HUMAN RIGHTS CONTEXT IN RELATION TO MEGA SPORTS EVENTS
(will change the title, need to think about it a bit)
Maybe something like – positioning Qatar as a mega-event state and influencing change in human rights
Abstract
Hosting an international event is one of the coveted opportunities that countries seek for its numerous advantages. The international community has been using these opportunities to influence the host countries to change policies that would have otherwise, not been changed (refs) . Recently, allegations of wrongdoing in Russia and China have introduced the human rights protection clause into the events contract (Can you give details – for the athletes, workers at venues etc).. In fear of losing the contract, Qatar has made significant efforts to comply with all the contract terms. This research seeks to determine these efforts, categorize them and identify areas in which the government needs to make further improvement. (And show how they are using these events to put pressure on their neighbours to follow similar practice – this could be a key part of it)
Introduction
Following the Beijing and the Sochi Olympics, there were allegations of wrongdoing that prompted human rights protection to be added to the contracts that countries have to sign (refs, discussion of the refs) . Although the Olympic Charter (ref) contains terms that call for the respect of human dignity and bans discrimination, the world has come to a point where the Charter is not enough, and these guarantees have to be placed in a contract to force the countries to agree to the terms. (Perhaps refer to UN convention in human rights and how many countries worldwide sign up to it. Does Qatar?
The changes have made the human rights requirements more explicit particularly those related to the environment, health, labor and other policies forbidding indiscriminate arrest, forced labor, sentencing without trial and the protection of freedoms (Fox, 2016). other refs needed.
FIFA has received criticism (refs) for failing to consider issues related to human rights in the evaluation of suitable host countries and is now forced to put in strict measures regarding the policies upheld by the host countries (Gibson, 2016). In particular, Qatar has come under the spotlight regarding migrant workers who are working on the infrastructure to be used during the 2022 tournament. One wonders what is at stake for Qatar if it does not host the World Cup, despite not having soccer as a powerhouse. In addition, the expected revenue into the country is insignificant compared to the cost of setting up (Grix, 2015). The reason is that besides having a lot of money from oil, the country has a vision for its future. The government wants to create a country with an all-rounded dimension besides exporting oil. They are now developing the sports, finance, and entertainment sectors (Foley, Mcgillivray, & McPherson, 2012). Hosting a major event will only diversify their opportunities by making the country more interesting and attractive for investors across the world.
Thesis Statement
The research seeks to identify changes that countries make to qualify to be hosts of mega events following the established requirements and protocols set by the international community by using Qatar as a case study to evaluate the human right changes it has made in readiness for the 2022 World Cup. (With a view to influencing others in the rgion and showing how mega-events can be used as a force for good (Smith, 2015, Foley et al, 2012).
Literature Review (this is roughly three sections that your literature should look at. You should provide a brief summary of some of the literature under these headings and thus gives you a focus for where you are going . (Once you have done this, you can start to work on your literature review more fully) .
The rise of Mega-events as a strategy for urban growth and tourism development
The role event owners such as IOC and FIFA in influencing the middle east strategy for mega-event bidding
International Human rights policies and labour laws

Methodology
The research will require qualitative data collected from secondary sources such as state reports, scholarly journals, books, and articles. The data will be analyzed through a classification method to categorize the efforts that the government has done and identify issues that need further effort. After classification, a conceptual framework will be suggested to implement the changes.
This needs to be a discussion of the philosophical, epistomelogical approaches to your research. Qualitative vs quantitative and then the methods. Need to read more on this section.

Preliminary results
Initial scanning of key policy documents and practices has revealed that Qatar has made promises to remove key elements from its labor law. Officials (refs) say they will replace the ‘kafala” system of employment, which tethers workers to a single employer leaving them at his disposal, with a contractual relationship between the employers and their employees (Roan, 2015). They also intend to remove the movement restrictions on foreigners that require them to have an exit visa when leaving the country. The process of leaving the country or changing jobs will also be less difficult for foreigners. Under this laws, an employer will have to give a compelling reason with proof, to any objection they have against a worker leaving the country. Disputes that arise will be resolved within three days (Institute for Human Rights and Business, 2013). In addition, employers will have to sign mandatory employee welfare contracts with their workers’ countries of origin and sanctions will be employed against those who do not meet this obligation.
However, making it less difficult does not mean that it gets easy. The process of changing rules on the issue of ‘exit visas’ will have to be ratified by an advisory council and will expect vehement opposition by the businesspeople (Silvestre, 2009).
This can form a key part of your research objectives: to look at past policies, current policies, interviews with key actors for the strategy etc

Work Plan
The project will be complete in ……….. (Yip give me a detailed chapter outline as the next task with key dates as deadlines), allowing for in-depth research particularly due to information scarcity. The activities involved will be conducting the research, reviewing literature, outlining and drafting the chapters, then writing the abstract. The challenge in this research is to find credible non-biased sources of information. Much of the information available looks down on the efforts that the country is making and instead focusses on issues of the past.
Implications of research
The research is expected to identify the lengths countries go to make themselves suitable hosts for mega events by examining the efforts that Qatar has made (Transparency International, 2016). The research will also suggest ways through which the international community can come up with stringent ways of enforcing policies developed to protect human rights.