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The International Delphi Games -Christian Kirsch

Warmest Greetings and thanks to the organisers, participants, guests and volunteers supporting and joining the “Need for a constructive dialogue between peoples and Cultures and the Olympic idea” from 01 – 06 September in Ancient Olympia and in particular to Mr. Spyros Mercouris, the IDC Honorary President and personal friend giving me the chance to inform you of an exciting ancient revival of body & mind in our time – sports & arts to honour world spirit and cultural heritage.

Under the AUSPICES of International Olympic Academy

Olympic Games – what is it? (As I see it)
- The twin brother of the Delphic Games – for sports
- Praising the ancient gods by sportive skills
- a sustainable sportive leading icon of our time
- A field of science and research you know much better than me.

Delphic Games – what is this? (As I see it)
- The twin sister of the Olympic Games – for arts
- The most significant peace initiative in ancient Greece – 12 Greek tribes
united their interest and formed after 3 “holy wars” the Amphictyony – as
care taker of the sanctuary of Delphi and the Delphic (Pythian) Games
- The Delphic Games / Amphictyony are the forerunner of United Nations had
and will continue to have its home in Delphi, Greece
- Stands for the artistic expression of peace and understanding
- Is the demand for peace and its pre-condition – respect and trust.

Respect & Trust does not come by itself
- it needs an accepted common platform to build on first
- it depends on knowing the own past and creating a future based on the past
- it requires active consciousness to digest the past seeing pleasure and harm
and to learn from it creating a brighter future
- It demands new ideas to promote Respect & Trusts

Arts can learn from sports
- Arts are part of the world of entertainment, its lobbyism, media, financing etc.
- Today Sports occupies the largest portion of public entertainment, uniting
people, regions, countries even the world for a time, eliminates boarders and
believes and all kinds of differences.
- The success of sports and its excellent networks gives to an extend a blueprint
for success, if we thing about the Prime Segment of sports
o FIFA World Cup
o Formula 1
o World Championships and
o Olympic Games – as the top floor for sports in various disciplines

Arts & Culture – Growing with the future
- The world is growing together – at a breathtaking speed.
- We all benefit from a strong flow of information, global lifestyle, worldwide
travelling and the internet.
- Finally we end up supposing to be globally informed – we believe.
- The universal presence of television, film, music, and fashion up to daily “soap
operas” encourages a worldwide uniformity, which nobody really wishes to
promote.
- What really distinguishes mankind and makes its somehow special is the progressive
and individual quality, personal identity and the cultural traditions &
heritage handed over to the next generation.
- We are part of it and consciously or unconsciously we pass it on.
- Who we are we, will find out not only knowing ourselves but also others.

Power of Arts & Cultures
- The power of Arts and Cultures is not revealed yet worldwide.
- Despite several cultural highlights there is not one event, festival, competition
existing the world, compared to the Olympic Games in sports.
- It is the aim of the International Delphic Council to create with the Delphic
Games a similar accepted unified world stage for arts, culture and education
preserving cultural heritage and reaching out into modernity.
- To set a world floor for artistic competition to explore the best methods to educateand award skills.

If one man has a dream it remains a dream –
if many dream together
it is the beginning of a new reality!
Dom Helder Camara
Brazilian priest

Let us continue to dream
- Let us see the result and outcome of the Delphic Games performed every four
years and Delphiads every two years.
- This reaches out just like sport from the very young ones learning to understand
their culture i.e. music, dance, handicraft, fashion and many others in a
playful competitive way in each family growing into every level of society.

How the Delphic Games came alive?
- By Curiosity of the founder to find out as sponsor and supporter of artists why
- the top positions in classical music in Europe cannot be covered by Europeans
- the education system in Europe was lacking compared with Asia and USA
- the education in arts and culture is rapidly reduced, marginalized in Europe
- the arts and cultures have not invented platforms similar to sport

The Delphic Games – competition of creativity

The International Delphic Council (IDC) was founded 1994 in Berlin, Germany
- 1600 years after the ban of the Olympic Games and Delphic Games
- 100 years after the IOC by representatives of Greece and 19 countries
- Founding President of the IDC President was an African Lady from Nigeria
- Imagine the uniqueness at the time 1994 – 20 years ago
o born in Greece
o revived in Germany
o headed by an African lady – a worldwide cultural wakeup call for arts

Numbers are rather boring – but however ………
The IDC arranged for Delphic Games and Youth Delphic Games to take place within four year period but two years apart in
1997 Tbilisi, Georgia / 2000 Moscow, Russia / 2003 Dusseldorf, Germany / 2005
Kuching, Malaysia / 2007 Baguio City, Philippines / 2009 Jeju, Korea / 2011 Johannesburg, South Africa / 2013 Athens, Delphi, Greece to continue 2016 in Goa, India

Each time has its symbols
- Olympic Games – standing also as a synonym for the past century, described
as the technical century (measuring millimetre and second) and in the entertainment world was shaped by its highlight of sport
- With its symbolic element the fire

Delphic Games

– standing also as a synonym for this century, considered as
communication century and will shape a globalized world by arts & education,
the Delphic Games

– far richer with the Delphic Poet, the Castalian Spring Ceremony, the International Delphic Academy, the International Delphic Foundation and others.

The Castalian Spring in Delphi, Greece
- From ancient time’s until today water plays a significant role in ritual – as sign
of purification for pilgrims and participants, as bridge from normal to spiritual
life, symbolised by the Castalian Spring and as sign of cheerful Delphic (Pythian)
Games, praising the gods through the arts.
- 2009 – at the 15th Anniversary Celebration of the of the International Delphic
Council Berlin focused particular to the spiritual value of the Delphic Games
with the adoption of WATER

– holding a Castalian Spring Ceremony in Delphi, as the timeless symbolic element of the Delphic Games (Fire is Olympia) Water was fetched at the Kastalian Spring to be united with spring water of the host’s country

– this time from Mount Halla in Jeju and several cities of Korea to honour the III Delphic Games 2009 in Jeju.
- 2014 – the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the International Delphic Council
Berlin was held at Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, Eastern Cape Province,
South Africa to honour the birthplace and final resting place of IDC’s First Delphic
Ambassador for Youth, Honourable Nelson Mandela.

Closing remarks
Let me end with a short summary of a wonderful story from Richard Bach “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” to help you to understand your own unlimited power:
- For most seagulls, life consists of eating and surviving. Flying is just a means
of finding food. However Jonathan Livingston Seagull is no ordinary bird.
- Jonathan is a little seagull sitting brave next to his parents following their advice
– but being curious about “what is behind the clouds”. Once he flew
higher and higher and suddenly was exited about the winds helping him even
to fly higher.
- After coming back he told his parents enthusiastically what he experienced
and hoped for encouragement and to see their pride of his achievements but
received a strong advice to behave as a seagull and to fly as a seagull supposed
to fly. Proximately 3 – 4 minutes

Summary: let us spread our wings to fly higher to sense our spiritual power and abilities. We are capable to do much more if we remain curious to know.

 

          

           Sarika Baheti and Christian Kirsch

J. Christian B. Kirsch
Secretary General of the International Delphic Council

International Delphic Council,

Head Office • Berliner St. 19 A • D - 13189 Berlin / Germany
Tel. (+49) 30 / 47 300 171, Fax: 47 300 173,

Email: mail@delphic.org,

Internet: www.delphic-games.com

 

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