IBSA General Assembly Elects New Leadership
The International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) held its 6th General Assembly in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic from 13 to 15 September, 2001. The assembly was hosted by the Dominican Organization of the Blind, the national IBSA member organization.
Participation was rather high considering that the General Assembly coincided with the dreadful terrorist attacks on the United States. Many delegates were forced to cancel their journey as a result of the events of 11 September.
In total, 39 countries with voting rights attended the assembly. This ensured that the quorum was met and meant that more than 80 people took part in the assembly.
Among those attending the various events organized was the Dominican Republic’s First Lady. Her attendance and support ensured wide coverage from both local and national media.
The General Assembly itself went ahead in a normal, mature fashion, as befits a well established, consolidated federation. Elections to the Executive Committee were held on 14 September.
New IBSA Executive Committee
President: Enrique Pérez, Spain
Vice-President: Oral Miller, USA
Secretary General: Alberto Bravo, Argentina
Treasurer: Silvia Aldini, Italy
Technical Director: Brian Scobie, United Kingdom
Medical Director: Georges Challe, France
Continental Delegate Africa: Jean Reynolds Permal, Mauritius
Continental Delegate America: Germán Pérez, Puerto Rico
Continental Delegate Europe: Kannarath Meystre, Switzerland
Members at Large: Ilona Melounova, Czech Republic; Launel Scott, Canada; David Farias Costa, Brazil; Vladimir Vchivtsev, Russia
The newly elected Executive Committee held its first meeting immediately upon conclusion of the General Assembly. At this meeting, new IBSA guidelines for action for the period of office 2001-2005 were approved:
Relations with the IPC
- Seek closer cooperation with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), while defending firmly our convictions, and thus develop a closer relationship that can help us to achieve our objectives through consensus.
- Support the inclusion of sporting disciplines for the blind in the Paralympic Games, while defending the need to recognize and protect the specific needs of our athletes.
Internal Development
- Seek the mechanisms that ensure the maintenance and recognition of IBSA’s status as an independent international sports federation for the blind, the only world-wide voice for, and maximum authority of, blind sports.
- Guarantee the celebration every four years of the world blind sports championships that started with Madrid ’98, always in the period between the Summer Paralympic Games.
- Develop and boost the IBSA sports that already exist, thus increasing the range of options available to our sportsmen and -women.
- Strengthen the internal structures and communication by way of Internet, not just among the members of the Executive Committee, but also to facilitate the exchange of information, management training and a more active participation on the part of technical personnel and athletes. In addition, create an accessible database of authorised ophthalmologic classifiers.
- Establish different training programs and courses specifically designed for judges, referees, coaches for the different sports, as well as for the youngsters involved in grassroots sports, etc.
At a regional and national level
- Promote the organization of championships and competitions that help to develop top-level competition between world championships.
- Promote those agreements already in place in the developed countries and in certain areas of the developing regions.
- In cooperation with other blind organizations, boost grassroots and school sports as an essential integration tool and the source of our future blind athletes.
Promotion and image
- Develop a new image and publicity plan for IBSA that continues to publicize its objectives, principles and activities.
- Continue disseminating the corporate image of our federation.
- Ensure the website is kept up to date and improve its design and accessibility for visually impaired persons.
External Relations
- Strengthen relations with governments, particularly in those countries with severe shortcomings. Through solidarity, the greatest balance possible must be sought with the more developed nations, as far as the practice of blind sports is concerned.
- Contact the different international NGOs related to sporting activities, as well as the able-bodied sports federations in order to provide them with greater knowledge of our federation and to possibly find new economic resources.
The next meeting of the newly constituted Executive Committee is held in Madrid on December 14 to 15, 2001. On the agenda for this meeting, among other matters, is the discussion and approval of the final IBSA Action Plan and the selection of a host for the 2nd IBSA World Championships for the Blind, to be held in 2003.
Enrique Pérez, IBSA President
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