Episode 26 : Sports & Rights Season – Sportswashing Artwork

The Keeper: A Human Rights Podcast

Hosted by Lantos Foundation President, Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, The Keeper features in depth conversations about the most pressing matters of human rights and justice around the world and welcomes some of the most important human rights figures of our time as guests.The Keeper takes its name from the personal conviction of the Lantos Foundation's namesake Congressman Tom Lantos, fully lived out in his own life, that we have a moral and ethical obligation to be our brother and sister’s keeper. This guiding principle led Congressman Lantos to found the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and use his eloquence, leadership, and personal passion to advocate fiercely on behalf of those whose human rights were being trampled in every corner of the world.

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The Keeper: A Human Rights Podcast

Episode 26 : Sports & Rights Season – Sportswashing

July 29, 2024 • The Lantos Foundation

In this episode of our Sports & Rights season, we take an in-depth look at a topic we touched on in the first episode – sportswashing. We speak to journalists, human rights advocates, and academics to help unpack what this term means and why it matters. We also delve into some of the most successful examples of sportswashing, ranging from ancient Egypt right up to the present day. We examine the impact of sportswashing and raise some important questions about who bears responsibility for standing up to the authoritarian regimes that seek to use sports as a form of soft power.

Human Rights Foundation: Celebrities & Dictators

A History of Sports and Dictators (by Karim Zidan, via Human Rights Foundation)

How the NBA got into business with an African dictator (by Mark Fainaru-Wada, via ESPN)

It is time to change how we talk about Saudi sports (by Karim Zidan, via Sports Politika)

Sport & Rights Alliance

Watch:

Sports & Politics | The Struggle for Freedom, Explained (via Human Rights Foundation)

Producers: Chelsea Hedquist, Brittany Smith

Audio editor: Brittany Smith

Music: Riorr by Audiorezout