MANIFESTO FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORTS

This manifesto elaboration was dictated by the necessity of rendering aware and consolidating, amongthe people and the decision bodies, the role of physical education and sports1 in the modern Romanian society, asa health, education and social integration factor.The formative-educative motor activities are confronted with newly-issued dangers and challenges thathave imposed this approach:- the statistics about the population’s health state, particularly among the young people, emphasizealarming increases of the morbidity ratio, sedentariness and obesity being the main factorsresponsible for the onset of different physical and psychical disorders;- the perspective of a population with a precarious health and the diminution of people’s motorcapacity jeopardize the durable economic development and the national security;- the diminution of people’s perception upon the formative role played by physical education andsports, which is reflected by the reduced number of physical education lessons in the corecurriculum,for certain categories of pupils, as well as by the reduced time allotted to sportspracticing;- the alarming reduced number of children and young people who practice sports, under differentforms;- the diminution of the Romanian sports performances at the international level, especially whencompeting in major contests - Olympic Games, World Championships and EuropeanChampionships;- the lack of consistency when applying the legislation in force, in relation with physical educationand sports, as well as the disharmonic points of view expressed by the decision factors (ministries,agencies etc.);- the alarming increased number of violence and corruption acts on the sports arenas and outsidethem, the young athletes’ exploitation, doping, racism, facts that are detrimental to the sportsphenomenon very essence.This document aims at stimulating the elaboration of some social policies and developmental strategiesat the national and local levels, meant to encourage and support the different forms of physical education andsports practicing.