Olympism refers to the
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
of the
Olympic games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
. The fundamental principles of Olympism are outlined in the
Olympic Charter
The Olympic Charter is a set of rules and guidelines for the organisation of the Olympic Games, and for governing the Olympic movement. Its last revision was on the 17th of July 2020 during the 136th IOC Session, held by video conference. Adop ...
.
From a pro-Olympism viewpoint, Olympism seeks to create a way of life by blending sport with culture, education and international cooperation. Ideally, it is based on the joy of effort, the educational value of a good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental
ethical
Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...
principles. The main goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the development of humankind, with a view to promoting a society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.
According to the principles of Olympism, the practice of sport is a principal human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without any discrimination kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of
friendship
Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague.
In some cultures, the concept o ...
, solidarity and fair play.
The principle of non-discrimination is a core point of Olympism. Olympism says that the enjoyment of rights and freedoms to practice sport should take place without discrimination of any kind, such as
race
Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to:
* Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species
* Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...
, colour,
sex
Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones ( ova, of ...
,
sexual orientation
Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...
,
language
Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...
,
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
,
political
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
or another opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or another status.
Olympists are adherents or advocates of Olympism who commonly refer to their work as “building better humans.”
Critics of Olympism describe it as an unrealistic ideal and point to failures of the games to promote its objectives.
Olympism in Action
Six activities are currently included within Olympism in Action. Activities include Development through Sport, Education through Sport, Peace through Sport, Sport and the Environment, Sport for All, and Women and Sport. These activities are endorsed by the
Olympic Movement
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
.
The
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
(IOC) supports Development through Sport by working with the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
(UN) and other governmental agencies to help people perceive, gain, and understand the world around them through athletics. For Education through Sport, the IOC created the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) to teach its participants about the advantages of being physically active and playing sports. IOC President
Thomas Bach
Thomas Bach (born 29 December 1953) is a German lawyer, former Olympic foil fencer and Olympic gold medalist, serving as the ninth and current president of the International Olympic Committee since 10 September 2013. He is also a former memb ...
has shown his support for Peace through Sport by stating "The Olympic athletes show the whole world that it is possible to compete with each other while living peacefully together. In this world of uncertainty that we are living in today, the Olympic Games are even more relevant than ever.”
To support its idea for Sport and the Environment, the IOC is a principal support partner for the Sustainable Sport and Events (SSE) Toolkit created by the
International Academy of Sports Science and Technology (AISTS). The toolkit focuses on how
National Olympic Committee
A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, NOCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games ...
s should go about choosing a city or cities to host, as well as construction for the venue, transportation, and accommodation for athletes and visitors. The IOC works towards Sport for All to offer access to sports to everyone, no matter their gender, race, or social class. Women in Sport is the IOC’s way to continue to support and improve gender equality. They do this by creating “leadership development, advocacy and awareness campaigns” and putting more women in leadership roles in the Committee.
However, the principle of non-discrimination is not always followed by IOC: during
2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis IOC EB recommends no participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials, urges International Sports Federations and organizers of sports events worldwide to do everything in their power to ensure that no athlete or sports official from Russia or Belarus be allowed to take part under the name of Russia or Belarus.
References
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Olympic culture