Part 2 - LA84 Foundation

15. Seoul Olympic Youth Camp
474
16
15.3.4
In-Camp Activities
—————————————–
Welcoming reception
A welcoming reception for participants,
the first in-camp activity, was held at
the camp site dining hall from 6 p.m.,
September 15. The reception hosted
by the commissioner of the Camp
Operation Headquarters, was attended
by all camp participants and 294
invited guests.
The commissioner and other leading
officials of the Operation Headquarters
greeted the participants and guests at
the reception line. The menu was a
mixed style buffet of Korean, Western
and ethnic dishes. Amidst music performed
by a Korean traditional quartette,
the reception proceeded smoothly with
no special program, with attendees
enjoying food and chatting.
Access Control officials admitted only
those bearing accreditation cards and
guest insignias. After the reception,
participants left the hall freely on an
individual basis following the departure
of VIPs and invited guests.
Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony, heralding the
start of the Youth Camp, was held from
8 p.m., September 15, at the camp yard,
with SLOOC President Park Seh-jik,
Swedish King Gustaf, and a number of
other Korean and foreign dignitaries
attending.
Following the performance of a Korean
farmers' band along the path from the
reception hall to the camp yard, participants
marched in for about 20
minutes, led by the bearers of their
respective national flags. The SLOOC
president delivered an opening
address, the commissioner of the Camp
Operation Headquarters declared the
opening of the camp, and the Swedish
King delivered a congratulatory
speech. Part one of the ceremony was
concluded with the hoisting of the
camp flag and the performance by a
drum and fife band of "Sweep," "A
Country of Morning, " etc. Part two
was comprised of a music and dance
performance, a multi-slide projection
and a Korean traditional dance performed
by the Little Angels. A Korean
traditional mask dance was introduced,
and then followed the concluding
remarks by the Master of Ceremonies
plus exciting rock music. Finally, a
chorus of the camp theme song was
sung by all the participants.
The opening ceremony, which lasted
two hours and 37 minutes, was
attended by 882 participants, 404
operational personnel and 1,900
invited guests. As the Youth Camp
opening ceremony should be brief yet
impressive prior to the Olympic Opening
Ceremony, it was decided to have
the program prepared by a professional
production firm. The Operation Headquarters
concluded a contract with the
Hanbit Planning Co. in June 1988.
In close consultation with the Operation
Headquarters, Hanbit Planning Co.,
made efforts to work out a program
that could enable the participants to
become immersed in the Korean mood,
and create an atmosphere for the
participants to take part in the
program, rather than merely watching
it.
Delegation chiefs' meeting
A meeting of delegation chiefs was
held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. every day
during the camp period, where
representatives of the participating
countries conferred with operational
personnel on all aspects of camp operation.
At the meetings, presided over
by the secretary general of the Operation
Headquarters, the Headquarters
officials briefed the Delegation Chiefs
about the operation of programs while
Delegation Chiefs raised problems
and suggested how to resolve them.
Matters decided on at the meetings
were referred to relevant offices for
implementation.
When the results of these meetings
meant changes in programs or operational
plans, they were announced
through the camp broadcasting system
or bulletin board. English was used in
the meetings with interpreters to help
communication among participants
speaking various languages.
Forum
The camp participants took part in
forums on September 20 and 24 on
the theme, "Realization of World
Peace for Mankind through Youth in
the Olympic Movement," and adopted
the "Seoul Declaration." The declaration
requested, among other things,
that the IOC, as responsible authority,
add a clause to the Olympic Charter
making it obligatory to hold a Youth
Camp at every Summer and Winter
Olympic Games.
The first forum was held at the camp
site's small auditorium from 7:30 p.m.
to 9:30 p.m., September 20. It was
attended by 52 participants, two from
each participating country. On September
24, the second forum was held
with 26 participants, one representative
from each country, at the end of which
they formed a seven-member committee
to draft a declaration. The committee,
convened at the room for Delegation
Chief meetings, drafted the Seoul
Declaration, which was signed during
a meeting of Delegation Chiefs on
September 30.
A Korean participant served as the
chairman of the forums, and a Canadian
and a Senegalese as vice chair
persons.
Seoul Declaration
From September 15 to October 2,
1988, a total of 882 delegates of 43
nations gathered in Seoul, Korea, during
the Games of the 24th Olympiad,
for the Olympic Youth Camp in order
to establish a better understanding of
other countries' feelings, cultures and
concerns.
Representatives from each of the
countries created a Youth Forum to
discuss the theme: "Realization of
World Peace through Youth in the
Olympic Movement." As a result of that
forum, the following resolution was
adopted.
"Whereas, we, the leaders of tomorrow,
are responsible for building peace in
the future, be it resolved that this
assembly urges the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) to adjust its
charter to include, as a mandatory
responsibility of every Olympic Games
Organizing Committee (Winter & Summer),
the establishment of an Olympic
Youth Camp. Furthermore, we challenge
each participant of this Youth Camp,
upon return to their respective
homelands, to actively promote, by
means of personal communication
and media coverage, friendship and
goodwill amongst the youth of the
world, thus demonstrating to the world
the power of the Olympic Movement to
bring about international understanding
and acceptance of different
cultures."
Evening of Friendship/Closing
Ceremony
The Evening of Friendship unfolded
from 8 p.m., October 1, at the camp
yard, with participants sharing the last
hours of their 20-day camp life, and
bidding farewell to one another.
The Evening of Friendship program,
prepared by Hanbit Planning Co.,
began with the opening remarks by
the commissioner of the Operation
Headquarters, and featured various
games and performances by the Seoul
City Musical Company, a Korean traditional
percussion ensemble and a jazz
dancing team, as well as folk festivals
of Europe, North and South Americas,
Africa, Oceania, Japan and China
staged by the students of Hankuk
University of Foreign Studies.
Between these performances, multivision
slides showed camp activities to
invoke emotion among the participants.
Three participants read the Seoul
Declaration in Korean, English and
French.
The closing address was read by the
commissioner of the Operation Headquarters
before the camp flag was
lowered.
15.3.5
Performances
—————————————–
Nations' Day Celebrations
Nations' Day Celebrations, designed
for the participants to introduce their
respective national folk arts, were held
at the camp site's Grand Auditorium
for four days on September 20, 23, 24
and 26. The programs, lasting from 8
to 9:30 p.m., were attended by camp
participants and invited guests who
included NOC officials and the Homestay
Host families.