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PEACE THROUGH SPORT
The Olympic Truce Resolution, adopted by the UN General
Assembly prior to each edition of the Olympic Games, calls
for nations to observe peace during Games-time and to
contribute, through sport, to the search for diplomatic
solutions to the world’s conflicts. This resolution, which in
2006 and 2008 was underwritten by a record number of
countries and unanimously adopted, recognised that whilst
sport cannot solve all the world’s problems, it can contribute
to a more peaceful society by unifying competitors in a
common purpose, bridging cultural and ethnic divides,
and advocating tolerance and non-discrimination.
The spirit of the Olympic Truce was evident in Turin and
Beijing, where the organising committees raised awareness
of the truce in a variety of ways, including the Olympic Torch
Relay, conferences and the erection of an Olympic Truce
wall in the Olympic Villages that allowed hundreds of
athletes and officials to add their signature and support the
promotion of peace through sport.
The IOC and members of the Olympic Movement further
demonstrated the ability of sport to drive positive change by
creating a dialogue amongst people otherwise at odds.
Following the 2007 International Forum on Sport and the
Olympic Truce held in Olympia, Greece, the IOC and the
Somali NOC agreed to work on a Sport for Peace project
aimed at easing community tensions through recreation and
sporting activities organised on a regular basis. A similar
programme was organised in Liberia. Working with the
Liberian government, the Liberian NOC, the International
Olympic Truce Centre, the Office of the Special
Representative of the UN Secretary General on Sport for
Development and Peace, national sport associations and
non-governmental organisations, the IOC and the UN
Peacekeeping Mission in that country launched a five-week
programme to foster peace and friendship amongst citizens
from 15 different counties—not a common occurrence in a
country lacking transportation infrastructure and still
recovering from a brutal civil war. The Sport for Peace
programme attracted thousands of young people for 39
games of football, volleyball and kickball. An average of
2,000 people attended each game, in peace and in
appreciation of the healing nature of sport.
WHILST SPORT CANNOT SOLVE ALL THE
WORLD’S PROBLEMS, IT CAN CONTRIBUTE
TO A MORE PEACEFUL SOCIETY BY
UNIFYING COMPETITORS IN A COMMON
PURPOSE, BRIDGING CULTURAL AND ETHNIC
DIVIDES, AND ADVOCATING TOLERANCE AND
NON-DISCRIMINATION.
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