The Globe and Mail

Pierre de Coubertin established the modern Olympic Games as a “demonstration project” for his strategy of social change. Sport and culture were to be means to the end of a more ambitious, interculturally aware cadre that would work together for social betterment. But in the intervening years, “sport for its own sake” has outdistanced the de Coubertin project, so much so that critics say it should be abandoned. Bruce Kidd argues for the continuing relevance of de Coubertin’s ambition and explores how recent Games, including Vancouver 2010, have contributed to making the world a better place.

Dr. Bruce Kidd is a professor and dean with the Faculty of Physical Education at the University of Toronto. He has participated in the Olympic Games as an athlete (track and field, 1964), journalist (1976), contributor to the arts and culture programs (1976 and 1988) and social scientist (1988 and 2000). Kidd chaired the Olympic Academy of Canada between 1983 and 1993 and served on Toronto's bid committees for the Olympic Games of 1996 and 2008. Throughout his lengthy involvement, he has constantly sought to educate athletes, decision makers and members of the public about the broad humanitarian ideals of the Olympic Movement, and the aspirations for education through sports.

Canada is an Arctic nation and this presentation is an introduction to the Arctic, its sea ice and the climate that is changing so rapidly. What are the basic processes of sea ice formation and why are these important to the Arctic marine ecosystem? How are the changes we are seeing in the Arctic of critical importance, not only to the area itself but to people who live in more temperate and tropical parts of our planet? We are currently seeing in the Arctic concerning trends and variability. He concludes with a description of how global scale climate variability and change is connected to the Canada’s Arctic and why this is so important for sustainable development of the region’s resources, sovereignty and security and for its indigenous peoples.

Dr. David Barber obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Manitoba, and his PhD (1992) from the University of Waterloo. He joined the faculty at the University of Manitoba in 1993 and received a Canada Research Chair in Arctic System Science (chairs.gc.ca) in 2002. He is currently director of the Centre for Earth Observation Science (umanitoba.ca/ceos) and associate dean (research), Clayton H. Ridell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources. Barber has extensive experience in the examination of the Arctic marine environment as a system, and the effect climate change has on this system. He currently leads the largest International Polar Year (IPY) project in the world, known as the Circumpolar Flaw Lead (CFL) system study (ipy-cfl.ca).

Turning to science to enhance individual performance can raise powerful ethical questions. If we could predict from a brain scan who among our youth is likely to be an Olympic champion, how should we use this information? If we learned that antidepressant medication increases the brain’s ability to coordinate movement, should it be banned as performance enhancing? These questions and more will be tackled as we explore what makes us uniquely human in our perilous pursuit of perfection.

Dr. Judy Illes is professor of Neurology and Canada research chair in neuroethics at the University of British Columbia. She is director of the National Core for Neuroethics at UBC, and also holds an appointment as adjunct professor in the School of Population and Public Health at UBC and as a faculty affiliate of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington, in Seattle, Washington. Illes is a co-founder and executive committee member of the Neuroethics Society, and Chair of Women in World Neuroscience for International Brain Research Organization. Illes conducts high-impact, high-visibility research on the ethical, legal, social and policy challenges at the intersection of neuroscience and biomedical ethics. Her work advances the discovery, translation and commercialization of new technologies for the brain into society, with the objectives to promote human well-being across cultures and nations, optimize brain health, mitigate the consequences of diseases of the brain such as addiction and dementia, and expand the engagement of key stakeholders in neuroscience on a global scale.

In this provocative podcast, Joe Velaidum asks the big question of the meaning of life. Given the brute fact of death, what is the point in persisting at trying to rebel against the tyranny of time? Why aren’t more of us beset by doubt, powerlessness and depression? In unpacking these ideas, Dr. Velaidum suggests that, like an Olympian, most of us have an inescapable need

to transcend our given human natures and strive to become more than we are by connecting to something greater than what our separated and individual existences allow.

Dr. Joe Velaidum is university director for Student Engagement and Retention, the founding director of the Centre for Christianity and Culture, and chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island. He has published numerous articles on the Canadian literary and cultural critic Northrop Frye, and is now working on multimedia and book-length projects dealing with the meaning of atheism and faith in the modern world.

Three concepts that encapsulate the experience and spirit of Olympic and Paralympic athletes are explored: laughing, dreaming and sweating. They provide ethics’ insights which will help to create a world in which this and future generations would want to live.

What do we need to create that world? To feel part of the human family by crossing the barriers and divides between us to find as many shared values as possible.

The tools needed include imagination, hope, the oxygen of the human spirit and real courage — especially moral courage.

The Games offer important opportunities for discovering these tools and “doing ethics.”

Professor Margaret Somerville is Samuel Gale professor of law, professor in the Faculty of Medicine, and founding director of the Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law at McGill University, Montreal. She has an extensive national and international publishing and speaking record and frequently comments in all forms of media. Her books include The Ethical Canary: Science, Society and the Human Spirit (Penguin 2000); and The Ethical Imagination: Journeys of the Human Spirit (Anansi 2006; CBC 2006 Massey Lectures). Among her many honours and awards are the Order of Australia, six honorary doctorates and the UNESCO Avicenna Prize for Ethics in Science.

Simon Hudson believes so. First of all, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will have considerable short-term benefits for the host communities. Furthermore, if stakeholders can look beyond short-term impacts and focus on achieving more sustainable outcomes, then the benefits will far outweigh the costs. But this requires a shift from an outcomes orientation to a more strategic approach to event management. This is “event leveraging,” a subtle but significant advance on the study of event impacts. This podcast will outline how Vancouver 2010 can use appropriate leveraging to stimulate both economic development — through tourism and destination branding — and social and environmental benefits.

Dr. Simon Hudson is a Tourism professor at the University of Calgary. Prior to working in academia, he spent several years working in the tourism industry in Europe. Hudson has written four books including Snow Business, the first book to be written about the international ski industry. His new book, Golf Tourism comes out in January. Tourism marketing is the focus of his research and, in addition to his books, he has published numerous journal articles and book chapters from his work. Hudson is frequently invited to international tourism conferences as a keynote speaker.

The celebration of sport has existed for centuries, and is nowhere more visible than at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. However, the tendency to focus on winning can often overshadow a less tangible but equally important measure of success — the journey of the athletes to reach their goals.

The ambition of pushing personal potential to new limits is exemplified by historical examples of athletes who overcame adversity. The dedication of these individuals to reach a new level of excellence provides valuable lessons in the celebration of achievement in all its forms, inside and outside the arena of sport.

Dr. Vera Pezer became the University of Saskatchewan’s chancellor in 2007. While holding various faculty and administrative positions there, she helped establish offices for student emergency financial assistance, disability services and Aboriginal student support.

Pezer holds places in the Saskatoon and Saskatchewan Sports Halls of Fame, the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame and has contributed to many sporting organizations. She was a Canadian curling champion, Canadian softball champion and member of the Saskatchewan senior women’s golf team. As a sports psychologist, she served as advisor and trainer to Canadian curling teams in two Olympic Winter Games.

Clearly, the Olympic Games are popular. Millions watch them on TV, thousands attend the events, and in BC politicians from across the spectrum support them. Yet there exists a vocal group of critics who condemn the Olympic Games and regularly demonstrate at pro-Olympic events. Just what is at issue here? This talk will explore this question by addressing the politics of mega-events like the Olympic Games as well as some of the specific issues highlighted by BC’s local Olympic Games critics. The talk underlines that regardless of one’s position on the Games, making space for dissenting views is a minimal condition for a democratic society.

Dr. Dennis Pilon teaches Canadian politics, BC politics, and comparative elections in the Political Science department at the University of Victoria. He earned his BA and MA from Simon Fraser University and his PhD from York University. In 2005-06 he was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Canadian Studies at Trent University. He is the author of The Politics of Voting: Reforming Canada's Electoral System and co-editor (with Michael Howlett and Tracy Summerville) of British Columbia Politics and Government. His research focuses on comparative historical struggles over democracy and democratic institutions, class and Canadian politics, and party competition in British Columbia.

In recent years, the Arctic has re-entered public debate because of climate change, an alleged “race for resources,” and lingering questions of sovereignty. Whitney Lackenbauer dispels myths about the probability of armed conflict in the Arctic between Canada and its circumpolar neighbours, and instead makes the case for cooperation in the region. Based upon field research throughout the Canadian North, he also emphasizes that Aboriginal peoples must be at the forefront of our Northern Strategy. Building twenty-first century partnerships is essential to the future of this unique part of Canada – one that is inextricably linked to the rest of the globe.

Dr. Whitney Lackenbauer is an associate professor of history at St. Jerome’s University, federated with the University of Waterloo. He researches Northern sovereignty and security, native-newcomer relations, and civil-military relations in modern Canada. Current projects include:

• History of the Canadian Rangers
• History of the DEW Line
• The military in the Canadian North
• Aboriginal Peoples and the world wars
• The military and the environment

In 2008-09, Professor Lackenbauer was one of eight inaugural Canadian International Council Research Fellows. The final report for his project, From Polar Race to Polar Saga: An Integrated Strategy for Canada and the Circumpolar World, is available online.

What really are the human dimensions of climate change at the local and community level? Dr. Dalton discusses climate change adaptation research in one Canadian province, New Brunswick, specifically in terms of community vulnerability to climate change, water and watershed management, and urban design and redesign. Climate proofing our communities will be as much a social and economic journey, if not more so, as prediction of biophysical aspects of risk and vulnerability.

Dr. Shawn Dalton is the Director of the Environment and Sustainable Development Research Centre at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB. Dalton's current research examines the human dimensions of resource management, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development, with a focus on watershed management in urban and rural New Brunswick. Dr. Dalton is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College (Biology, 1988), the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (Masters of Environmental Studies, 1992), and The Johns Hopkins University (Doctorate, Dept. of Geography and Environmental Engineering, 2002).

The science behind climate change has never been more certain. So why are viable, popular solutions still evading us? Perhaps it’s because society’s institutions aren’t organized to meet such an urgent challenge. Architecture professor Steven Mannell, director of Dalhousie University’s new College of Sustainability, explains in this case study of how the Dalhousie University community came together to break down traditional barriers and singular ways of thinking to create a unique, integrated education model that unites thinkers from across the university in the pursuit of one common goal: to prepare a new generation of students with “sustainability-first” thinking that will be infused into all aspects of society.

Steven Mannell NSAA, MRAIC, is a professor and former director of the School of Architecture at Dalhousie University, and principal of Steven Mannell, Architect in Halifax. Since September 2007, he has been active in the conception and development of Dalhousie's College of Sustainability and its Environment, Sustainability and Society degree program, and is now the inaugural college director. His research areas include spatial improvisation in lightweight building techniques of the 20th century; regional dimensions of modern architectural heritage; the history of urban water supply; and projects for community development and dissemination of sustainable building techniques.

A critical examination of the Olympic Winter Games that have been hosted in North America in the past, highlighting the most significant issues for each Games: the facilities, the costs, the politics, the significant individuals and the controversial issues that are common to all.

Dr. Kevin Wamsley is dean (acting) of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Western Ontario. He has been conducting Olympic-related research for the past 15 years, specifically on hosting Olympic Games, the politics of hosting and the historical gender order within the Games. He was director of the International Centre for Olympic Studies from 1998 to 2005 and editor of OLYMPIKA: The International Journal of Olympic Studies during the same period. He has published numerous articles and chapters on Olympic subjects and has co-edited Global Olympics. Since 1998, he has provided over 1,200 television, radio and newspaper interviews on issues related to the Olympic Games.

The Paralympic movement began shortly after the end of the Second World War, with the first official Paralympic Games taking place in 1960. At that time, it could be argued, that the Games and movement had a focus on rehabilitation and it wasn't until 1988 that the Modern Games began with a stronger link to elite sport. Within this short time period a great deal; has happened and this fast paced growth and development will likely continue. In this presentation David will review the major events and milestones that have taken place since the Games' and movement's emergence, concluding with a look towards those specifically related to the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games and beyond.

Dr. David Legg has spent the past twenty years actively involved as an educator, researcher and volunteer in sport management and adapted physical activity. At Mount Royal University, David coordinates the Bachelor of Applied Business and Entrepreneurship - Sport and Recreation program. In 2004 David was a visiting professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax and in 20009 at Deakin University in Melbourne. As a volunteer David is currently the Vice President for the Canadian Paralympic Committee and has sat on their board for over ten years. In previous volunteer endeavors David was the Technical Officer for the America's Paralympic Committee, assistant head coach for the Canadian Wheelchair Rugby team and Elite Athletes with a Disability adviser to the Commonwealth Games Association of Canada.

Complex traits such as physical performance reflect the combined effects of the two fundamental arbiters of human development: environment and genetics. While much is known about environmental influences on performance, the contribution of genetics is much less understood. Variants in a number of genes have been shown to be over-represented in athletes and genetic modification of animals has resulted in dramatic increases in size, strength, and endurance. Images of these animals, along with developments in gene therapy, have prompted speculation that, in the future, athletic performance could be enhanced by genetic manipulation – either therapeutically or by illicit “gene-doping”. This talk reviews the science behind these speculations. Can we build the better athlete? Will we? Have we?

Dr. Jim Rupert is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Kinetics at UBC. One of his principal research interests is the application of genetic technology to doping and doping control. He has received funding from the World Anti-doping Agency to investigate the use of gene expression analysis as a strategy to detect blood-doping and has co-authored a number of articles on the science and ethics of “gene doping”. He also teaches a fourth year class entitled “Genetic Issues in Sports and Exercise Science”, which covers topics ranging from genetic manipulation of athletes to the use of genes in sex-testing, and is an Associate Chair on the Behavioral Research Ethics Board.

Climate change, increased urbanization and sustainable economies. All are critical issues in Canada and around the world and all can perhaps be addressed best by rural, resource-based communities. How? The answer involves a new understanding of the value of our spectacular forests and a greater investment in resource-based communities as centres of innovation.

Dr. Kathy Lewis is professor and chair of the Ecosystem Science and Management Program at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). She teaches forestry, natural resources management and biology courses, and researches the ecological roles of biotic disturbance agents in forests and the influence of management practices and climate change on forest health.

Rob van Adrichem is a vice president of UNBC and is a lifetime resident of Prince George. He has been researching the effects of universities on regional development and believes that R&D can help to make rural, resource-based regions the models for a “low-carbon economy.”

What really are the human dimensions of climate change at the local and community level? Dr. Dalton discusses climate change adaptation research in one Canadian province, New Brunswick, specifically in terms of community vulnerability to climate change, water and watershed management, and urban design and redesign. Climate proofing our communities will be as much a social and economic journey, if not more so, as prediction of biophysical aspects of risk and vulnerability.

Dr. Shawn Dalton is the Director of the Environment and Sustainable Development Research Centre at the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB. Dalton's current research examines the human dimensions of resource management, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development, with a focus on watershed management in urban and rural New Brunswick. Dr. Dalton is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College (Biology, 1988), the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (Masters of Environmental Studies, 1992), and The Johns Hopkins University (Doctorate, Dept. of Geography and Environmental Engineering, 2002).

Vancouver 2010 will reportedly have unprecedented Aboriginal participation in its Games. From the artists demonstrating the vast cultural richness in Canadian culture, to Aboriginal imagery crafted to promote the distinctiveness of these Games, to the Four Host First Nations who will be welcoming the world to their land, Aboriginal involvement is ubiquitous. There's no escaping the presence of Aboriginal culture at the Games, but what about the presence of Aboriginal athletes? Has Vancouver 2010 got it right? A look back at the Games in Montreal (1976), Calgary (1988), and Salt Lake City (2002) for clues.

Dr. Janice Forsyth is an assistant professor with a joint appointment in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation and the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. She is a leading scholar in the field of Aboriginal sport and recreation in Canada. Her research focuses on the relationship between mainstream and Aboriginal sport and recreation, and how that relationship structures the types of opportunities available to Aboriginal people. She conducts her research from multiple standpoints, such as: Aboriginal athletes’ experiences in sport, sport and games at residential schools, and the conditions that shape Aboriginal women's work in sport.

Revelations concerning methods used by Salt Lake City bidders to acquire the right to host the 2002 Olympic Winter Games shook the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in late 1998. The ensuing media crisis forced an examination of the IOC’s operating policies that extended well beyond a review of the IOC’s oversight of the Olympic bid process. Changes to the Olympic Charter in late 1999 brought welcome advances for the organization, but much work remains for President Jacques Rogge as the IOC enters the second decade of the 21st century. What are some of the challenges the organization must confront to maintain its standing in the world of sport?

Dr. Stephen Wenn is professor and chair of Kinesiology and Physical Education at Wilfrid Laurier University. He is a co-author of Selling the Five Rings: the IOC and the Rise of Olympic Commercialism (University of Utah Press, 2002, rev. ed. 2004), which explores the IOC’s transition to the status of a financial juggernaut in the sporting world. When not working with his students or pursuing his Olympic research, he serves as the self-appointed “shadow GM” of his favourite hockey team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

What does it mean to be Canadian? Since the Second World War, Canada has struggled to define itself as something more than “not American”. How should an increasingly diverse country define itself? Canadian governments initially tried to replace an identity rooted primarily in Great Britain with one which embraced diversity along linguistic, ethnic and regional lines, backed by a social welfare network. But health care and tolerance, while valuable, proved problematic as the basis for nationalism and pride. As a result, Canadian governments have increasingly attempted to link nationalism to the internationally recognized accomplishments of Canadian citizens. This podcast explains how this process has unfolded, and how Olympic accomplishments in particular have been key to this reconfigured identity.

Dr. Matthew Hayday is an assistant professor in the History Department of the College of Arts at the University of Guelph. His main areas of research are on Canadian political history since the Second World War, with a particular emphasis on issues of Canadian national identity, language policies and constitutional reform. Prof. Hayday is the author of Bilingual Today, United Tomorrow: Official Languages in Education and Canadian Federalism, the co-editor of Mobilizations, Protests and Engagements: Canadian Perspectives on Social Movements and author of numerous scholarly articles. His first major Olympic memory was the “Battle of the Brians” at the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games.

How has Canada survived for more than 140 years, with two languages and two cultures, emerging from a battle on the Plains of Abraham in 1759? Why is Canada so different, legally and culturally, both from the United States and the countries that gave rise to its creation, England and France? Why are we, legally and culturally, more of a mosaic than a melting pot? These are questions of international interest that Professor Neil Boyd will address.

Neil Boyd is a Professor and Associate Director of the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University, educated in psychology at the University of Western Ontario and in law at Osgoode Hall Law School. He is the author of five books: High Society: Legal and Illegal Drugs in Canada; The Last Dance: Murder in Canada; Gently into the Night: Aggression in Long Term Care; The Beast Within: why men are violent, and Big Sister: How extreme feminism has betrayed the fight for sexual equality and is a frequent media commentator on subjects related to law and criminology. His new book A Thousand Dreams , a collaboration with Senator Larry Campbell and award winning writer Lori Culbert of the Vancouver Sun comes out in October, 2009.

For 50 years figure skating officials have been trying to attract males to their sport by playing up its physical demands and risks. But for many men, the risks they see in figure skating have less to do with physical injury and more to do with perceptions of masculinity. While increasing numbers of women are taking up so-called “masculine” sports, the opposite is not yet true for men. A boy or a man's decision to pursue a traditionally “feminine” sport can still lead to teasing and to anxious questions about his masculinity and sexuality. What makes it harder for men than for women to contravene gendered sporting norms? What makes sport such a comfortable place for stereotypes?

Dr. Mary Louise Adams is an associate professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen's University where she teaches courses on the sociology of sport and on sexuality. She is currently completing a book entitled Artistic Impressions, which is about gender in figure skating. She has published articles on figure skating history, male figure skaters, male dancers and the politics of gender and race in hockey. She also writes on the history of sexuality in Canada. She is the author of The Trouble with Normal: Postwar Youth and the Construction of Heterosexuality (University of Toronto, 1997). She has been a recreational figure skater since the age of three.

This presentation calls into question the requirements that surround becoming an elite athlete and the compliance that is required of athletes to set and meet remarkable goals. Celebrating athletes’ work and ability is worthy of attention. However, the practices surrounding the organization of sport lead to important questions about who is permitted entrance and what the consequences of participating are, for both athletes and the sport system.

Dr. LeAnne Petherick is a professor in the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University. Her teaching and research focuses on the critical cultural analysis of youth, physical activity and health. Her current research explores how power relations in sport and physical education produce dominant ideas about bodies and health practice. With research interests spanning human rights issues related to children’s involvement in sport to advocacy to promote further involvement, Dr. Petherick is interested in the benefits and drawbacks associated with sport and physical activity. Her doctoral degree is from the Faculty of Physical Education and Health at the University of Toronto and she has been a participant at the International Olympic Academy for Young Scholars.

Canada is an Arctic nation and this presentation is an introduction to the Arctic, its sea ice and the climate that is changing so rapidly. What are the basic processes of sea ice formation and why are these important to the Arctic marine ecosystem? How are the changes we are seeing in the Arctic of critical importance, not only to the area itself but to people who live in more temperate and tropical parts of our planet? We are currently seeing in the Arctic concerning trends and variability. He concludes with a description of how global scale climate variability and change is connected to the Canada’s Arctic and why this is so important for sustainable development of the region’s resources, sovereignty and security and for its indigenous peoples.

Dr. David Barber obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Manitoba, and his PhD (1992) from the University of Waterloo. He joined the faculty at the University of Manitoba in 1993 and received a Canada Research Chair in Arctic System Science (chairs.gc.ca) in 2002. He is currently director of the Centre for Earth Observation Science (umanitoba.ca/ceos) and associate dean (research), Clayton H. Ridell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources. Barber has extensive experience in the examination of the Arctic marine environment as a system, and the effect climate change has on this system. He currently leads the largest International Polar Year (IPY) project in the world, known as the Circumpolar Flaw Lead (CFL) system study (ipy-cfl.ca).

In recent years, the Arctic has re-entered public debate because of climate change, an alleged “race for resources,” and lingering questions of sovereignty. Whitney Lackenbauer dispels myths about the probability of armed conflict in the Arctic between Canada and its circumpolar neighbours, and instead makes the case for cooperation in the region. Based upon field research throughout the Canadian North, he also emphasizes that Aboriginal peoples must be at the forefront of our Northern Strategy. Building twenty-first century partnerships is essential to the future of this unique part of Canada – one that is inextricably linked to the rest of the globe.

Dr. Whitney Lackenbauer is an associate professor of history at St. Jerome’s University, federated with the University of Waterloo. He researches Northern sovereignty and security, native-newcomer relations, and civil-military relations in modern Canada. Current projects include:

• History of the Canadian Rangers
• History of the DEW Line
• The military in the Canadian North
• Aboriginal Peoples and the world wars
• The military and the environment

In 2008-09, Professor Lackenbauer was one of eight inaugural Canadian International Council Research Fellows. The final report for his project, From Polar Race to Polar Saga: An Integrated Strategy for Canada and the Circumpolar World, is available online.

Advances in science and technology lead to products that generate the possibility of new sports and influence existing sports. The time is near were many so called therapeutic bodily assistive devices used by disabled people to mimic species-typical body structures and expected body functioning will outperform in numerous functions the species-typical bodies. For the first time a therapeutic assistive device for a disabled person (the artificial legs of Oscar Pistorius) was classified as a techno-doping device. More cases like the Pistorius one can be expected. At the same time we see an increasing visibility of social concepts and values that perceive the move beyond the species-typical as desirable. This podcast highlights the impact of new and emerging science and technology products and new and emerging social concepts onto Sports and its athletes, funders and spectators.

Dr. Wolbring is an Assistant Professor, University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine, Dept. of Community Health Sciences, Program in Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies; Part Time Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, Canada; Founding Member and Distinguished Scholar, Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University, USA; Adjunct Faculty Critical Disability Studies York University Canada; He is among others the President elect of the Canadian Disability Studies Association and Chair of the Bioethics Taskforce of Disabled People's International. Between 1998-2009 he wrote over 20 book chapters 34 peer-reviewed article; 70 non peer-reviewed article and gave over 230 lectures.

When two hockey players collide at mid-ice, enough energy is released to power a light bulb for a minute. Ice hockey is indeed the fastest contact sport on Earth, owing it to the amazing properties of ice. If ice were just like any other material, playing hockey would be as hard as trying to skate on a slab of concrete. There is something unique about ice and snow that makes many Winter Olympic sports exciting to watch. Ice also plays a surprising role in sending a puck at 160 km/h during a slap shot.

Dr. Alain Haché’s first brush with physics came at an early age, on a Christmas morning, when he received an electronics kit that included by mistake a manual on Newtonian mechanics. In it he found laws and formulas that could, seemingly by magic, predict the motion of falling bodies. It was the beginning of a lifelong adventure that led him to the University of Toronto for graduate studies, and to Université de Moncton where he is associate professor and the Canada Research Chair in Photonics. He recently combined physics and his second passion, ice hockey, into a popular science book The Physics of Hockey.

The current development trajectory is causing potentially crippling damage to the global environment. Climate change is the most obvious threat, but there are also serious problems related to water and land usage, chemical releases, and the management of ‘renewable’ resources. Rapid progress is needed in coming decades to transform radically patterns of production and consumption along more sustainable lines. Technological innovation is important for lowering carbon emissions, but the reform of business practices, social norms and political institutions are also necessary. Both citizens and governments have a critical role to play in bringing about the necessary changes.

Dr. James Meadowcroft holds a Canada Research Chair in Governance for Sustainable Development and is a Professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration, and in the Department of Political Science, at Carleton University. After completing a BA in Political Science at McGill, he obtained a doctorate in political theory from Oxford University. His research focuses on reforms to structures and processes of governance to promote the transition towards sustainability. Climate change and sustainable energy policy are important themes in his current research. He teaches sustainable energy policy in the MA program in School of Public at Carleton.

This presentation will consider the relevance of sport to finding solutions to global issues: environmental degradation, infectious disease, poverty, violence and natural disasters. Sport can be inexpensive, healthy, fun, fair, counter-stereotypical, collaborative, goal oriented, disciplined and inspiring. These personal qualities can be modeled to provide the good governance and intercultural communication necessary to resolve the global challenges.

The Honourable Stephen Owen, QC, PC is Vice President, External, Legal and Community Relations of The University of British Columbia.

A former Member of Parliament of Canada for Vancouver Quadra, Stephen Owen was first elected to Parliament in November 2000. In government, he served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, Secretary of State for Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Receiver General for Canada, Minister of Western Economic Diversification and Minister of Sport.

Prior to his election to Parliament, Stephen Owen was the David Lam Professor of Law and Public Policy and Director of the Institute for Dispute Resolution at the University of Victoria; Commissioner and Vice President of the Law Commission of Canada; Deputy Attorney General, Commissioner of Resources and Environment, Ombudsman and Executive Director for Legal Services Society of British Columbia; and a practicing lawyer.

Stephen Owen has advised numerous governments and international institutions in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe on issues of human rights, governance, conflict resolution and environmental sustainability. He has investigated security force killings in apartheid South Africa, Northern Ireland/Gibraltar, Somalia, Kosovo and Cambodia.

As the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games approach Olympic athletes will come under close public scrutiny. Extraordinary records will be set and new technology will offer unexpected advantages that will challenge the boundaries of what is considered a level playing field. Given those challenges, how do we determine what is ethical and fair? These questions and more are explored with Richard Pound followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Jim Rupert and Beckie Scott.

Richard Pound is a former Olympic swimmer, McGill Chancellor and former President of the World Anti-Doping Agency. His career has touched nearly all aspects of the Olympic Movement, including: director and executive member of the Organizing Committee for the Calgary Winter Games 1988; Deputy Chef de Mission of the Canadian Olympic delegation for the Munich 1972 Olympic Games; and director of the Vancouver 2010 Bid Committee.

Globally, sport and play are increasingly garnering recognition as agents of social change with the power to contribute to national and international development goals and objectives – including the promotion of health, the achievement of education, the inclusion and empowerment of girls and women and the pursuit of peace. The Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games presents the international community with an enormous opportunity to promote the power of sport for peace and development – particularly at a time when these values risk being overshadowed by the competitive nature of the Games.

Just hours before the torch is lit in Vancouver, a dynamic mix of influential advocates and champions will come together in dialogue to explore the ways in which sport can be harnessed to promote global peace and development. Participants will include:

Johann Olav Koss, 4-time Olympic Gold Medalist in speed skating and Founder, President and CEO of Right To Play – an international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play to improve the lives of disadvantaged children in 23 countries around the world.

Stephen Lewis, Former UN Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa and Chair of the Board of the Stephen Lewis Foundation – a foundation working in partnership with local organizations to deliver more projects in 15 countries focused on women, grandmothers, orphans and people living with HIV and AIDS.

Wilfried Lemke, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace. As Special Advisor, Mr. Lemke leads and coordinates the efforts of the United Nations system to promote understanding and support for sport as an instrument for development and peace and encourages dialogue, collaboration and partnership.

Professor Stephen Toope, 12th President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of British Columbia, formerly Dean of Law at McGill University and Founding President of the Trudeau Foundation. Professor Toope's academic interests include public international law, legal theory, human rights, international dispute resolution, and family law.

Benjamin Nzobonankira, a former child refugee from Burundi who was first introduced to Sport for Development programs while living in a refugee camp in Northern Tanzania and is now a Coach Trainer with Right To Play

Aboriginal inclusion and participation in the Olympics have historically been ceremonial and cultural. What are the barriers preventing talented aboriginal athletes from participating in the Games? And how do we overcome these barriers to enable more athletes to make the trip to the podium? From the Oka crisis to the Olympics, Waneek shares the story of her journey and how she helps others to achieve their own dreams through sport. A panel discussion with Sharon and Shirley Firth and Valerie Jerome follows her presentation.

Waneek Horn-Miller is a former Olympic athlete (water polo, Sydney 2000) activist, speaker and television personality, and a Mohawk from the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory located on the south shore of Montreal. Today she is the program coordinator for First People’s House where she puts on high performance camps to attract aboriginal kids to higher education. She has travelled extensively throughout Canada and the United States speaking to native and non-native kids about her experiences both in and out of sport.

Sharon and Shirley Firth are twin sisters from the Gwich’in Nation who are among the first aboriginal women to compete in various international cross country ski competitions including four world ski championships and four winter Olympics. Both Sharon and Shirley have received the Order of Canada and are recipients of the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards.

Valerie Jerome was a member of Canada's team at the 1959 Pan American Games where as a 15-year-old she placed 4th in the 100m. She was also a member of Canada's 1960 Olympic and 1966 Commonwealth Games teams. After leaving competitive sport, Valerie continued to serve as a track and field coach and official as well as being very active in public life.

Inspired by the dream of a world accessible and inclusive for all, Rick Hansen set out on his legendary Man In Motion World Tour, on March 21, 1985, raising $26 million for SCI research. More importantly was the collective shift in consciousness in the belief of the potential of people with disabilities when barriers are removed. Twenty-five years later, that dream continues. Through the Rick Hansen Foundation, Rick has been instrumental in building programs and in supporting cutting-edge research that helps others realize their potential. In this keynote address Rick Hansen talks about how far we have come, the power of sport as a vehicle for social change and what the future holds. He is joined in a panel discussion with Dr. Bruce McManus and Patrick Jarvis.

Rick Hansen sustained a spinal cord injury when he was 15 that paralyzed him from the waist down. His Man in Motion Tour became a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of teamwork. Today Rick is President and CEO of the Rick Hansen Foundation. Through his leadership, the Foundation has generated more than $200 million for spinal cord injury related programs and initiatives.

Dr. Bruce McManus is Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, at the University of British Columbia. Since 2006, he has served as Director of the James Hogg iCAPTURE Centre for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Research located at St. Paul’s Hospital and as the Scientific Director of the Heart Centre at St. Paul’s Hospital – Providence Health Care. In September 2007, Dr. McManus was appointed as the Director of the recently launched Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul’s Hospital.

Patrick Jarvis is a sport leader, consultant, athlete and a Paralympian in 1992. Former president of the Canadian Paralympic Committee,he currently is in his second term with the International Paralympic Committee and serves on boards of WinSport, 2010 Legacies Now, University of Guelph and VANOC; as well as the IOC London 2012 Coordination Commission.

Assessing the legacy of the Olympic Games is often a contentious issue. Spiraling costs and the perceived difference between what is promised and what is delivered has left a shifting perception of the legacies of the Olympic Movement. The father of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin, believed in the transformative power of sport and culture as a means of working together for social betterment. But the intervening years have produced mixed results where sport for its own sake has outdistanced these ideals. Bruce Kidd argues for the continuing relevance of the Olympics and explores how recent Games, including Vancouver 2010, have contributed to making the world a better place. Dr. Kidd’s talk is followed by a panel discussion to include Derek Wyatt.

Dr. Bruce Kidd is a Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education at the University of Toronto. He has participated in the Olympic Games as an athlete, journalist, contributor to the arts and culture programs, and social scientist). Dr. Kidd chaired the Olympic Academy of Canada between 1983 and 1993 and served on Toronto's bid committees for the Olympic Games of 1996 and 2008. Throughout his lengthy involvement, he has constantly sought to educate athletes, decision makers and members of the public about the broad humanitarian ideals of the Olympic Movement and the aspirations for education through sports.

Derek Wyatt is an elected Member of Parliament in the U.K. House of Commons and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Group and author of the London Committee Report on Sport and Legacy.