World Cup 2022: Can Mega-Event Activism Actually Lead to Lasting Change?
Description
There’s an upside to hosting a mega-sized sporting event. Governments plan new roads and train stations and airports. Corporate sponsors and foreign investors pile on. And when you build it, people come. Different people, new people, who may not have visited before. Often, these mega-sized sporting events also bring with them a spotlight on whatever problems plague the host nation. For the 2022 Qatar World Cup, that spotlight has led to increased international scrutiny of the treatment of migrant workers. But how effective is this mega-event activism? And what happens when the circus leaves town and the spotlight goes dark? Reporter Ken Shulman looks at three case studies -- South Africa, Brazil and, of course, Qatar, to learn more.
Because this episode touches on labor issues in Qatar, a disclosure: Doha Debates is a production of Qatar Foundation, which is a state-led non-profit organization in Qatar.
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