ABSTRACT
Mega-sporting events (MSEs) often result in a flurry of urban interventions, public policy legislation and dedicated governance structures. They also provide a powerful platform for countries to rebrand and ‘sportswash’ their image under the global spotlight. This convergence has produced unique reactions of resistance. The proximity between the FIFA Men’s World Cup Brazil 2014 and Rio 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games resulted in transversal coalitions of researchers, civil society organisations, labour unions and community leaders called ‘popular committees’. Simultaneously, diverse groups of advocates from global organisations came together as the Sport & Rights Alliance, aiming to represent those most impacted by sport and advocate for systemic reforms. With the common objectives of acting as a force multiplier for independent civil society and representing people and communities impacted by MSEs, these coalition examples provide a groundbreaking analytical framework to examine the advancement of human rights. This chapter showcases the social change potential of intersectional coalitions of people and communities affected by sports. We argue that these initiatives are thriving models for supporting a people-centred, lived experience approach to MSEs, providing a powerful path towards positive MSEs human rights legacies and fulfilling sport’s mission of becoming an authentic force for good.
