congress. The online portal was established as part of preparations for the 2009 Olympic Congress next October in Copenhagen.

There have been 12 previous Olympic Congresses since 1894, but never has public comment been so openly welcomed to help shape the debate and discussion. And since the last congress in 1994, the maturation of internet and digital communication has truly opened the doors for public participation.

Submissions from the public will be reviewed and compiled in the months leading up to the Copenhagen meeting, ultimately being incorporated into three days of deliberations Oct. 3 to 5.

The website www.2009congress.olympic.org explains the guidelines and rules for submissions. There's even a Facebook page for the congress, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lausanne-Switzerland/Olympic-Congress-2009/37450220168.

The Olympic Movement in Society is the broad theme of the Olympic Congress. It is further divided into five areas for discussion and debate:

* The Athletes

* Olympic Games

* The Structure of the Olympic Movement

* Olympism and Youth

* The Digital Revolution

Clear writing, less than 1000 words in English or French only, are basic requirements. Don't fret about length: 200 words can be just as impactful as 1000 words.

The IOC also will select 20 contributors to the Virtual Congress to travel to Copenhagen. Airfare, hotel and meals will be included in the award, as will the opportunity to participate in the Olympic Congress. (Unlike the Virtual Congress, the Olympic Congress will be open only to credentialed delegates).

Now is the time for ideas.

How to keep the Olympics a premier event?

What kind of attention should be paid to elite athletes when they finish their Olympic careers?

Do you have ideas about how to stimulate the interest of young people in the Olympics?

Are events such as the Youth Olympic Games needed ?

What changes are needed for the governance of the Olympic Movement?

Is the IOC a private club or an organization that belongs to the world?

Do ethics rules need to be expanded to include sports federations and national Olympic committees?

Should the IOC have more influence over international federations?

What's the best way to keep government out of the affairs of sports and NOCs?

Should the IOC take stands on political issues that affect athletes or the staging of the Games?

What role should sponsors play beyond paying for the Games?

How can digital technologies increase viewership of the Olympics?

How will the spread of digital technology change the way rights for the Olympics and other sports events are sold?

Some of these are tame topics, others provocative. There's no right or wrong idea or opinion to express for the Virtual Congress. With just six weeks to the Dec. 31 deadline -- just say it, to paraphrase the Nike admonition.

While adhering to principles of democracy and corporate transparency, the IOC still does not have a reputation as an organization open to ideas from the outside (or even from the inside, as some Olympic Family members and stakeholders might claim).

Never before in its 112 years has the IOC paused to sincerely ask the people of the world, the Olympic Movement and stakeholders, what do you think?

Don't miss the opportunity to reply.

Op Ed is a weekly column of opinion and ideas from Around the Rings. Comments, as well as guest columns are welcomed: comment@aroundtherings.com