TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC TRUCE PEACE CAMPAIGN

In a nutshell- What is the Japan 2020 Olympic Truce Campaign about?

It is clearer than ever that modern society has developed a global economy based on low-level warfare, environmental resource depletion and global oppression of the many for the benefit of the few. Constant war, conflict and violence are bringing the vast majority of us to the brink of economic, environmental and cultural impoverishment, and our children, from both richer and poorer countries, are facing even greater enslavement to this unequal status quo.  In the face of crises after crises, we need a global Olympic effort to end this now.

The UN has set the Agenda 2030 sustainable development goals to address these issues, but without an implementation strategy these goals will once again – just like the Millennium Goals and their 2015 revision – be turned into the rhetoric of self-interested governments and business interested in profit before planet and people.  The Olympic Truce - a period of 6 weeks of peace between competing nations signed up to by all participating nation states during the Olympic Games - represents a unique and historical opportunity to address these issues head on.

Sadly the last three Olympics have been ‘Bread and Games’ for the masses, distracting us from the reality of nation state conflict-driven economy. Worse still, we have entered an era where nation states have become masters of mis-information, distortion and suppression of the truth. For a real  Olympic Truce to be realised during the Japan 2020 Games, this time civil society can take a lead and ensure the IOC, UN and participating nations end their rhetorical use of the Truce and give real peace a chance, and report to the world on the reality of the Truce.

The Japan 2020 Campaign Objective: to raise awareness of the Olympic Truce as a key tool to mainstream SDG 16 as the basis for implementing all other goals, targeting those who need help most. It  aims to establish a support system for setting up A Global Network of Olympic Truce Peace Reporters in the world’s conflict areas who will report on the Japan 2020 Truce implementation process.

The 2020 Olympic Truce Campaign Strategy: To build on the last 3 Olympic Truce Peace Ambassadors Campaigns to build a supporters group that will identify, train and support Truce Peace Reporters groups in conflict zones to provide country and regional level reports on the implementation of the Truce during the period of the Games. 

This process will then be mainstreamed through three themes, culture, conflict resolution and conservation featuring  a world music event, martial arts pilgrimage and performance and sport & peace gardening competition– in order to take the Truce message  to a diverse range of stakeholders and gain media interest.

The Japan 2020 Olympic Truce Reporters Implementation Work Plan:

1. Establish a core support team to coordinate the process.
2. Formulate the support partnership from a stakeholder group that includes youth, reporters, media, business and government agencies.
3. Identify, train and support country-based 2/3 person reporting teams (one journalist, one film/video editor) in conflict zones to report on the implementation of the Olympic Truce.
4. Focusing on culture, conflict resolution and conservation themes, host a world music/poetry event, a Japan peace pilgrimage, and an international sports & peace garden competition to highlight the Truce in the build up to the Games.

 We need your support NOW!  Please contact Gordon Sillence to find out how we can work together to make this happen.