Open letter to the London Olympic Organising Committee expressing concern at involvement of Armed Forces in the Games.
Peace, the root value of the Olympic Games
We ( Pax Christi and Westminster J&P Commission) are among the founding members of ‘The 100 Days of Peace’ (the Olympic Sacred Truce). This is an initiative of a network of Christian groups who believe that London’s hosting of the Olympic Games provides an excellent opportunity to promote and reassert, in London and beyond, our commitment to peace and reconciliation, unity, internationalism and cooperation. We believe we can build a real legacy of peace for our own London citizens – in schools, places of worship and community networks that will embrace the needs of the global community and extend far beyond the Olympic Games themselves.
This initiative is inspired by the Olympic Truce tradition and vision. Indeed, Lord Coe, the chairman of London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) and representing the British Government, presented a resolution at the UN last October calling for a truce to be observed in all the world’s conflicts throughout the duration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Sport helps to mend broken communities
Some visitors to London this summer will be from countries in conflict, perhaps even facing internal repression. All the more important then that the message of peace and the creation of a community of ordinary people who can live, work and solve problems together should be central to this uniting of nations under the Olympic ideals.… Read more