Street Workout Activism in Latvia
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Author: Stefan Alievikj
Youth activism can take many shapes and take many faces. The trickiest part is for the activist to come out from the shade and present some new idea of how activism can be implemented. Māris Šlēziņš from Latvia has managed to do exactly that.
Finding innovative ways to start practicing youth activism, Maris along with some of his friends has managed to unravel another face and unexplored capacity of simple street workout.
Maris’s ideas grew into a whole non-profit and world-widely recognized organization, under the name World Street Workout Federation (WSWF).
The WSWF started with its work in May, 2008 with its main office located in Riga, Latvia. This organization aims to gain recognition and add up popularity to Street Workout as presented as a social movement and a democratic sporting activity. The Street workout is being sport by its nature, WSWF is profoundly involved in social work. WSWF idea is to unite various nationalities, marginal groups in the society, outcasts, disabled and to integrate them back in the society, thus this organization brings a new and vivid spirit of social inclusion.
From Latvia, this organization has started expanding into other European countries (such are Sweden, Norway, Ukraine, Bulgaria etc) and in the USA.
In 2011, WSWF organized the first Worldwide Championship in Street Workout. It took place in Riga, Latvia and this only shows how strong are the will and the effort among the people standing behind this organization; how they want to strengthen their activities and promote their unique idea of social inclusion.