Change the Game took the stage at Move Congress in Copenhagen
At the end of October, around 900 participants from more than 60 countries gathered in Copenhagen for Move Congress. Grim Jernudd, educator and method developer at Change the Game, had the great honor of moderating and leading two of the conference sessions.
– I was completely star-struck by the celebrities I shared the stage with.
MOVE Congress was the twelfth in order and took place this year at Tivoli Congress Center in Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen. The focus was on knowledge exchange and good examples from Denmark and the rest of the world. Over 800 professionals attended, coming from the health and sports sectors as well as education, urban planning, and environmental sectors. Several politicians were also present.
– The people I shared the stage with are idols who have led the development of active, community-driven societies at the forefront since I first became interested in Physical Literacy about seven years ago as a university student, tells Grim Jernudd. It was truly educational and a privilege to design these training sessions together with them!
Non-linear development
One of the insights Grim Jernudd and Tom Englén, Executive Director of Change the Game, gained from the conference is that we can no longer make isolated efforts to solve individual problems. We need to seek goal synergies and become better at explaining how what we do contributes to multiple societal challenges simultaneously. Societal actors from different sectors need a neutral, shared platform for issues related to residents’ relationship with movement (Physical Literacy), positioning the question alongside other important health-related factors and decisions (often called Health Literacy) that individuals deal with daily. These areas are deeply interconnected and mutually dependent but are often addressed separately. It requires us to accept that we operate in a complex and changing landscape, where old ways of working—such as delimiting, controlling, and predicting linear development—no longer work.
– Many experts participating in the panel discussions also agreed that you cannot blame an individual living an unhealthy or inactive life unless you also provide trained leaders and quality spaces and programs in society that can support and equip these individuals with essential skills and knowledge to facilitate their participation, says Grim Jernudd.
What becomes new quickly turns old
– We tried to design the sessions with the understanding that as soon as you invent something new, it becomes old, continues Grim Jernudd. Other experts in the field will immediately see ways to improve what you’ve created. It felt important to approach with humility and openness for shared learning and co-creation. There are many similarities between this developmental work and how Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev approached developing the periodic table in 1869. He deliberately left gaps for elements not yet discovered.
From Change the Game’s perspective, it was sometimes missing the insight about how important it is to offer quality movement experiences that truly match individuals’ interests and needs. Without that understanding—and a kind of “more of the same” mentality—we risk reinforcing the gap between those who like movement and those who do not, which means our efforts do not contribute to good and equitable health.
”We are on the right track”
– Even though some parts of the program were missing, overall, it was a very empowering confirmation that within Change the Game, we have come very far in developing and using Physical Literacy as a tool to strengthen the whole person, says Tom Englén, Executive Director of Change the Game. With our extensive experience from everything we’ve done in Umeå and Sweden, we can now contribute on stage alongside some of the world’s top authorities in the field, which naturally strengthens our belief that we are truly on the right track.
– The minister who gave the opening speech jokingly said, “we should start every government meeting like this” after the initial movement session, tells Grim Jernudd. And I really think they should. Connecting with oneself and others through movement is an effective way to increase the chances that everyone contributes with an open mind and an open heart. It felt very good to be part of spreading that message in Copenhagen at Move Congress.
Other participants included:
- Dr. Kristine Sørensen, Founding Director, Global Health Literacy Academy
- Charlie Crane, Head of Children and Young People Policy, Sport England
- Drew Mitchell, CEO, Sport for Life (Canada)
- Dr. Amit Malik, International Adviser and Trustee, International Physical Literacy Association
- Dr. Dean Kriellaars, Neuroscientist, Research Centre for Human Potential
If you’d like to read more about Move Congress (organized by the International Sport and Culture Association), you can visit their website >
The project Moving for Health (EU-funded), which has been ongoing for two years, led to these sessions. Change the Game participated in the project alongside actors from several countries 🇩🇰 🇪🇸 🇵🇹 🇸🇮 🇱🇺, and materials including scientific evidence, success stories, and a training tool are available via this link.
Would you like to learn more about Physical Literacy and quality movement experiences?
Contact us, and we will tell you more >
