VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 21

SOCHI’S BILLIONSSECONDARY RESOURCES

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

• Because of the lack of development in many parts of Russia, and the economic collapse that led to the fall of the Communist dictatorship in 1991, poverty is a major problem in Russia. Approximately 18 million Russians live in poverty, even though Russia is rich with money from oil.

• Starting in 1999, Russia began to rebuild its oil-producing industry, allowing it to be developed by private investors rather than being controlled by the government as it had been under the Soviet Union. Because of this, Russia has now become the largest producer and exporter of oil in the world. ere are believed to be 97 billionaires living in Russia, thanks mostly to the oil industry. Russia has the second most billionaires in the world.

• e spread of HIV and AIDS is a major problem in Russia. e Russian Federal HIV Center puts the official number of people infected with HIV at 703,781 as of November 2012. At least 70 per cent of

these people are drug addicts who likely got the virus from dirty needles. e United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates there are 2.5 million people addicted to drugs in Russia, and 90 per cent of them—1.8 million—use heroin, a drug that is injected with needles.

• Russia also has a problem with orphaned children. ere are believed to be at least 650,000 orphans in Russia. As many as 95 per cent of these orphans still have living parents, but were either abandoned by their parents, or were removed from their homes because of problems like abuse, or drug use. ese are referred to as “social orphans” in Russia.

• Ironically, even though these are the winter Olympics, Sochi is located in the warmest region in all of Russia—in a region known as “the Caucasus,” across the Black Sea from Turkey.

e following activities are designed to stimulate a current events discussion. Generative in nature, these questions can be a launching point for additional assignments or research projects.

Teachers are encouraged to adapt these activities to meet the contextual needs of their classroom.

In some cases, reading the article with students may be appropriate, coupled with reviewing the information sheet to further explore the concepts and contexts being discussed. From here, teachers can select from the questions provided below. e activity is structured to introduce students to the issues, then allow them to explore and apply their learnings. Students are encouraged to further re#ect on the issues.

NOTE TO EDUCATORS

KEY TERMSMiddle income country—e World Bank de$nes a middle income country as a country where, if you take all the money that all the people in the country earn in a year—its “Gross National Income”—and divide that by its number of citizens, it works out to an average income of $1,036 to $4,085 per person.

Virulent—Extremely dangerous or harmful. A disease that spreads quickly.

Supervised injection sites—Clinics where people who are addicted to drugs that are injected with a needle, like heroin, can go. e clinic gives out free clean needles, so the drug users do not get diseases like HIV or hepatitis from used, dirty needles. e drug users can also inject there under the supervision of health workers, so they don’t accidentally die of an overdose.

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Olympic stadium construction in Sochi, Russia.

THEMES AND COURSE CONNECTIONS • emes: Global Issues, Values and Ethics, Economy, Politics

• Course Connections: Business Studies, Canadian and World Studies, Social Sciences and the Humanities

SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS AND LEARNING GOALS Students will:

• Develop and express responses to issues and problems.

• Reassess their responses to issues on the basis of new information.

• Participate in active group work and class discussions.

• Communicate effectively in writing, orally or visually.

• Demonstrate the ability to think critically.

• Develop, express and defend a position on an issue.

DISCUSS 1. Is $50 billion spent on hosting the Olympic Games

reasonable? Are you shocked by how expensive the Olympics are? e column suggests some of that $50 billion would be better spent elsewhere? Do you agree? What could or should it be used for?

2. After reading the column, do you think it was irresponsible of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to give the Olympics to Russia? What other reasons might you question Russia as a suitable host for the Olympics?

3. Does hosting the Olympics expose the problems in Russia and thereby help them to solve those problems? Or, does it shift focus away from the real troubles plaguing Russia today?

4. In order to remain true to the values of Olympism enshrined in their own charter, should the IOC consider the human rights records and social welfare of countries before selecting them as hosts?

5. Should countries or individual athletes consider boycotting Games where such social problems exist? Why or why not?

6. Is it fair for city and Olympics officials to tear down buildings (like the outhouse on Akatsy Street) because they are “eyesores”? What would be a better solution?

7. e column calls for a new requirement for choosing Olympic host cities based on supporting the underprivileged. Do like this idea? Do you think it should be a part of the selection process?

DIVE DEEPER Remind students that while it is exciting to watch the Olympics, it is important to think critically about sport, social responsibility and the Olympic Movement.

Tell students that they have been selected to create a host city presentation for the IOC. Divide students into groups—or delegations—of three or four. Assign each delegation a city to represent (some suggestions include: Zaragoza, Spain; Munich, Germany; Oslo, Norway; Ostersund, Sweden; Krakow, Poland; Quebec City, Canada; Denver, United States; Geneva, Switzerland).

Provide each delegation with a copy of the Fundamental Principles of Olympism: http://www.svt.se/ug/ug-referens/article1769479.svt/binary/UGR-2014V-03-03s.pdf. Encourage students to read and consider what they mean. With the column and these principles in mind, have them brainstorm the elements that would be needed to host the Olympics (E.g. climate and weather conditions, sporting facilities, safety and security issues, transportation and accommodation, cultural values, environmental impact, etc.). Also have them consider what makes their city unique?

Have each delegation research their city online or in the library and prepare their pitch. Allow each delegation $ve minutes to make the case for their city in front of the class. After all delegations have had their turn, invite the entire class to decide which city will host the next Winter Olympics by a vote.

Wrap up the class by discussing the social responsibility of the Olympic Movement. Ask: Based on what we’ve learned about the costs and the social impacts the Games can have on the host country, do you think it’s worth it?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Jennings, Andrew. e Great Olympic Swindle: When the World Wanted Its Games Back. Simon & Schuster: 2000.

Shaw, Christopher A. Five Ring Circus: Myths and Realities of the Olympic Games. New Society Publishers: 2008.

Zirin, Dave. “e 2014 Sochi Olympics: Something for Everyone!” e Nation, February 5, 2014. Accessed February 5, 2014. http://www.thenation.com/blog/178250/2014-sochi-olympics-something-everyone

Photo Credit: Mikhail Mokrushin, 3 May 2011. http://visualrian.ru/ru/site/gallery/#906784. Commons:RIA Novosti.

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