Last week I heard about the recent developments in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the army is helping the police to gain control of the favelas (slums). This video is an interesting analysis of what is happening.

An article on BBC explains that

“Everyone here is focused on the World Cup and the Olympics.”  As Rio gets ready to host the matches in the 2014 World Cup and the Olympics two years later, the city’s hillside shanty towns are the target of a government clean-up that in turn is being used as a springboard to develop tourism in the favelas with special tours.

To have the privilege of hosting the finals of the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics is a responsibility that pushes governments around the world to make some real improvements (and some only for appearance’s sake) that will make them ready and especially “look good” to the rest of the world. In spite of their dominating ideology or current economic circumstances, they know that they need to live up to certain minimum standards to be considered good hosts. At each new event, the hosting nation tries to impress the world.

Even Hitler tried it. According to the Holocaust Encyclopedia

For two weeks in August 1936, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi dictatorship camouflaged its racist, militaristic character while hosting the Summer Olympics. Softpedaling its antisemitic agenda and plans for territorial expansion, the regime exploited the Games to bedazzle many foreign spectators and journalists with an image of a peaceful, tolerant Germany.

Therefore, what we see in display during the games is not the reality of the country, but I believe that in most cases (Germany’s case was very extreme) there is a benefit in giving a chance to new and in some way problematic countries (and all are in some way) to open up and better align themselves with the “best practices” around the globe, and become more fully integrated with the rest of the world.

In the case of Brazil, for example, their soccer team is already good enough, but they need to make an effort of improving many other things, first of all, safety around the stadiums.

To choose Russia and Qatar to host the World Cup will also push those countries to do something real beyond lots of propaganda (and Russia is very good at it). Russia will try to show that is really becoming a modern and democratic country, and Qatar will be engaged in proving that Middle East countries are not all about extremism and intollerance.

This is obvious a very superficial and quick analysis, and a lot more could be said, but I cannot avoid feeling like these international sport events may provide many benefits in at least some of the countries they touch.

In Brazil, even after the World Cup and the Olympics will be over, many of the economic and safety changes will probably stay with the population. In other countries, such as China, or Russia, perhaps new opportunities will be created. Ideas and values may be shared, and personal friendships between people who normally would never be in touch may be formed. Those ideas and relationships over time may grow and produce real changes, in spite of the original intentions of those who are in control of a country.