1. FC Union Berlin receives Ethics in Sports Award 2022 from WFEB

To recognize outstanding sustainable contributions in the sports arena and beyond, the World Forum for Ethics in Business since 2014 honors outstanding organizations and individuals with the Ethics in Sports Award.  The 2022 Ethics in Sports Award in the category ‘Outstanding Organization’ was conferred upon Germany’s first league soccer club 1. FC Union Berlin e.V.

Brussels, 1 November 2022 – In a moving ceremony during the 6th World Summit on Ethics & Leadership in Sports from 13-14 October 2022 in Bangalore, India, the current Bundesliga front-runner 1. FC Union Berlin was announced as winner of the Ethics in Sports Award in the category ‘Outstanding Organization’

Addressing the audience via video message upon announcement of the Award, 1. FC Union Berlin‘s President Dirk Zingler said: ‘To be honored with the Ethics in Sports Award for ‚Outstanding Organization‘ fills us with pride and gratitude. 1. FC Union Berlin and the many people who shape it have always seen football as being a part of society that has the power to be effective far beyond the borders of sport. I accept this Award with great pride for all those committed to serving the social needs of people in and around our club.’

By conferring the Award for “Outstanding Organization” to 1. FC Union Berlin, the Board of Directors of the World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB) recognized in particular 1. FC Union Berlin’s deeply-rooted social responsibility and commitment to address social issues through their various initiatives, which, among others, use sport as a tool in the education and development of the young generation and teach important values such as respect, tolerance and teamwork. Through 1. FC Union Berlin’s achievements and value-driven initiatives, the organization serve as a role model not only for the sport, but for the community at large. 1. FC Union Berlin has impressively shown that sporting success and social responsibility can go hand in hand, and, in fact, that a leadership-style based on human values and ethics are the pillar for sustainable success.

About the Award
The Ethics in Sports Award stems from the annual Ethics in Business Award conferred by the World Forum for Ethics in Business to honor individuals and companies that have demonstrated the importance of human values and ethics in life and in the business arena. The Award was instituted in 2006, and is presented annually at the International Leadership Symposium organized by the World Forum for Ethics in Business at the European Parliament. 18 winners have received this award over the past years.

In 2014, for the first time, WFEB recognized outstanding sustainable contributions in the sports arena and once again in 2016, 2018 and 2019. The Ethics in Sports Award recognizes an organization and / or individual that have been a leading role model in radiating and embodying ethical behavior in life and in the sports area. The recipients have inspired people to observe and practice human values, and to give equal, if not greater importance, to human values vis-à-vis success in sports. Winners are selected by the Board of Directors of the WFEB.

About the 6th World Summit on Ethics & Leadership in Sports
The 6th World Summit on Ethics & Leadership in Sports was held from 13-14 October 2022 in Bangalore, India and welcomed more than 400 delegates from 45 countries to seek a roadmap for protecting the original values of sports, and to unite people through sports in a post-pandemic world riddled by conflict, economic crisis and mental health issues.

The Summit was organized by the World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB), a Brussels-based global NGO with special consultative status at the United Nations’ ECOSOC, in partnership with Dr. Rau Foundation, and is a continuation of WFEB’s dedicated Ethics in Sports conference series. Earlier summits were held in collaboration with institutions such as FIFA, FC Union Berlin, Anti-Doping Norway and FairSport.

Contact:
WFEB Press Office
Cirstin Ehlers
T: +49 151 43101428
E: press(at)wfeb.org

Program: 2nd Anti-Doping in Sports Conference, 4 June, Oslo

For the second year in a row, the World Forum for Ethics in Business, Anti-Doping Norway and FairSport team up for a joint conference on current anti-doping issues in the sports world. The theme of the conference is “Athletes, Sports, Sponsors and Broadcasters –  A Cooperation for clean and ethical sport”

The conference is a continuation of the 1st Anti-Doping in Sports Conference held in 2018. During the 1st edition, a description of the current status of the International Anti-Doping work was presented.

The 2nd edition will be held at the Bristol Hotel in Oslo on 4 June 2019 from 10:30 am to 4 pm . The main topic will be to discuss how athletes, sports, sponsors and broadcasters can work more closely together to ensure more accountability for clean and ethical sport.
International sports is driven and somewhat processed by its spectators, transmitted through broadcasters and media coverage. The same coverage is the basis for sponsors and supporters buying products associated to their «heroes». This is the core of the business of Sports.

The key objectives will be to assess the current landscape and to discuss how these important sport stakeholders can use practical means to influence strict enforcement of clean and ethical sport to protect athletes’ rights and the long-term sustainability and growth of sport.

The conference proceedings will also see the conferment of the WFEB Ethics in Sports Award 2019, an award that recognizes an outstanding organization and / or individual that have been a leading role model in radiating and embodying ethical behaviour in life and in the sports arena.


 PROGRAM

Conference moderator: Rajita Kulkarni, President – World Forum for Ethics in Business

09.30-10.30
Registration

10.30-11.00 
Welcome
Kamzy Gunaratnam, Vice Mayor of Oslo  (5 min)
Thorhild Widvey, Chair – Antidoping Norge (5 min)
Vibecke Sørensen, 1st Vice-President, Norwegian Olympic Committee (5 min)
H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder – World Forum for Ethics in Business (10 min)

11.00-11.20 
The current landscape
Johann Olav Koss, Chair – FairSport

11.20-11.45 
The media’s perspective
David Walsh, author and award-winning journalist – Sunday Times

11.45-12.35
Round table – Athlete’s Perspective – the role of the athlete, sponsor, broadcaster and sport in clean and ethical sport
Moderator: Christoph Glaser, Managing Director – World Forum for Ethics in Business
Petria Thomas, Olympic Swimmer – Australia
Petr Koukal, Olympic Badminton Athlete – Czech Republic and member of WADA Athlete Committee

12.35-13.05
Break

13.05-13.30
Commercial partners role in Athletes Rights and safeguarding the athletes
Lars Løddesøl, CFO at Storebrand (12mins)
Steinar Hoen, CEO at Bislett Games (12mins)

13.30-13.45
Crisis Management
Alexander Koch, former Deputy Head of Communication at FIFA; Spokesperson, World Vision Switzerland (15mins)

13.45-14.05
Navigating the dilemma between being a licensee of a sports broadcast and conveying editorial news materiel from the same event.
Egil Sundvor, Head of Sport Department at NRK (The Norwegian Broadcasting Company). (10mins)
– Media’s role in Athlete rights and safeguarding the athletes? Nick Butler, ARD (10mins)

14.05-14.25
Sports federations role in clean and ethical sport
Svein Arne Hansen, President European Athletics (10mins)
Sarah Lewis, Secretary General, FIS (10mins) “The role required from
international federation to safeguard the brand and interest in Olympic sport”. The story what FIS is doing after Seefeld?

14.25-15.20
Panel discussing with broadcasters, sport, commercial partners and athletes – What is needed to do to maintain ethics and fair sport.
Moderator: Clayton Cosgrove, New Zealand
Petria Thomas, Olympic Swimmer, Australia
Svein Arne Hansen, President European Athletics
Sara Lewis, Secretary General, FIS
Lars Løddesøl, CFO at Storebrand
Egil Sundvor, Head of Sport Department at NRK
Nick Butler, ARD
Discussion with Q and A from the floor.

15.20-15.35
Ethics in Sports Award

15.35-15.45
Linda Helleland, Vice President – WADA

15.45-16.00
Key Recommendations & Closing
Anders Solheim, CEO – Anti-Doping Norway