japanese

An Ideal Olympic Games
Make the "festival of peace" shine brighter

The city of Hiroshima is pondering the possibility of hosting the Olympic Games in the summer of 2020. The aim would be to appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons through this international event.

The Olympics are considered a "festival of peace." But why did the Olympics come to be called this? And are the Olympics today really a "festival of peace"?

We tend to only pay attention to the results of the events and the records in the Olympic Games. However, when we looked into the history of the Olympics, the participating nations, the number of athletes, and its significance as a "festival of peace," we found that the economic strength and political conditions of the world's nations affect the participation and implementation of the Games. Based on our findings, we considered how the "festival of peace" might be improved.



Providing financial support to some countries

Some nations are unable to afford to send many athletes to the Games. We propose that an Olympics fund be established to help such countries.

The fund would enable countries to obtain equipment and uniforms and build practice facilities. In this way, these countries could raise the level of their athletes. The fund could also provide money for expenses related to attending the Games.

The money in the Olympics fund would come from contributions by the world's governments, companies and individuals. If a lot of money could be collected from countries which have large budgets for war or hold nuclear weapons, this would help promote peace.
(Yusuke Suemoto, 13)


No war or conflict during the Games

Despite its reputation as a "festival of peace," some countries boycott the Games because of war or conflict. At the Munich Olympics, a tragedy took place in which some participating athletes were killed by a terrorist group. The Olympic Games should be a place to enjoy sports, not burden the event with political agendas.

We propose that all wars and conflicts be suspended during the Olympic Games. The wars and conflicts should be set aside to enjoy the event. Having two weeks for such feelings to cool down might help prevent the war or conflict from being restarted or prolonged. This could strengthen the meaning of the Games as a "festival of peace."
(Sachiko Kitayama, 13)



Promoting a healthy planet

To resolve issues involving the environment, the cooperation of all human beings is needed. We propose that the Olympic Games also address the environment in order to promote a healthy planet.

For example, what if the torch bearers of the Olympic flame plant trees along the route of the relay? Seeing such environmental concern in action, many people might be persuaded to plant trees, too.

Another idea is that the Olympic ceremonies and events all be held during daylight hours to save a significant amount of energy.

Finally, in the four years leading up to the next Olympic Games, if a country is actively engaged in planting trees and reducing its carbon emissions, that country would be given the opportunity to bring an additional number of athletes. This would be some incentive to get more involved in environmental efforts.
(Minako Iwata, 16)
Illustration by Miyu Sakata, 14


Expanding cultural activities

Section 5 of the Olympic Charter states that cultural activities should be held during the time the Olympic Village is open.

In fact, the host countries of the Olympic Games have organized many cultural events, such as exhibitions and concerts. However, only visitors at the site are able to view these events. Why can't these cultural events be included in the coverage of the Games?

The Games from 1912 to 1948 included "art competitions," too, such as literature and music. Like athletic events, gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded. If such competitions continued to be held and many countries took part, they would likely be broadcast on TV and people could learn about the culture of other nations.

Also, before the Games begin, if the traditional entertainments of each participating nation could be performed at the site, the athletes and audiences could learn about the culture of these nations, too. A deeper understanding of other cultures could help lead to peace.
(Masashi Muro, 17)


Participating, by region, in traditional games

In order to gain respect for the culture of other countries, perhaps traditional games could be organized, too. For example, traditional games in Japan that need the cooperation of many participants include tug-of-war, the thirty-one-legged race, a ball-toss game, and jumping over a long rope.

The thirty-one-legged race might draw its 30 participants for a team, not by country, but by region, such as Asia or Africa. In this way, neighboring countries that are involved in conflict could have a chance to cooperate. By working together with their enemy, this could have some effect on easing the conflict between the two nations.
(Miyu Sakata, 14)

Interview with Professor Kusudo of Hiroshima University
Religious origins / War suspended during ancient Olympics / Charter says "promote peace"

We spoke with Kazuhiko Kusudo, 62, a professor at Hiroshima University, about the history behind the Olympics becoming a "festival of peace" and the situation today.

Professor Kusudo explains the history of the Olympics. (Photo by Yusuke Suemoto, 14)

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece in 1896. Like the ancient Olympic Games, the modern Games are held every four years. The most recent Olympics, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, brought together about 11,000 athletes from 204 countries and regions. The number of participating athletes is affected by the population and economic might of each nation. China, the United States, Russia and France sent the most athletes to Beijing.

It is said that the origin of the ancient Games stems from a religious festival dedicated to the god Zeus by the ancient Greeks around 800 B.C. This festival, with song, poetry, dance, and sporting events, continued to 393 A.D.

The decision to revive the Olympics was made at an international conference held in Paris in 1894. The aim was to promote peace through athletics.

However, during the Munich Olympics in 1972, Palestinian terrorists killed a number of Israeli athletes.

In 1980, Japan boycotted the Moscow Olympics, following the lead of the United States which opposed the former Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. Although the Japanese Olympic Committee had hoped to take part, the Japanese government didn't permit the nation's participation. During World War I and World War II, the Olympic Games weren't held.

In ancient times, war was suspended during the Olympic Games. The current Olympic Charter states that one aim of the Games is to promote a peaceful world. However, the torch relay for the 2008 Olympic Games was targeted for interruption to express opposition to the Chinese government's oppression in Tibet.

Professor Kusudo says that making the Olympic Games a more peaceful event by fostering friendship and the spirit of fair play through sports, as well as through mutual understanding, are important. (Shiori Kusuo, 16)


keywords

  • Summer Olympic Games

    The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 and had 13 participating countries including Greece, Germany and the United States. Japan took part in the Olympics for first time in 1912, the fifth Olympics. Since 1912, Japan has participated in every Olympics except for the 14th Olympics, held in London in 1948 (Japan was rebuked for World War II) and the 22nd Olympics, held in Moscow in 1980 (Japan opposed the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan).

  • Terrorist attack by Palestinian gunmen

    At the 20th Olympics, held in Munich, West Germany, Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic village. They killed two Israeli athletes in the village and took nine other Israelis hostage to demand the release of Palestinians held in Israel. In a gunfight with police that took place at an airport, all the Israeli athletes as well as seven terrorists and police officers were killed.

  • The Olympic Charter

    The Olympic Charter contains Fundamental Principles, Rules and Bylaws which were adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
    The section "Fundamental Principles of Olympism" articulates the vision of the Olympics as originally conceived by the Frenchman who advocated the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin. In summary, it says that the Olympics should "place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man", without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise, and promote a peaceful society with mutual understanding in a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.
    Regarding the host city, a bylaw states: "Should there be several potential applicant cities in the same country to the same Olympic Games, one city only may apply, as decided by the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of the country concerned."


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