The Olympic Movement and the Sport of Peacekeeping

Routledge

The book, co-edited by Dr Rarnón Spaaji and Cindy Burleson, critically examines the Olympic movement’s capacity to promote world peace, and how this goal plays out at local, national and global levels.

The collection of 11 contributions from a range of scholars reflects upon the Olympic’s legacy of peace, from the ancient Greek tradition of Ekecheiria,which dictated a break from war to ensure competitors’ safe passage and participation, to the modern Olympic Truce, which similarly calls for peace during the Games, and to which all 193 UN member states adhere. On the Olympic Truce, UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon said, “A truce is a prelude to true peace.”

The book also explores the experiences of the Paralympic Games, the Youth Olympic Games,Nagano 1998, Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010, London 2012, and Rio de Janeiro 2016 in promoting peaceful co-existence.