OPENING CEREMONY – ROUTE OF OLYMPIC TRUCE 2016
On Tuesday, April 19, at the courtyard of the new Museum of Ancient Ilida, a symbolic laying down of arms took place, as was done in antiquity. Uniformed athletes handed their weapons to the Mayor of Ilida, symbolically initiating the truce ahead of the Rio Olympic Games.
The Mayor of Ilida, Mr. Christos Christodoulopoulos, stated that he accepts the gesture of the uniformed personnel to lay down their weapons in the place where the idea of the Olympic Games was born, and asked the President of CISM to convey to the entire world the experiences he lived in Ilida, through the surrendering of weapons by the uniformed athletes, as a message for the worldwide establishment of the idea of the Truce.
Full speech HERE
The leadership of the Olympic Family was present at the event. Everyone underlined that from Ilida, through the Route of Olympic Truce, a global event begins—one that gives the Olympic Truce the dimension and prestige it deserves.
The President of the Federation of Olympia, Ms. Sofia Hintziou Kontogianni, emphasized that the aim of this effort through “The Route of Truce” is not simply to revive an ancient route, but to bridge antiquity with the modern world, the old with the new, so as to remind everyone why the Olympic Games were held. And, based on “The Route of Truce”, to bring back to the forefront the Olympic Ideals and the sacred right to peace.
Full speech HERE
The President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Mr. Spyros Kapralos, praised the initiative of the Federation of Olympia and stressed that, for the first time, all bodies of the Olympic idea gathered for the common purpose of promoting the idea of the Truce.
Full speech HERE
The President of the International Olympic Academy, Mr. Isidoros Kouvelos, referred to the uniqueness of the event and the value of Olympic education, stressing:
“The Truce is extremely important. Because the Truce cannot impose peace, but it can simply inspire it. And it was born in our country. Therefore, we as Greeks have an obligation to safeguard and teach all these values to the new generation.”
Full speech HERE
The Director of the International Truce Centre, Mr. Konstantinos Filis, said that the effort through “The Route of Truce” launches from Ancient Ilida an event that will gain global significance. He underlined how timely the event is, noting that at this moment there are 40 armed conflicts worldwide and refugees have reached 60 million. As he stated, through the Route of Olympic Truce the dream of Truce and peace will be promoted. He emphasized characteristically:
“There is no road to peace. Peace is the road.”
Full speech HERE
The Vice President of the International Olympic Truce Centre and former Minister, Ms. Fani Palli–Petralia, referred to the importance of the event and stated:
“This initiative to highlight the Route of Truce can be welcomed not only as a symbolic reference to our heritage, but as an Ilian—and more broadly a Greek—contribution to solving the most modern and most painful problems of our time, and as a call to all people of good will everywhere to adopt the initiative, follow this route and contribute, as much and however they can, so that the path becomes an avenue leading the world to a peaceful, better tomorrow.”
Full speech HERE
The Director of Primary Education, Mr. P. Zevlas, who participated actively in the event and in welcoming the runners in the villages along the route, stressed that the Route of Truce from Ilida to Olympia can, on an ontological level, signify the transition from need to essence, from strife to friendship, and ultimately from delusion to truth. Education, in an era of nihilism of values, does not relinquish this right; at the same time it is also an obligation: to shape students as tomorrow’s citizens, sharing in the principles and values of Olympism, and to ensure these values are tested in relation with others, so that they do not remain empty words but become a true proposal for life.
Full speech HERE
The President of CISM, Captain AbdulHakeem AlShino
said that the ceremony organized in the name of the Truce is clear proof that Greece supports the Truce. It proves this in practice by having invited Ahmed Abu, an athlete from Palestine—a region in a state of war. His faith in the idea of the Truce led him to lay down his weapons and come here to run the “Route of Truce”, sending his own message in this way.
The President of CISM also recalled that the global organization he represents holds, every four years, sports games in which military athletes from 134 countries participate—and during these games, athletes who may be fighting each other compete on the same track.
Full speech HERE
The event was also greeted by Brigadier General Panagiotis Georgopoulos as representative of the Minister of National Defence.
Full speech HERE
Students of the Vartholomio Music School performed traditional songs, under the direction of Father Georgios Anagnostopoulos.
Students of the primary schools of Avgeio and the 6th Primary School of Amaliada also performed a reenactment of ancient sports. Five-year-old Iordanis Christos recited the Olympic Hymn.
The Federation of Olympia, aiming to combine sport with culture and to put into practice the principle “a healthy mind in a healthy body” across all its events, also organizes parallel exhibitions by artists whose works relate to Olympism, the Truce, and Peace.
At the opening ceremony of the first “Route of Olympic Truce” at the New Museum of Ilida, an exhibition operated featuring works by uniformed and Ilian artists, on the themes of Olympism, the Truce, Peace and Ilia.
From Ilia, the following artists participated: Christos Hasa, Eleni Stathopoulou, Theoni Dagre, Mary Gatzou, Xenia Koloka, Aspasia Panagopoulou, Kostas Kalamaras, and Agni Mylonas.
From among the uniformed personnel, participants included: the legend of ultradistance running and active Squadron Leader Giannis Kouros (who also led the route of the first “Route of Olympic Truce”), the record holder in the 110m hurdles and former Greek record holder Fire Officer Stelios Bismpas (who designed the medal awarded to the runners), the Artistic Director of UNESCO Piraeus and Islands, retired officer Mr. Vasileios Moschou, and Fire Service Chief Warrant Officer Nadia Barakou.
Strong participation by cultural associations in the Route of Truce
Cultural associations of Ilia had a strong presence in the events for the first “Route of Olympic Truce”.
Members of the cultural associations of Ilida, Kalyvia and Avgeio prepared selected local delicacies for the guests and crafted wreaths of wild olive offered to runners who successfully finished, as well as wild olive branches given to guests at the opening ceremony.
The excellent pouches with nuts offered by the Keramidia cultural association to the runners travelled on Holy Monday to Estonia, to be offered there as a gift as well—together with gifts from ASAED—as a small sample of the products of the land of Ilia.
It is worth noting that all community presidents and cultural associations of the villages along the Route of Truce were present upon the runners’ arrival and offered their very best to host them.
Finally, the cultural associations “Pyrgiotisses” and “Olenis” prepared the delicacies offered to runners upon their arrival in Ancient Olympia.
The young women of the Olenis cultural association were the ones who offered the medals and wreaths to the athletes, and afterwards danced traditional dances.
