Olympics, democracy require citizens’ participation to thrive
The arrival of the XXIII Winter Olympic Games presents an opportunity to assess the state of the international Olympic movement as well as the role of Olympians within it.
These Games arrive at a particularly fraught point in Olympic history: Global tensions join concerns about excessive nationalism, commercialism and hosting costs as well as corruption, bribery and cheating.
I was a member of one boycotting U.S. Olympic team (1980) and another that visited a turbulent Korean peninsula 30 years ago (1988). Like most Olympians and Paralympians, I will always be concerned about the Games. These issues are personal to us, but they matter to the broader world as well.
The Olympics have much in common with another important human institution that emerged in ancient Greece: democracy.
Democracy and the Olympics both embody what was a radical vision emphasizing individual human dignity, rights and responsibilities as a central organizing principle in society.
Both institutions recognize a set of core, universal values — respect, integrity, fellowship, leadership and excellence — essential for healthy individuals and societies alike.
Both enable citizens — free of constraints including capricious gods, rulers and belief systems — to determine their own fruitful destinies.
And both, by allowing individuals to demonstrate and inspire the best in humanity, have attained exalted positions in modern civilization.
Democracy and the Olympics have also both struggled.
Both institutions languished for centuries until societal conditions evolved sufficiently once again to support their full expression.
And both are under perpetual assault, imperiled by the persistent, corrosive forces of greed, ignorance, sectarianism and exploitation. In many places today, democratic principles and practices are being eroded where they once appeared vibrant and firmly entrenched.
And the moral authority of the Modern Olympics, established under the Olympic Charter “to educate the youth of the world through sport and the Olympic Spirit, upholding the values of respect and fair play ... in order to contribute to building a better, more peaceful world,” is being chipped away by recurring controversies.
Faith in and respect for institutions of all sorts — politics, entertainment, academics, religions, the press — is diminishing due to scandal and the abuse of power. What can be done? We can begin by acknowledging a powerful positive: Thousands of years after their initial conception, both democracy and the Olympics continue to inspire and awe.
Next, we must engage. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Neither, paradoxically, is the Olympics (despite being a highly watched TV sport spectacle).
As an Olympian, my focus naturally falls to the Olympics.
The inspiration of watching athletes from a multitude of countries compete — peacefully — in the highest expression of athletic achievement is worth protecting, preserving and promoting. In the face of abuse and aggression, passivity, complacency and apathy are not viable options.
The Olympics belong to humanity, to the entire world, and Olympic values can be found and cultivated in sport as well as other human pursuits like the arts and governance.
Olympians and Paralympians, Olympic organizations, supporters, enthusiasts and global citizens alike must work together to ensure a healthy, relevant, sustainable Olympic movement.
We must use all channels possible to champion and give expression to the values and ideals enshrined in the movement, especially for our youth.
We must emphasize the importance of these universal values to achieve not just better athletic competition but more productive participation in all types of “teams” — families, schools, communities, organizations, companies, governments and society at large.
The late, great Nelson Mandela stated: “Sport has the power to change the world.”
It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope.