The Olympic Truce's Role in Current World Events

    The Olympic Truce was an agreement established way back in ninth century Ancient Greece. The treaty was signed by three kings, who’s domains were almost always at odds. It was enacted in order to allow for safe and fair participation in the Olympic Games for both athletes and spectators. This concept was recently revived in the modern Games with the goal of safeguarding the interests and practices of athletes and sport as a whole, while also utilizing sport as a way to encourage unity, peace, and healthy competition. The truce, with heavy support from the United Nations, is renewed with each Olympic and Paralympic Game, continually promoting a peaceful and cooperative world through sport. It encourages international friendship and for differences such as race, religion, politics, and tensions to be set aside to simply celebrate an international love of sport and competition. 

Within the past few weeks, great conflict has arisen between Russia and Ukraine. Issues between the two have been long in the making as Ukraine has attempted to make strides in joining both the European Union and NATO, further severing its ties from Russia. Feeling threatened by this, Russia took drastic measures and enacted a full forced military invasion. These attacks have taken the world by storm and many countries have expressed both their allegiance to Ukraine and disdain towards Russia. Only one nation has vocally stood in support with Russia’s actions, and that being Belarus. The  International Paralympic Committee (IPC)  expressed its deepest sympathies and support towards Ukrainian athletes and natives, while simultaneously condemning Russian and Belarusian actions and their violation of the Olympic Truce. 

Before the start of the Paralympic Games, the IPC made the official decision to permit Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete, but as “neutrals.” Athletes will not represent their countries, but instead, stand for the Paralympic Games by donning their attire, waving their flag, and playing their anthem. Russia and Belarus’ violations of the truce and IPC values of courage, determination, inspiration, and equality, are what led to the decision to have athletes compete as neutrals. Further discussions addressed the future, in which the committee decided not to host any other events in either country, and even considered removing Russian and Belarusian NPCs from competing at all in the future. 

These decisions are no easy feat, as they offer so many complexities, questions, and concerns. It would be in both the IPC and IOCs best interests to address the truce on a game by game basis. Instead of removing the two NPCs completely, they, just as every other competing nation, should be evaluated to determine whether or not there has been a breach and or threat to the agreement. If so, they would not be permitted to participate in those current Games, but may have the potential to compete in following Games if the evaluation overturns no objections. It is also right for the IPC and IOC to refrain from hosting events in nations, such as Russia and Belarus, who have previously broken the truce. Preventing a violating nation from any form of financial gain from the Games is yet another action that can be made in holding them accountable for their actions. Banning athletes completely would go against the purpose of and plea for world peace made by the committees, since it is their goal to create unity through sport. 



https://www.paralympic.org/press-release/ipc-makes-decisions-regarding-rpc-and-npc-belarus

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