EDITORIAL EVERY BODY WINS

In negotiations between international institutions and organisations, things are never easy. Reconciling diverse interests, respecting the rights of the other and, at the same time, managing to progress together along the same path is indeed a complicated task. And those of us who are implicated in the Paralympic Movement know this only too well. Recent events have confirmed this and, going beyond the mere defence of our own particular positions (which is our obligation as representatives of certain groups), we are aware of the effort needed to reach agreements and joint development programmes in this field.

Precisely for this reason, the results of the recent General Assembly of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), held in Sydney (Australia) and amply covered in this issue, move us to adopt a sincerely optimistic stance. In Sydney, with the consensus reached and with the profound renovation of the IPC's administrative structure, everybody wins. The persons who join that circle of responsibility have demonstrated, in their careers and their previous stances, their willingness to discuss matters, their openness and understanding of the complexity of the relationships between the different disabled sports groups. The time has now come to demonstrate, in their daily work, that this positive outlook leads to concrete realities; in short, to the advancement and progress of top-level sport for those persons afflicted by some kind of handicap, with the goal of continuously boosting their maximum manifestation - the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. Turbulence

This step forward in Australia, however, was not easy. In fact, the Assembly started with serious discrepancies surrounding the method chosen for the nomination of the official IPC headquarters, which finally went to Bonn (Germany). The Assembly members offered a clear demonstration of democratic maturity, showing that they held nothing against the Bonn candidature, recommended by the outgoing Executive (indeed, the majority ended up voting in favour); on the contrary, they refused to accept a paternalistic, hand-holding guidance that undermined their capacity for decision.

It is precisely these ticks that - in IBSA's view and, from what we witnessed in Australia, that of the majority of the Paralympic Movement - the new Executive must make every effort to avoid. From the standpoint of respect and dialogue, it would be difficult to find groups more enthusiastic and devoted to their work than those of the disabled athletes; but the high-handed attitudes and the "fait accompli" policies cannot - fortunately - be imposed again by pressurising others.

As a result, the composition of the new Executive gives us enormous satisfaction. IBSA wishes to express its enthusiasm and open trust that a new stage now commences for the governing body of the Paralympic Movement, to which - from this very moment - it offers whatever collaboration may be within its power to provide. We are also delighted about the designation of Bonn as the official headquarters of the Committee. And, to sum up, we wish to declare our conviction that the Paralympic Movement is finally starting to function, and that it is doing so correctly and in the right direction.