Dr Mahfoud Amara, Lecturer in Sport and Leisure Policy and Management at Loughborough University

Dr Amara's principal research area is comparative sports policy, and he has a specific interest in sport in Arabo-Muslim contexts (society, history, culture, religion, economy, Political and philosophical thoughts), having published material on the politics of the Pan-Arab Games, sport in colonial and post-colonial Algeria, sport and media in the Arab world, sport and modernisation debate in the Gulf region and comparative models of football development.

Presentation from Dr Mahfoud Amara

1. Geo-political context

1. The difficulty of promotion of a Kurdish identity which, though increasingly recognised today (at parliamentary, educational-cultural-linguistic and media levels) by the new political establishment of the Iraqi nation-state, is treated with suspicion in surrounding countries which have their own Kurdish minorities (Iran, Syria, Turkey).
2. The region is surrounded by Arab countries which are reluctant to see the historical Iraq nation-state dismantled into independent nations (one for each of the Kurds, the Sunni and Sh'iaa ). The rejection of such a scenario may well be shared by the International Community (including the international sport community, lead by the International Olympic Committee and International Federations).
3. The region of Kurdistan Iraq has also its own religious and ethnic minorities of Arabs, Turkmans, Christians, and other minority religious communities, principally in the oil- rich city of Kirkuk. These minorities are still in the process of re-thinking their identities as well their new legal and political status in a region politically dominated today by Kurdish population.
4. Iraq, including the region of Kurdistan, is under military occupation. This threatens the legitimacy of any political or economic project for the region.

2. Models of Sport Governance in Divided or 'Post-conflict' situations.

• Conflictual model: the example of Taiwan, first recognised as an independent entity and due to Chinese pressure (boycotting the IOC and the Olympic Games) have been re-attached to China, maintaining its independent organisational structure but competing as Republic of China.
• Integrationist Model: Basque and Catalan regions with strong local professional sport structure, representing the region at national level. Furthermore, a strategy for hosting international Games to promote regional autonomous identity and economy. The same is true for Hong Kong, which benefit from a large autonomous status.
• Compromise model: example of nations in Britain, with an increasingly less conflictual situation in Northern Ireland (which is still maintaining its link with the historical Irish nation through the Gaelic sport). For historical reasons, the development of modern football and FIFA structure which is based on national representations rather than nation-state, nations in Britain have maintained their national representations in Football, promoting their distinctive national identities (Welsh, English, Scottish, North Ireland). With a united British team in the Olympics promoting 'Britishness'.
• Status quo Model: the example of Cyprus and its divided Greek and Turkish population
• Separatist model: the example today of Kosovo, which is waiting to be recognised as a separate nation-state by the International community as well as the International sports organisations.
• Reconciliation model: South Africa illustrates this model with project for society based on positive discrimination which allows fair representation within all spheres of society, including sport structures, between an ex-oppressed majority and an ex-dominant minority. All this takes place under a paradigm of reconciliation and co-existence between communities.

3. Conflict, Preventing Conflict, or Post Conflict

• Sport development in a context of conflict (which is yet to be resolved)
• Sport development in a context of preventing conflict between communities living in the autonomous region of Kurdistan
• Sport development in a post-conflict context (both within the autonomous region of Kurdistan and within the larger entity of Iraq nation-state)

Further Information
Sport and Multicultural Dialogue: a review of policy in the 25 European Member States, Amara, M, Aquilina, D, and Henry, I with PMP Consultants - a study undertaken for the European Commission DG Education and Culture, 2004.

Sport, Refugees and Asylum Seekers, Amara, M, Aquilina, D, and Henry, I, Coalter, F, Taylor J a study undertaken for the European Commission DG Education and Culture, as part of the European Year of Education through Sport, 2004