El siguiente texto también está disponible en versión en español.Olympism highlights three main values1: excellence, friendship, respect. Likewise, one of its six principles2 is non-discrimination. In summary, it can be briefly concluded that the Olympic Games promote, or at least attempt to foster, a peaceful world. To leave no room for doubt, let’s take a paragraph from the Olympic Charter3:
The goal [of Olympism] is to always place sport at the service of the harmonious development of mankind, with the aim of promoting the establishment of a peaceful society committed to maintaining human dignity.
In 1993, the first resolution supporting the Olympic Truce was unanimously approved4 by the United Nations; this truce is not an armistice—nor anything political per se—but a voluntary process in which states support “peace” temporarily so that the Olympic feat can take place without war issues getting in the way. Thus, situations arise where in 2024, Israel, Ukraine, Gaza, or the two Koreas participate as equals in the Paris 2024 competitions. And, under the argument of violating the Olympic Charter5, Russia and Belarus were barred from participating.
There are many countries at war6, not only Russia, Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, or the Koreas; although these are the most media-covered. And despite this, with the exception of Russia, all compete with each other in a friendly manner. Yes, following the Olympic ideal, and yes, respecting that citizens are not to blame for the foolish actions of our leaders, but shouldn’t a stronger, clearer message be sent? Beyond the “Olympic truce,” or those supposed values and principles, do we really believe as a society that the world seeks peace?
Let’s celebrate this Olympic spirit of living life in peace, as one humanity, united in all our diversity7.
Clearly, seeing photos where North Koreans and South Koreans greet, hug, and celebrate is beautiful, but is it something surreal? Is it a utopia? It seems so, and not because of who takes the photo, or the thousands of people from those countries, but because of the entire background: their governments and the war they go through. And the same could be said of Israelis and Gazans, or Russians and Ukrainians. Seeing them coexist, interact, should give us hope for a better world, but is it so?
Upon entering the Olympic Village […] we are part of an event that unites the world in peace. In our Olympic world, there is no “global south” nor a “global north” […] In our Olympic world, we all belong8.
Can we really imagine an Israeli and a Gazan looking at each other harmoniously? Without the memory of everything currently happening there, where perhaps a friend or family member of one of them has died at the hands of the enemy. Or that a Ukrainian sees a Russian competing as an “independent athlete” without thinking that their country is being invaded by people from that athlete’s country? These are very complex angles and suppositions, very difficult to judge beyond a mere work of imagination. But, in the face of all this, the IOC9, with its media power, couldn’t or shouldn’t it have more to say or do? Something beyond a flat inauguration speech.
Although we could argue that sports and politics “do not mix,” the world stage showcase gives you a singular power, and as they say, “with great power comes great responsibility10.” And all of us, whether we like it or not, are political11. But it appears that the organizers preferred to bypass the different situations, the media-covered and the not-so-popular ones, that we live as humanity.
Yes, there was an interpretation12 of Lennon’s already classic Imagine, and a couple of speeches13, but nothing more. Couldn’t something more symbolic and impactful be done to seek to unsettle at the inauguration, just as —intentionally or not— the performance of “the last supper of Paris 202414” did? Why the caution of being politically correct, of not unsettling the governments of countries in conflict, in the face of situations that hurt us as humanity? Why not truly raise our voices, with a firm and convincing call, against the crimes against humanity being committed day after day in different parts of the world?
Sure, having a team of refugees or independent athletes is incredible; it demonstrates that humans weigh more than their passports, but it is a poor and easy gesture in the face of more complex things in which, with the weight the Olympic institution has, more could be done.
Olympism, in its essence, transmits beautiful and lovely things: it gives us hope of seeing each other as equals, of achieving gender parity15, of fraternally hugging those who defeated us in a competition, of taking photos with those of nationality with whose country is at war; but at the same time, it is limited to that, to showing sparks or “lights” of hope, but without echoing, without “getting wet,” without complaining. Without going further.
Paris 2024 paid homage during its inauguration to ten great women of history16; something admirable and necessary; placing and highlighting women is key and essential, and doing it massively demonstrates the courage felt by its organizers to highlight and show something important and fundamental; however, couldn’t something similar, with the same symbolic impact, have been done to denounce the wars we live in? To tell the leaders of those countries that we are not indifferent to the hundreds of deaths that occur every day? Couldn’t it take advantage of the “humanity unites” in a grand event to shout from that platform that we do not agree with what is happening?
I believe a great moment was missed, where the eyes of the world were available to receive and replicate a denunciation. And being silent, or being politically correct, is being complicit, is accepting, is tolerating. Let’s take advantage of every space we have to denounce, to criticize, to express our dissatisfaction. If we truly “embrace” principles and values, let’s be coherent, and let’s not be afraid of the world to say or show what we believe, what we seek, what we desire.
Hopefully, indeed, the utopia experienced in the Olympic Village will one day become reality.
Notes
[1] WOA > Olympism | World Olympians Association. (n.d.). https://olympians.org/woa/olympism/?langid=3
[2] Ibídem.
[3] El movimiento olímpico moderno y la paz – Revista Por la Paz. (2022, 07 de abril). Revista Por La Paz. https://www.icip.cat/perlapau/es/articulo/el-movimiento-olimpico-moderno-y-la-paz/
[4] Ibídem.
[5] Sabueso, E. (2024, 31 de julio). ¿Por qué los atletas de Rusia y Bielorrusia no compiten con sus banderas en los Juegos Olímpicos? Animal Político. https://animalpolitico.com/tendencias/actualidad/por-que-rusia-no-esta-juegos-olimpicos-2024
[6] Orozco, F. H. (2023, 20 de octubre). ¿Qué países están en guerra en 2023? Expansión. https://expansion.mx/mundo/2023/10/20/que-paises-estan-en-guerra-2023
[7] González, C. (2024, 26 de julio). París 2024: Discurso del presidente del COI en la Ceremonia de Apertura de los Juegos Olímpicos. MAG Deportes. https://magdeportes.com/paris-2024-discurso-del-presidente-del-coi-en-la-ceremonia-de-apertura-de-los-juegos-olimpicos/
[8] Ibídem.
[9] Olympic International Comite.
[10] Frase que el tío Ben le dice a un joven Peter Parker (Spider-Man).
[11] Todos somos políticos – Observatorio de la Economía Social y Solidaria. (2013, 09 de septiembre). https://observatorioess.org.ar/2013/09/09/todos-somos-politicos/
[12] Claro Sports. (2024, 26 de julio). #Paris2024 | Juliette Armanet canta “Imagine” ¡Con el piano en llamas! [Vídeo]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1_SLWDN2F4
[13] ACNUR México(2024, 29 de julio). En la inauguración de los Juegos Olímpicos de París, el Alto Comisionado Filippo Grandi elogia a los atletas refugiados como faro de esperanza y paz. ACNUR México. https://www.acnur.org/mx/noticias/comunicados-de-prensa/juegos-olimpicos-de-paris-alto-comisionado-elogia-atletas-refugiados
[14] Ver: https://www.instagram.com/filosofiaenlared/p/C-AgD36O7H6/
[15] En París 2024, por primera vez en la historia, la proporción de atletas en unos Juegos Olímpicos fue de una mujer por cada hombre que compitieron.
[16] Salcedo, L. (2024, 27 de julio). Así fue el emotivo homenaje a mujeres de la historia en la inauguración de los Juegos Olímpicos 2024. Caras. https://www.caras.com.mx/deportes/asi-fue-el-emotivo-homenaje-a-mujeres-de-la-historia-en-la-inauguracion-de-los-juegos-olimpicos-2024
Imagen | Diario de Morelos [photo used for illustrative purposes under the protection of fair use; copyright belongs to its holders].
Cite (APA): García, M. (2024, August 11). Olympic peace: Just a sweet utopia? Filosofía en la Red. https://filosofiaenlared.com/english/olympic-peace-just-a-sweet-utopia/