Read the transcript for the Get Set for the Olympic Truce film.
Student 1: The Olympic Truce is a commitment between all the countries to show respect to each other, and to be peaceful for seven days before and after The Games.
Student 2: The Olympic Truce means uniting the world together and bringing countries together, making sure that everyone’s equal.
Student 3: The Olympic Truce is basically respecting each other, as long as there’s respect I don’t think that there will be any arguments between countries and teams.
NARRATOR:
The first recorded ancient Olympic Games began in Greece in 776 BC.
In those days, athletes, artists and spectators had to travel across hostile regions and even enemy territory to get to Olympia.
So, they decided to declare peace with each other while the Olympic Games were taking place, meaning everyone could travel safely, participate and be friendly to each other.
They kept to this agreement and the tradition of the Olympic Truce was born. In the Greek language, it was known as ‘Ekecheiria’.
In 1992, the International Olympic Committee, along with the United Nations, brought back the Olympic Truce, allowing athletes of the former Republic of Yugoslavia to participate in the Barcelona Games. The following year, they asked nations from around the world to sign the first Olympic Truce resolution. This was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, and Olympic Truce resolutions have been part of Summer and Winter Games ever since.
In 2012, the UK will be hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Up to 204 teams for the Olympic games and up to 170 teams for the Paralympic Games from across the globe will come here to take part in this amazing festival of sport and culture.
The Games can show us how the Olympic Truce brings together people and nations who disagree with each other, or may even be at war, helping to create peace and friendship through sport.
[MUSIC]
NARRATOR:
So, now that we know what the Olympic Truce is, how can we use it to change our daily lives?
Student 4: Sport can be used to unite people from all over the world, people can play sport with each other and discover that they actually don’t have a problem with that person, race or religion.
Student 3: In the modern day the Olympic Truce means bringing all the countries together to have the Olympics, because without all the countries the Olympics wouldn’t be what it is.
Student 5: Whenever you play a sport it doesn’t really matter what race you are, or what religion, or where you’re from. You’re just playing together for the love of the game really.
Student 6: If that could just set off a chain of people who do respect each other that can then go all around the world. If people did respect each other no wars would of happened in the first place.
Student 1: If you know more about the other team you can respect them more and understand what background they come from, because sport is like an equal playing field, there’s no minorities in sport so it helps people join together.
NARRATOR:
The theme of the Olympic Truce has inspired and influenced creative people all around the world. Artists have painted pictures about it, stories and poems have been written about it.
Can you think about why the Olympic Truce is important to you and how the idea of the Olympic Truce has helped to bring people together and make the world a more peaceful place?
Student 4: I think it would be a good idea if every year they added an extra day on to the Olympic Truce,so that next year it would be 8 days before the Olympics and then the Olympics after that would be 9 days,so gradually over time there will be a longer and longer truce and maybe in many years time every day will be a truce day.
[LOGO] ENDS
