Campaign in Support of the Olympic Truce

With the occasion of the 2014 Winter Olympics of Sochi, a global campaign in support of the Olympic Truce was implemented by Goals for Peace International. Working conjunctly with community organizations, universities, sport federations and governmental agencies from Colombia, England, Mexico and the the campaign aimed at raising awareness on the importance of adopting the Olympic Truce, especially in regions affected by conflict and violence.

This international campaign sought to involve relevant actors in the sport and peace worlds as well as the community at large to use the Olympic Games and the Olympic Truce as platforms to contribute to the creation of more harmonious communities.

Activities implemented in the selected locations incorporated reading the Statement in Support of the Olympic Truce (please see below) and the conduction of sport festivals.

In Colombia and Mexico, SDP NGOs organized and implemented the activities in February of 2014.

In the UK the implementation of the Olympic Truce coincided with the celebration of the 40-year anniversary of the Peace Studies Centre at Bradford University. The Truce was then celebrated within the framework of the activities carried out at Bradford University.

In The Philippines the Olympic Truce event was celebrated between February 8th and 13th, 2014 with the support of the - Badminton Club and the local government of the City of Dumaguete. Manolito Saldivar, a Filipino sport celebrity and peace advocate coordinated and implemented the Campaign which was participated by more than 400 athletes, coaches and officials from primary and secondary schools from the 18 Divisions of (a region in the Philippines) namely, Bais City, City, Bogo City, City, Danao City, Dumaguete City,Naga City, Talisay City, City, Lapulapu City, City, Guihulngan City, City, City, Toledo City, Negros Oriental Province, Cebu Province, and Province.

Statement in support for the Olympic Truce

The Olympic Truce was established in Greece in the 9th Century BC with the intention of stopping armed conflict and war during the celebration of the Olympic Games. The Olympic Truce allowed athletes, spectators, artists and their families to travel to the Olympic Games and return to their places of origin in total safety and is in fact, the first documented use of sport in human history to serve as an agent of peace.

After remaining inactive for centuries, the family of nations and the family of sport have come together to revive the idea of the Olympic Truce acknowledging the potential contributions of sport to build more peaceful and more equitable societies.

Nowadays the Olympic Truce embodies a call for communities worldwide to do anything in their capacity to stop any violent actions, war and conflicts, specifically during the celebration of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. It is with great honor and enthusiasm that we respond to this call today joining other initiatives across the planet that believe in the symbolic and practical capacity of sport to positively transform our communities.

While recognizing that sport is not a solution to cure all the world’s most pressing issues, we acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable potential of sport to bring people together, to establish friendships, to entertain and to inspire. We here today, as individuals and as a community, honor the idea of the Olympic Truce.

Alexander Cárdenas, PhD Consultant, reseacher and practitioner SDP and Olympism Founder program Goals for Peace International

Declaración de Apoyo a la Tregua Olímpica

La Tregua Olímpica se estableció en Grecia en el siglo noveno antes de Cristo con la intención de detener el conflicto armado y la guerra durante la celebración de los Juegos Olímpicos. La Tregua Olímpica permitía a los atletas, espectadores, artistas y a sus familias viajar a los Juegos Olímpicos y regresar a sus lugares de origen en condiciones de total seguridad, y representa el primer uso documentado del deporte en la historia de la humanidad para servir como un agente de paz.

Después de permanecer inactiva durante siglos, la familia de las naciones y la familia del deporte se han unido para revivir la idea de la Tregua Olímpica al reconocer las potenciales contribuciones del deporte en la construcción de sociedades más pacíficas y más equitativas. Hoy en día, la Tregua Olímpica simboliza un llamado a las naciones y comunidades en todo el mundo para hacer todo lo que esté a nuestro alcance para detener cualquier acción violenta, la guerra y los conflictos, específicamente durante la celebración de los Juegos Olímpicos de invierno y de verano. Es con gran honor y entusiasmo que hoy respondemos a este llamado, uniéndonos a otras iniciativas en todo el planeta que validan la capacidad simbólica y práctica del deporte para transformar positivamente nuestras comunidades.

Si bien entendemos que el deporte no es una solución para aliviar los problemas más acuciantes del mundo, reconocemos y celebramos el notable potencial del deporte para unir a las personas, para establecer amistades, para entretener y para inspirar. Como individuos y como comunidad, honramos el noble ideal de la Tregua Olímpica.

Alexander Cárdenas, PhD Consultor e investigador Deporte para el Desarollo y la Paz y Olimpismo Fundador programa Goals for Peace International