Special Olympics Fourth Global Youth Summit To Be Held During World Summer Games in Shanghai

Special Olympics Fourth Global Youth Summit To Be Held During World Summer Games in Shanghai

June 19, 2007

Event promotes acceptance and understanding of people with
intellectual disabilities among youth around the world, as
participants pledge not to use the "R" word

    WASHINGTON, June 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Special
Olympics International today announced it will bring
together 60 students from 16 countries to Shanghai, China,
as part of a Global Youth Summit on intellectual
disabilities, which will be held during the 2007 World
Summer Games from 2-11 October 2007. 

    ( Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040302/LNTU017LOGO )

    Summit participants, ranging in age from 12 to 18, will
pledge to work with their peers around the world to share
the Special Olympics message of inclusion and acceptance.
The summit includes young people both with and without
intellectual disabilities who are friends and attend the
same school or live in the same community, and the
activities will include a televised forum and Webinars
linking schools and youth programs internationally. During
their time in Shanghai, the students will also write blogs,
develop podcasts and write stories that will be published on
Web sites and in hometown newspapers.  They will also
challenge their peers to volunteer and help raise funds for
Special Olympics and pledge to stop using the "R
word"-- retard -- in any context. 

    "Special Olympics provides one of the greatest
platforms in the world for acceptance and inclusion, and
the young people participating in the 2007 Youth Summit
will play an important role as we work to eliminate
stereotypes and change views about the capabilities and
gifts of people with intellectual disabilities," said
Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver. "

    "This youth summit will give us the chance to
change opinions about people with intellectual disabilities
so that they will understand, support and accept them,"
said Asanda Stofile, a Special Olympics athlete from South
Africa who will serve as a delegate to the Global Youth
Summit. "When we participate in Special Olympics it
proves that even though we are challenged, we can achieve
our goals."

    The 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games will bring
together nearly 7,500 athletes from more than 160 countries
to Shanghai to compete in 25 Olympic-type and demonstration
sports in what will be the largest humanitarian and sports
event this year.  

    Following the Youth Summit and leading up to the 2009
World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho, the Shanghai summit
participants will serve on the Special Olympics Global
Youth Advisory Council, where they will recruit peers to
join the Special Olympics movement; offer an ongoing youth
perspective ensuring that movement messages and tactics are
relevant to them; share information, ideas and motivation
via Webcasts, e-mail, chat rooms, Web sites and blogs; and
serve as Special Olympics "spokesteens."

    For more information on the 2007 World Summer Games,
including the Global Youth Summit, visit
www.specialolympics.org. 

    Special Olympics is an international nonprofit
organization dedicated to empowering individuals with
intellectual disabilities to become physically fit,
productive and respected members of society through sports
training and competition.  Founded in 1968 by Eunice
Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics provides year-round
sports training and competition to 2.5 million adults and
children with intellectual disabilities across 165
countries.  The Special Olympics movement offers one of the
world's greatest platforms for acceptance and inclusion for
all people -- regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or
cultural differences.  Find out how you can become involved
at http://www.specialolympics.org .


    For more information, please contact:

     Sarah Cody 
     Special Olympics International
     Tel:   [phone],
     Email: [e-mail]