Guest Lectures

Unlistened-to human and community rights challenges in the planning and delivery of mega-events

  • 13.00 - 14.00
  • 12 Oct 2022
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Unlistened-to human and community rights challenges in the planning and delivery of mega-events
Unlistened-to human and community rights challenges in the planning and delivery of mega-events: Case study evidence from a decade of Olympic and FIFA World Cup host destinations

Possessing a truth that no one will listen to, or believe, is frustrating at best, and a matter of life and death at worst. The Guardian (2021) reported that over 6500 migrant workers have died in the infrastructural programme related to the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, including new hotels, stadiums to transportation networks. Thousands more have been trafficked from Pakistan to Sri Lanka and currently dwell in poor living conditions (Amnesty International, 2021), yet these social justices barely register as a newsworthy story. This talk aims to stimulate dialogue around human rights and large-scale events by examining how and why communities and citizens can find themselves exploited in the maelstrom of organising and executing large-scale events; whose voices rarely surface, and rights fail to be attended to (EventRights, 2022). 

It is both a critical examination and thought piece intended to explain some of the reasons why we as individuals, and as a collective, often fail to act; and how we can better expose the labyrinth of subterfuge associated with exploitation occurring right now (Talbot & Carter, 2017). This is significant as inclusive and social sustainability objectives have become central to the rhetoric of event owners, organising committees and host destinations (Duignan, Everett & McCabe, 2022). More recently, we have seen the incorporation of UNSDGS as a northern star, but we have also seen the more active and strident language of human and community rights informing policy formation, practical implementation plans (e.g. IOC, 2022), to scholarly debate to emphasise how exploitative events can be on vulnerable citizens (FestSpace, 2022). I will attend to this shift and present reflections from a decade of Olympic and FIFA World Cup host destinations and suggest recommendations to help tackle this problematic.

The School of Events, Tourism and Hospitality Management host an ‘open’ research seminar series each year covering recent advances within the field. We have attracted speakers from universities across the globe to debate issues which affect the events, tourism and hospitality sector.

We welcome academics, students and practitioners to join us for these insightful sessions.

Mike is Head of Department and Reader in Events at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Surrey, and Director of the 'Observatory for Human Rights and Major Events' (HaRM) - the UK's official Olympic Studies Centre endorsed by the International Olympic Committee.

Mike’s work focuses on the social and economic impact of planning and staging major events at the community, regional, national and international level, with a specific emphasis on human and community rights.

As of November 2021 he became the Editor-in-Chief of Event Management journal

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