International Federation of Physical Education (FIEP)

fiepeurope.eu, fiepbrazil.org

Founded in 1923 in Brussels, FIEP is the oldest and largest international organisation which deals with Physical Education of all age categories, education, sport for all, fitness, health and physical recreation and with Olympic education. It is an independent non-governmental organisation that unites institutions and individuals from more than 130 world countries. The Federation provides a network of contacts, means of communication and exchange amongst individuals and organizations.

Throughout over 90 years of its existence the Federation has had several presidents: Lefebure (Belgium) 1923 – 1924, Einar Nerman (Sweden) 1924 – 1935, Major Joseph Thulin (Sweden) 1935 – 1958, Antonio Leal Oliveira (Portugal) 1958 – 1970, Pierre Seurin (France) 1970 – 1983, John Andrews (Great Britain) 1983 – 2000, Manuel Tubino (Brasil) 2000 – 2008, Almir Gruhn (Brasil) from 2009 until now.

FIEP has always beed based on a great intellectual potential represented by the academic sphere and its representatives such as Joseph Thulin, Antonio Leal de Oliveira, Pierre Seurin, José-Maria Cacigal, Per-Olof Astrand, John Andrews, Walter Dufour, Robert Deckert, Jorge Otanez, Othman Al Saad, Liisa Heinila, Manuel Guerrero, Almir Gruhn, Eric Bayer, Richard Przeweda, Jarmila Kostková, František Sýkora, Ken Hardman, Manuel Tubino and many other protagonists of a high international repute in Physical Education.

Nowadays the FIEP consists of 7 international sections worldwide: Physical Education and Sport in Schools Section, Sport for All Section, Scientific Section, Olympic Education Section, Adapted Physical Education and Sport Section, Physical Education and Sport for the Aged Section and History of Physical Education and Sport Section. In addition, there has been a FIEP New Leaders Section since 2015 in Europe.

FIEP Activities

The broad range of events, projects and other activities organized or supported by the Federation concern scientific, technical, teaching and management aspects of Physical Education, sport, physical recreation, fitness and health.

• Congresses, Conferences, Seminars, Trainings

The FIEP contributes to organization of international scientific congresses, scientific symposia and conferences, trainings and seminars for teachers, coaches and volunteers. The World International Congress of Physical Education annually held in Foz de Iguazzu, Brasil is the largest event oriented to school Physical Education in the world, with over 3000 participants every year. Since 1986 about 63000 participants from 50 countries have attended the congress. The most recent, 32^th world congress, was organized in January 2017.

In Europe the 1^st FIEP congress in new millennium “Physical Education in Europe – Didactic quality in Physical Education and Sport Activities“ was held in 2003 in Cáceres, Spain. Since then there has been a renewed tradition of organizing regular scientific FIEP congresses interconnected with practical courses for PE teachers. The last European congress was held in Banja Luka, Bosna and Herzegovina (2016), and the upcoming one will take place in Luxembourg (2017). The Federation has extended its activities in Asia where the first congress took place in Tokyo (2014, 2016) as well as in Africa, where the 1^st Afro-European congress was organized in Rabat, Morocco (2015). 

• Publications

Throughout its whole history the Federation has regularly published different scientific and expert, printed and later on online publications. The most recent publications are e.g. Integration and Inclusion in Physical Education (2010), Healthy Active Life Style and Physical Education (2011), Professionals and Volunteers in Physical Education (2012), Physical Education: Quality in Management and Teaching (2014), History of Physical Education in Europe (2015), Physical Education and New Technologies (2016). European Physical Education and Sport History Section based in Nis, Serbia, in cooperation with University of Nis annually publishes the journal Physical Education and Sport through the History (ISSN 2335 – 0660). Moreover, FIEP participates in publishing the journal Graduate Journal of Sport, Exercise & Physical Education Research (www.worcester.ac.uk/gjseper, University of Worcester, Great Britain).

• FIEP Bulletin (ISSN-0256-6419)

FIEP Bulletin is a professional journal that has been continuously published since 1931 including the period of World War II when other activities were suspended. This is a record among bulletins and journals with a physical education and sport orientation. The first issue 18 pages in length was edited and published by Berge von Linde in February 1931 in Swedish and French. Recent issues have had about 80 – 100 pages and have contained the articles in one of four following languages: English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. In the past FIEP Bulletin used to be published 4 times a year, nowadays it is 2 – 3 times a year. Since 2005 FIEP bulletin has been published on-line (www.fiepbulletin.net). At the moment, there are database over 3000 articles that are free to access.

The journal is edited by the editorial board to ensure that a high standard of publication is maintained. Traditionally this Board is chaired by the FIEP President. The Bulletin is distributed to all FIEP member states. 

• Collaboration with other organizations and institutions

Since its origin FIEP has had a strong collaboration with UNESCO, ICSSPE, IOC and many other international sport and physical education organizations. FIEP is “Recognised Organisation” by IOC. The Federation has been a member of International Committee of Sport Pedagogy since 1984, and in 2002 it created the Alliance of Physical Education with EUPEA as a platform for a joint action to improve PE's status at schools. Some of the FIEP representatives have regularly been invited to deliver keynote presentations and to participate in significant international conferences and events such as GoFPEP, MINEPS or ICSEMIS. The Federation is involved in several global projects, for instance Designed to Move or HOPSports Brain Breaks and it signed memoranda of cooperation with a few physical education teachers' organizations and associations such as CAPDI from Italy, CONFES, Brazil or ZUTŠV, Slovakia.

• World manifests of Physical Education

In 1971 and 2000 FIEP released two manifests that significantly influenced Physical Education's development worldwide. In the mid-1960s of the past century the then president António Leal de Oliveira formed an international commission that started to prepare The World Manifest of Physical Education. The preparations were completed in 1970 and the document was released a year later in Quebec, Canada under the presidency of Pierre Seurina. In the mid-1990s of the past century the preparations of the second Manifest started under John Andrews. It was accepted at FIEP General Assembly in Foz de Iguazzu, Brazil in 2000 and consequently translated into French, Portuguese and Spanish.

• FIEP Houses of Physical Education

A significant activity of the Federation was the establishment of “FIEP Casa da Educação Física“ in Foz de Iguazzu, Brazil and San Luis Potosi, Mexico.  Both buildings serve for several purposes, such as different education activities, seminars, workshops, a FIEP history documentation etc. The important documents, publications, photographs, posters etc. from all over the world are archived in there. In addition, it annually serves as a museum for the FIEP world congress participants. In front of the House in Foz de Iguazzu you can find a statue of the FIEP former president Manuel Tubino to remember this eminent personality.

• FIEP Awards

FIEP regularly awards the personalities who significantly contributes to Physical Education and sport' development with several awards in different parts of the world, such as Gold and Silver Cross of Honour, Thulin Award in Europe, Golden Eagle in Mexico, Jacinto de Targa Award in Argentina, Sylvio Raso Medal in Brasil and Latin America, Manuel Tubino Medal, FIEP Top Brasil, etc. Since the 1980s of the past century the Federation along with ICSSPE and Arab Sports Confederation awards best scientific works related to sport and Physical Education in Arab countries with Prince Faisal Award.

• FIEP TV Virtual

In 2009 in Latin Amerika FIEP started an online television that broadcasts most important FIEP events, interviews with its personalities and congress participants and promote its activities. The 2010 Congress opening ceremony was transmitted by satellite for all over the world. The website is available at: www.tvvirtualfiep.com.

• Manuel Tubino's Olympic Village

An Olympic village in Rio de Janeiro is named after FIEP former president Manuel Tubino.

• Physical Education teachers without borders

This activity is organized once a year when selected PE teachers together with some FIEP representatives visit different places and countries in South America to give the lectures and practical sessions as well as to promote physical activity and Physical Education at schools. The project started in 2008 in Brazil and continued to Central America (2010), Mexico (2011) different parts of Argentina and Brazil (2013 – 2015).

• The Day of professionals in Physical Education, September 1

September 1 has been designated a Day of professionals in Physical Education when different physical activities and sport competitions take place under the auspice of a famous sporting personality.

• FIEP New Leaders

The FIEP New Leaders Programme is based on the agreement between FIEP and the Organizing Committee of the conference with an intention to enable prominent university students or young teachers to interact with a broader scientific community. The project started at the 1^st FIEP Afro-European congress in Rabat, Morocco (2015) when 12 young scholars coming from 10 European countries and Morocco met after almost a year of online preparations and discussions to actively participate in the congress. A year later 8 young leaders from 6 European countries took part in the 11th FIEP European congress in Banja Luka, Bosna and Herzegovina. The next edition will take place at the University of Luxembourg in 2017. 

• Support of global and local events

FIEP annually supports the organization of several world and local activities that are organized by other bodies. Recently it was for instance World Forums on Physical Education (Havana, Cuba, 2010, 2014, 2016), The Global CAL50 Forum (Santa Clarita, USA, 2011), Global Forums of Physical Education Pedagogy (Velen, Germany, 2012; Porschester, Republic of South Africa, 2014; Ankara, Turkey, 2016), International Forum of Physical Education and Sport Science (Chandigarh, India, 2012; Jakarta, Indonesia, 2015), International Leisure and Wellness Conference (Taipei, Taiwan, 2012), International Conference of Sport Pedagogy, Health & Wellness (Manila, Philippines, 2016), Designed to Move (Nike, ICSSPE, ACSM, project 2012 – 2014). From local activities can be mentioned e.g. International Scientific Conferences (Galati, 2010, Bucurest, 2012, Suceava, 2012, Romania), Didactique des activités physique pour les enfants (Foggia, Italy, 2010), Annual International Scientific Conference (Bacau, Romania, 2009 – 2012), 6-ieme Conférence Scientifique  (Mostaganem, Algeria, 2011) and 4^th International Scientific Conference (Split, Croatia, 2012).

• FIEP Websites and social media

The videos documenting several FIEP events might be found on YouTube or Vimeo. The Federation has many regional and local websites and it is on Facebook and Twitter.