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OLYMPIC SOLIDARITY
By Mr Pere MIRO (ESP)
Director of Olympic Solidarity and
Relations
with National Olympic Committee
and Mrs Nicole GIRARD-
SAVOY (SUI)
Project Manager of the Olympic
Solidarity
It is a great pleasure for us to be in Olympia, on the occasion of the 41 st International
session for young participants. We would like to thank Mr Nikos
Filaretos, the President of the International Olympic Academy, who invites us each
year, to come and present Olympic Solidarity's work.
The 20 th century saw an unbounded evolution, in numerous areas, of which
some give us a better picture of the world of today. Sport is closely linked with this
progression.
The beginning of the 21 st century is significant for Olympic Solidarity, in two
main fields: communication and adjustment. Indeed, the means of communication
at our disposition, notably, the Internet, a significant tool of mass culture, offers us
a better means of information exchange. These means have been put in place for
the principle beneficiaries, the NOC's, so that they may familiarise themselves
with the Sports development possibilities offered by the IOC and to improve the
understanding of the programmes, which are at their disposal.
Words like, globalisation or even universal, must not distract from the fact
that differences exist. It is for this reason, that for some years, Olympic Solidarity
has worked in order to fill certain gaps, which are present in and between
different countries. In a world of constant change, Olympic Solidarity must adapt,
must work to remain an important tool of the Olympic Movement, which is at the
disposal of the NOC's and develop programmes, which respond to their needs and
ideals.
The theme of the session is "The Olympic Games: an insight into the Sydney
Olympic Games until Athens 2004".
For most people, the word, "Olympism" brings to mind images of the Olympic
Games. Their interest is concentrated on the two week long sport festival, which
is organised every four years, and at which elite athletes from all around the world
participate.
On this note, we take a quotation from Lord Killanin, the 6 th President of the
IOC, "The Olympic Movement is not only the allocation and ruling of the Olympic
Games. It is something throughout the world, which exists for 24 hours a day for
every day of the year. It is something that can be good to all."
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