Ethical Events

South Australia will again be hosting the LIV Golf Tournament in April 2024. This event has attracted controversy because it is financially supported by the government of Saudi Arabia. There are legitimate questions about the human rights record of Saudi Arabia, especially for women, migrant workers, LGBTIQ+ and journalists.

We held a forum in the lead up to the LIV Golf tour to explore the topic “Ethical Events or Sports Washing?”. This event explored the issues of human rights in tourism and sports and began to develop an ethical events and tourism framework that could be used to help ensure that South Australia engages ethically with major sporting and tourism opportunities.

We held a workshop on 19th April 2023 to create a draft Ethical Events Framework. The draft is nearing completion for feedback and next steps.

We explored two questions to help create a draft Ethical Events Framework:

• What is the ethical framework that governs how decisions about support and sponsorship are made? What ethical factors should be considered alongside financial return?

• How do we create events that provide tangible benefits for South Australian people reflect our role as a modern economy that safeguards democracy and human rights at home and abroad?

More information about the draft framework will be shared in the near future.

Ethical Events is being coordinated by Melanie Carter, Jane Edwards, Georgia Heath and Ali Elder.

“Sport and the Arts are important in society. They entertain, inform and exhilarate us. And they give us opportunities to explore all aspects of the complex world we live in. As spectators or patrons we need to examine carefully how a sporting event or a festival comes before us. Can we participate if the cost is the human rights of others ? How can events or festivals be sustainable ? 

My lifelong interest in sport and the arts has collided with my sense of fairness and social justice. This Forum is one way to navigate a pathway towards a Framework for Ethical events and festivals. Join us on 19 April. “

Melanie Carter 

South Australia 

“Decency matters. I don’t believe our Premier should be going out of his way to help the Saudi Government try to wash away the stain created by its record of egregious human rights abuses.  We need to stand with people who are oppressed and persecuted, not turn a blind eye for commercial gain. What message does sports washing send to autocratic regimes that routinely rob people of basic human rights? Does it tell them that nobody is watching? That nobody cares?  I fear it does. Australia wasn’t always so supine. It imposed boycotts on South Africa’s pre-apartheid regime and played a part in its demise.  Ethical behaviour and financial prosperity are not antithetical. I want more sporting and other events in this state, but not at the cost of perpetuating suffering. “

Jane Edwards

South Australia

“I grew up hearing stories about my grandfather taking a stand against the Springbok Tour of Australia during the Apartheid era. Human Rights has always been important to my family and I was brought up with the values of equality that have been instilled over many generations of South Australians. This is as much about sport as it is about our state identity- who do we want to be in the world? Do we want to be known for the human rights stances that made us the first to decriminalise homosexuality and the first place in the British Empire to legalise the trade union movement? Or will we be known as the ones that open the door to festivals from countries that imprison women for their peaceful expression in support of women’s rights?”

Georgia Heath

South Australia

We are currently seeking feedback on the Ethical Events Framework (DRAFT):