How "Sportswashing" is Changing the Game
Dictatorial regimes from Russia to Saudi Arabia to China are investing millions of dollars into hosting major sporting events and investing in teams in free societies, in an effort to improve their human rights images internationally and pivot the global eye away from their repressive measures. Countries like Saudi Arabia and China have been leading these investments and bids in global sporting events to whitewash crimes. Panelists will examine just how authoritarian regimes are using this method of "sportswashing" to divert attention away from their reprehensible human rights records, and the trends and implications of these soft power, high-dollar tactics.
Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.
![photo of Miguel Delaney](/vite/assets/person-placeholder-edu-fS1N5G6a.png)
Miguel Delaney
The Independent
![photo of Irade Kashgary](/vite/assets/person-placeholder-edu-fS1N5G6a.png)
Irade Kashgary
Uyghur American Association
![photo of Garry Kasparov](/vite/assets/person-placeholder-edu-fS1N5G6a.png)
Garry Kasparov
AVAST
![photo of Karim Zidan](/vite/assets/person-placeholder-edu-fS1N5G6a.png)
Karim Zidan
The Guardian