Inclusive together
- The city's application scored points with concepts that promote inclusion locally.
- The Jena Inclusion Festival is to take place as part of the Special Olympic World Games under the motto "Disabilities are to be reckoned with"
The kick-off has been made, the decisions have been taken - and the joy is huge: Jena will be one of 216 host towns during the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023. The world's largest inclusive sporting event will take place in Berlin from 17 to 25 June 2023. The decisive factor for selection as a host city was primarily concepts for inclusive projects on site. Jena scored highly with its "Inclusive Jena Action Plan", which has been supporting measures to improve the integration of people with disabilities in the city since the 2017 city council resolution. The proposal to hold the inclusion festival "Mit Behinderungen ist zu rechnen" as part of the Special Olympics World Games Berlin in Jena was also convincing.
Lord Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche is delighted about Jena's appointment as host city:
"In 2017, we adopted the 'Inclusive Jena' action plan with the aim of implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in concrete terms locally and launching measures in culture, leisure and sport in Jena. Being the host city of the world's largest inclusive sporting event will be a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of this important topic.
And as a city, we can be part of the nationwide program,
are delighted Benjamin Koppe, Head of Sports, and Vanessa Baum, Sports Officer.
The appointment as a host town shows that our efforts to date on the way to an inclusive sports landscape are pointing in the right direction. Now we need to make use of the resulting opportunities and networks and continue to promote the topic of inclusion and self-determined participation in our urban society.
says Benjamin Koppe.
Jena's bid to host the Special Olympics World Games was initially drawn up in a small group involving Department 2 (Sport), JenaKultur, Department 4 (Social Affairs and Education) and the City Sports Association. Additional partners will be brought on board for the further preparation of the supporting program. Vanessa Baum says:
'In Jena, we have many players who care about inclusion. Three inclusion companies and two workshop locations alone offer a wide variety of activities. The local players will give the athletes a warm welcome and make varied encounters possible.
Jena Inclusion Festival to help break down fears of contact
The host towns are preparing the reception for the international delegations. Over four days, from 12 to 15 June 2023, Jena will host the athletes and their families before the start of the competitions in Berlin. The delegations will get to know the country and its people. They will get to know the city's regional characteristics and unique features up close. The Jena Inclusion Festival is also set to take place in 2023.
Jonas Zipf, Director of JenaKultur, says:
The dovetailing of sport, culture and inclusion will create further opportunities with the Inclusion Festival, in particular to sensitize urban society to the still predominantly marginalized topic of inclusion. At the same time, the festival aims to promote openness among people without disabilities, who lack points of contact in everyday life, through opportunities for encounters and direct exchange at work and leisure level.
Making inclusion (more) tangible
Special Olympics Germany (SOD) is the German organization of the world's largest sports movement for people with intellectual and multiple disabilities, officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023, the world's largest inclusive sporting event, will make inclusion more tangible. People with intellectual disabilities will become visible, encounters will become easier and interaction will become more natural. In Berlin's Olympic Stadium, on Alexanderplatz - and also in Jena thanks to the program.