The London 2012 Olympic Truce Campaign – Defining Stakeholders` Contributions - a Call for Coherent and Effective Action
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Subject: Olympic Truce London 2012 Process: Vision, Concept Paper and Proposal for Action (April 2010) The London 2012 Olympic Truce Campaign – Defining Stakeholders` Contributions - A Call for Coherent and Effective Action London 2012 Contents The Olympic Truce through Tourism – London 2012 Vision and Concept p2 Building up a Common Vision of Global Peace 2012 p3 The Process: Olympic Truce through Tourism - London 2012 p3 Olympic Truce through Tourism 2012 Proposed Knowledge Network Process p3 Proposal to Develop a London 2012 Olympic Peace Process Campaign p4 Technical Execution p4 Appendix I Olympic Truce Milestones p6 Appendix II Existing Conflicts Dealt with by UN Peace Keeping Operations p9 Appendix III International Institute of Peace through Tourism p11 Appendix IV 16 Days: The Role of the Olympic Truce in the Toolkit for Peace p13 Appendix V Vancouver 2010 Olympic Truce p14 Gordon Sillence April 2010 In a nutshell: As the 5000 year old Mayan Calendar draws to a close in 2012, in the grip of multiple global crises, on the brink of socio-economic and environmental limits, a global population above 7 billion, every individual in the chain of suffering, the aim: to achieve the UN-backed 16 day Worldwide Truce during the London 2012 Olympics. Inner Peace, Global Peace - moving from a culture of violence to a culture of peace, locally and globally – we all want it, the world needs it. It`s for the people, the planet and prosperity for all- it needs your participation – we can do it together, and when it happens we will glimpse a truly sustainable international world order, and all benefit personally and collectively, materially and spiritually. Janela Aberta 21, Centro de Educação para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (Education for Sustainable Development Centre) Monchique Algarve Portugal http://destinet.ew.eea.europa.eu/topics/peace-through-tourism/olympic-peace-through-tourism-london-2012 Coordinator: Gordon Sillence [email protected] 1 The Olympic Truce through Tourism – London 2012 Vision and Concept The aim: to achieve a 16 day Worldwide Truce during the London 2012 Olympics The 16 days of world peace in 2012 that has been designated by the UN to accompany the Olympic (and para-Olympics) competitions is an aim worthy of our everyday effort, is obtainable in our lifetime, and is a positive and enlightened response to the challenges of climate change, poverty, loss of biodiversity and socio-economic collapse. It should not remain as a rhetorical goodwill statement, but be turned into a real force for global harmony and prosperity. It is a monumental task, only capable of being executed by many professional people following this common vision and moral purpose. For the ancient Greeks the Olympics were a Holy Games, during which war was stopped and nations competed together in the spirit of friendship. The modern United Nations movement recalled this means of achieving peace on earth1 in the 90s and even at the Millennium turning point2. There are existing minor political processes in place to achieve it, although to this point they have proved ineffectual. However, there are many people who continue to show interest in supporting the goal of achieving an Olympic Truce, and the 2012 Olympics in London may offer the best opportunity to succeed. Building up a Common Vision of Global Peace 2012 Like all global undertakings, no one individual can make this happen. It requires the personal commitment of a well-organized network of political, business, administrative and academic professionals together with a well-informed consumer audience, following a common vision. A concept of how to achieve this was developed for the Greek Olympics in the book 16 Days: The Role of the Olympic Truce in the Toolkit for Peace (see appendix IV- also up uploaded in the DestiNet campaign folder), and provides clear guidance on the vision. For the Beijing Olympics of 2008 the Olympic Rings of Light Project3 was initiated by Janela Aberta 21 Education for Sustainable Development Centre`s Global Citizenship Programme, (with input from the International Institute for Peace through Tourism`s (www.IIPT.org) director Louis D`Amore, who co-ordinates a global high-level peace through tourism network as a support action to high level diplomacy) with the focus on Darfur and Tibet. Whereas the 2008 focus in China`s Olympic Games was on using the call for a truce to resolve the crises in Darfur, Tibet and China`s human rights abuses, the 2012 Olympics can broaden this coalition of issues to achieve peace in all nations wishing to compete in London. In particular, the 2012 campaign recognizes just how important this issue is for the European border, Middle East & African regions4, which can take a lead in creating this global framework for peace though tourism. It is a concept which could suit the Commonwealth history of the host nation, appeal to the new American political regime, and gain mass support among global citizens. As well as fulfilling the most urgent of moral duties, ie the elimination of poverty, hunger, exploitation and oppression, the concept makes good business sense. It is based on developing a peace dividend for the tourism sector that will give the global economy a massive boost for 60 days of that year, with the intention that the sector contributes positively and effectively to create global prosperity via the framework of programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production5 being designed to meet the Millennium Goals targets and World Summit on Sustainable Development commitments. 1 Cf UN Declaration on Sport and Peace, Since 1993, the UN Assembly has unanimously adopted six Resolutions championing the cause of Olympic Truce.. http://www.olympictruce.org/v2/index.html 2 The United Nations Millennium Declaration, adopted in New York in September 2000 by more than 150 Heads of State and Government, includes a paragraph on the promotion of peace and mutual understanding through the Olympic Truce 3 ´Inner Peace-Global Peace 24 hour Olympic Sit in Meditation` http://www.slideshare.net/picota/olympic-rings-of-light-event-details 4 Cf Amman Declaration of 2000 , major conflict zones in Isreal, Palastine, Iraq, Sudan, Chad, Eritrea, Congo, etc … 5 World Summit Sustainable Development 2002 Johannesburg Plan of Implementation - developing a framework of programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production cf Sustainable Tourism Task Force 2 The Process: Olympic Truce through Tourism - London 2012 We need a clear road map to achieve an end to violent conflict and the creation of a tourism boom based on global peace. Furthermore, it is recognized that the global peace society needs is intricately linked with inner peace that individual need. To this end the following process has now been elaborated: In each country the following 3 step programme should be executed: Step 1: National campaigns are initiated to mainstream the Olympic Truce process, promoting the values of cultural exchange in the Olympic spirit, using travel and tourism as the vehicle of cultural interaction. Step 2: Tourism Ministers sign a declaration that their country would like to see a 16 day Truce in order for their national tourism economies to benefit. The declaration would invite Sports Ministers to sign a similar joint declaration. Step 3: The joint declaration from sports and tourism ministers invites Ministers of Foreign Affairs or Defense Ministers to sign a declaration that their countries will observe the Olympic Truce. To time-table this, the following events and processes would be important: 2010 Initiation of a top down-bottom up multi-stakeholder networking process outlined below, including awareness campaigns at the: FIFA World Cup South Africa Commonwealth Games Singapore Youth Olympics 2011 UN Olympic ceasefire plans for each conflict zone drawn up in the 40 + conflict areas worldwide. 2012 London Olympic Worldwide Truce - each participant has publicly signed a declaration of Truce in order to participate. 16 days of Peace on Earth matched by 16 Day Global Responsible Travel Campaign Olympic Peace through Tourism 2012 Proposed Knowledge Network Process An Olympic Truce process depends on multi-stakeholder participation, with a networking strategy that would include: Establishing a global networking process to create ´coalition of the willing` to achieve the London 2012- 16 Days Olympic Truce using of existing networks to establish an Olympic Peace Knowledge Network (Olympic Rings of Light London 2012) Key National level network of actors established globally, based on sub-global regional coordination All participants sign a willingness to have a ceasefire for the London Olympics and bring a time- tabled plan on how to achieve this. Media awareness campaign of UN Member (Inter and Intra-) State Oppression v Sustainable Tourism Peace Dividend for Global Prosperity Examples of potential network involvement include: Global Level – UN bodies esp UNWTO,UNESCO, and UNDESA, Google, Media, other Corporates, IOTC, IOC, IIPT, Ecotrans- Agenda 21-WSSD Networks European – Ecotrans- members network National -Sports ministries, tourism ministries, defense ministries, home and foreign affairs departments, Private enterprise, Media, London Olympic Committee 3 Consumer Level: LOHAS followers, Social Networks, NGO members, Tourists, Sports fans, individuals comitted to social well-being As stated earlier, success depends on the personal commitment of a well-organized network of business, administrative and academic professionals together with a well-informed consumer