The International Olympic Committee has urged for a renewal of faith in the “Olympic Truce”, a moral invocation for cessation of hostilities before, during and immediately after an Olympic Games.
According to Wikipedia, an online information source, the Olympic Truce is a tradition that originates from Ancient Greece, dating back to 778 BC in the 8th century BC.
The Truce, an Ancient Greek word, ékécheiria, means the “laying down of arms” as announced before and during the Olympic Games to ensure that the host city state (Elis) is not attacked and that athletes and spectators can travel safely to the Games.
They were to be peacefully allowed to return to their respective countries as part of observance of the Truce period (lasting up to three months), during which wars were suspended and armies prohibited from threatening the Games.
It was also expected that all legal disputes were to be stopped and even death penalties forbidden.
However, it was In 1998 that the International Olympic Committee renewed this tradition by calling upon all nations to observe the Truce.
The Truce was revived by the UN resolution 48/11 of October 25, 1993, as well as by the UN Millennium Declaration relating to world peace and security.
In 1996, the Athens Bid Committee committed to reviving the Olympic Truce and promoting it to the world, through the Olympic Flame Relay.
Three years later, the International Olympic Committee announced the establishment of the International Olympic Truce Foundation and the International Olympic Truce Centre in cooperation with Greece.
The vision was to protect the interests of athletes and sport, and to promote peaceful principles in modern day. Each host city was encouraged to embrace the meaning and spirit of the Olympic Truce in the planning and staging of the Games
The IOC and the UN resolved that part of the principle, was a symbolic commitment toward tolerance, and protection for people fleeing from conflicts. It also committed to using the power of sports to search for world peace.
According to the IOC at the start of the ongoing Rio Olympic Games, this moral imperative will seek to contain messages designed to appeal for warring parties to put aside conflicts and rather work for unity of the world.
It notes that this is against the background that virtually all the 205 nations involved in the Olympic Games have vowed to look forward to achieving world peace and harmony.
“The Olympian has an important inspirational role as models, particularly youngsters to show support toward the principles of the Olympic Movement,” said the IOC.
According to German Thomas Bach, the IOC President: “By signing the Truce Moral, you will send a powerful message of peace and make solemn pledge to join other peacemakers worldwide.
“You will also be demonstrating a firm commitment to living the values to a closer world.”
The current Rio Olympic Village, according to the IOC, contains a mourning place, allowing athletes and officials to mourn those who pass away in a special dignified way.
The mourning place was inaugurated with special ceremonies.
Also as part of according a pride of place to the objective, during the closing ceremonies, everybody in the stadium as well as those watching on television would be allowed to remember loved ones that have passed away.
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