INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY THIRTY-THIRD SESSION 7th- 22nd JULY 1993 THE DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS OF OLYMPISM IN THE MAJOR CULTURAL ZONES OF THE WORLD © 1994 International Olympic Committee Published and edited jointly by the International Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Academy. Scientific supervisor : Konstantinos Georgiadis / IOA Dean INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY REPORT OF THE THIRTY-THIRD SESSION 7th-22nd July 1993 ANCIENT OLYMPIA IOC COMMISSION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY President Mr Nikos FILARETOS IOC member in Greece Members Mr Fernando Ferreira Lima BELLO IOC member in Portugal Mr Ivan DIBOS IOC Member in Peru Major General Francis NYANGWESO IOC Member in Uganda Mr Wlodzimierz RECZEK IOC Member in Poland H.E. Mr Mohamed ZERGUINI IOC Member in Algeria Mr Anselmo LOPEZ Director of Olympic Solidarity Mr Heinz KEMPA Representative of the IFs Mr Abdul Muttaleb AHMAD Representative of the NOCs Mr Peter MONTGOMERY Representative of the Athletes Commission Mr Conrado DURANTEZ Individual Member Mrs Nadia LEKARSKA Inidividual Member Professor Norbert MUELLER Individual Member 5 EPHORIA (BOARD OF TRUSTEES) OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY Honorary Life President H.E. Mr Juan Antonio SAMARANCH President Mr Freddy SERPIERIS 1st Vice-President Mr Marton SIMITSEK 1st HOC Vice-President 2nd Vice-President Mr Thomas MENTESIDIS HOC Member Dean Konstantinos GEORGIADIS Members Dionyssis GANGAS HOC Secretary General loannis THEODORAKOPOULOS President of the Hellenic Association for Sports Journalists George KOSMOPOULOS Mayor of Ancient Olympia Members ex officio Nikos FILARETOS IOC Member in Greece Lambis NIKOLAOU IOC Member in Greece Honorary Vice- Nikolaos YALOURIS President 6 FOREWORD In Coubertin's grove, in the stele which is dedicated to the modern Olympiads, lies the heart of the founder of the modern Olympic Movement. In accordance with his wishes, the first torch runner carries the flame which has been lit in the temple of Hera to light the altar which stands in front of the stele of modern Olym- piads. From there, the sacred flame, symbol of Katharsis and a new dawning, will start on its long symbolic journey, bringing light to nations on the road to peace- ful coexistence. Pierre de Coubertin, in his message to the first torch relay runners, compared their course to the constant struggle and efforts of the young for educational re- form. He was convinced that only a reform of the educational system could bring the necessary changes at political level, thus securing social tranquillity and world peace. The international Olympic Movement has never departed from this immutable goal. On the initiative of the IOC President, Mr Samaranch, efforts are being made through the UN to institute a truce for the duration of the Olympic Games. We hope that these efforts will bear fruit and that the torch runners may carry the flame even through regions at war spreading the principles and values of the Olympic Movement as laid down in the Olympic Charter. We hope that the successive OCOGs will contribute to the attainment of that goal by undertaking, in agreement with the IOC, to carry the flame only by land and sea. In this way, many people, especially those who would not have the means to host the Olympic Games, will be able to come in closer contact with the Olympic idea. In addition, by the opening up of communication channels, neigh- bouring nations will have the opportunity to cooperate and develop friendly rela- tions in the pursuit of a common goal and a common idea. Furthermore, this will be the most appropriate moment for all those who are taking part in the event to reflect, as they follow the flame along its journey, on all those common elements that unite mankind. In the first years of the Academy's operation, Carl Diem, the man who intro- duced the Olympic Torch Relay, wishing to give more emphasis to the symbolic 7 character of the flame, had built a mechanical train which carried the flame from the top of Mount Cronion to the camp that had been organized during the Session of the International Olympic Academy. Young people from various countries gathered around the sacred flame, mov- ing closer to one another, singing songs that they all knew, looking for the cultu- ral elements that united them and feeling that special force of Olympism. Their cultural differences acted as an incentive to become better acquainted, to learn of one antother's habits and customs, tradition and culture. The special theme of this year's 33rd Session, «The different application of Olympism in the major cultural zones of the planet,» invited participants to consid- er the cultural specificities of other peoples and show understanding for existing differences as a first step towards eradicating prejudice and rejecting discrimina- tion, the key to peaceful coexistence. In this way the IOA becomes for the young a place where they can experience, investigate and study in depth the concept of Olympism, as well as a place of con- structive criticism, exchange of ideas and improvement of their knowledge about the Olympic Movement. Fourteen lectures were presented at this Session by outstanding speakers who introduced young participants to Olympism. The special theme had been devided into three units : 1. Tradition and the Olympic spirit in antiquity. 2. Olympism and cultural diversity as they were envisaged by the founders of the Olympic Movement and as they are expressed today in the major cultural zones of our planet. 3. The intercultural message of the Olympic Games and the evolution of soci ety through Olympism. The 33rd Session was attended by a total of 240 people from 85 countries : 175 participants (94 men and 81 women), 20 discussion group coordinators and 7 of- ficial guests, in addition to the members of the Ephoria and IOA staff. The level of participants was high and the quality of the groups' reports really excellent. This is mainly due to the existence of 65 National Olympic Academies and the good preparation of participants on the Session's special theme. The message that arises from the reports is a need for substantial support to and promotion of the IOC's work as the supreme authority of the sports and Olym- pic Movement. Moreover, the educational aspects of the Olympic Movement which surround the celebration of the winter and summer Games should be more strongly high- lighted. The IOA, with the moral and effective support of the IOC, furthers the primary aims of the international Olympic Movement and the understanding of its funda- mental educational principles. However, the full contribution of the National Olympic Committees and National Olympic Academies is required for the dissem- ination of the principles and values of the Olympic Movement. To that end, the re- 8 ports of young participants in the various activities of the IOA, which are submit- ted to the NOCs and National Olympic Academies, should not simply be filed away but act as an incentive for action at national level. We are aware that the de- gree of influence an individual can have on the spread of Olympic education is very much dependent on his position, as well as the structures which have been set up by his National Olympic Committee for relevant action. It is by now a tradition to include in the prologue to the IOA's annual report, a short account of its main activities. For the first time this year, the IOA organized, from 15th June-30th June, a train- ing seminar for post-graduate students. This seminar was attended by 17 students for its whole 6-week duration and 8 students for a fortnight, coming from 11 differ- ent countries and 4 continents. Professors Dr. Ingomar Weller, Dr. Norbert Muller, Dr. Lamartine Da Costa, Dr. John Hargreaves and visiting professors Dr. Nicos Yalouris, Dr. Yannis Mouratidis and Dr. Georgios Rontoyannis were in charge of the seminar's curriculum. The subjects of scientific research and teaching courses included : 1. The history and philosophy of the ancient Olympic Games. 2. The history of the modern Olympic Games, the Olympic Movement and Olympism. 3. a) Sport. National identity and nationalism. b) Recent theoretical developments and debates in the sociology of sport. 4. Cultural differentiation and Olympism. Participants in the seminar paid for their travelling costs whilst all other expenses were met by the Hellenic Olympic Committee. Students took part in educational trips and guided visits to the archaeological sites of Athens, Isthmus, Nemea, Epidaurus, Mycenae, Mystras, Ancient Olympia and Delphi. This activity will be continued in future because it allows the Academy to spread its activities in the educational field to a new domain of academic studies, without departing from its ultimate cultural goal, i.e. the training of the Olympic Movement's administrators. The long-term aim of the IOA, by giving the opportunity to top post-graduate students to continue their studies in Greece and become initiated into Olympism, is to prepare an outstanding scientific force that will contribute to the scientific con- solidation of Olympism and the support of the international Olympic Movement. From 8th June-13th June, the 7th International Seminar for Sports Journalists was held at the IOA's facilities with the participation of 41 journalists, 40 men and one woman. The UEPS and the IOC, which covers the largest share of the semi- nar's costs, should give greater emphasis to the participation of more women. The level of lectures was high and the following subjects were developed by distin- guished speakers : a) «The phenomenon of the ancient Olympic Games and its in- fluence» by Dr. Thomas Giannakis, b) «The components of the Olympic Move- ment» by Mrs Michele Verdier, c) «Ethics and sports journalists-' by Mr Jacques 9 Marchand, d) «The intercultural message of the Olympic Games of Seoul and Bar- celona» by Mr Andres Merce Varela, e) «The Olympic Games : the future and the mass media» by Dr.