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Thematic Circle C: Olympism and Culture

Saturday, 5th September                    Σάββατο, 5 Σεπτεμβρίου 2015

Thematic Circle C: Olympism and Culture

 

9.00 - 11.30

Chairmen : Spyros Mercouris & Konstantinos Zaimis

Dionyssis Gangas, Director of the International Olympic Academy

Spyros Mercouris, President of the HORIZONS – Human & Cultural Activities

Constantinos Filis, Director of the International Centre for the Olympic Truce

Eleftherios Diamantaras, Researcher of history of Philosophy, writer, member of the Academy of Philosophy of Naples

Li Jinghong, Deputy Director of the Research Centre of Beijing Olympic City Development Association

Christian Kirsch, initiator and founder of the International Delphic Council

Sarika Baheti, Youth Delphic Games in Goa, India

11.30 Break

11.45 – 13.00 Discussion

13.30 Lunch

 

Γ ΘΕΜΑΤΙΚΟΣ ΚΥΚΛΟΣ «Ολυμπισμός και Πολιτισμός»

9.00-11.00

Πρόεδροι :Σπύρος Μερκούρης και Κωνσταντίνος Ζαίμης

Διονύσης Γάγγας, Διευθυντής Διεθνούς Ολυμπιακής Ακαδημίας

ΣπύροςΜερκούρης , Πρόεδρος of the HORIZONS – Human & Cultural Activities

ΚωνσταντίνοςΦίλης , Director of the International Centre for the Olympic Truce

ΕλευθέριοςΔιαμανταράς , Researcher of history of Philosophy, writer, member of the Academy of Philosophy of Naples

Li Jinghong, Deputy Director of the Research Centre of Beijing Olympic City Development Association

Christian Kirsch, initiator and founder of the International Delphic Council

Sarika Baheti, Youth Delphic Games in Goa, India

11.30: Διάλειμμα

11.45-13.00 Ερωτήσεις -Διάλογος

 

 

Saturday, 5th September

08.00 – 09.00 Breakfast

09.00

Thematic Circle C: Olympism and Culture

                                              Photo by Sarika Bahet

The myth of the Olympic Fire

 

                          

                                    The Ancient Olympic Stadium

09.00 – 11.30

       

 

Chairmen :

Spyros Mercouris & Konstantinos Zaimis

Prior to the discussion:

We want to support this effort to protect cultural heritage and sign the resolution, but how to do it.

Heilmeyer: That is very simple. Outside is a table, if you agree with the resolution, all you need to do is to sign it and I shall pick it up. We will call upon ICOM and other organization. We want to show how people in museums can come together better to protect the cultural heritage.

Chairman Konstantinos Zaimis: Let us hope there will be some conclusions drawn up to move on and to have a next step in this processes. We are talking about the heart and soul since we talk about culture and the Olympic idea. Dionyssis Gangas is our first speaker. He is the director of the International Olympic Academy, studied economics and is a lawyer with focus on labour law and specialized on athletic law. He is a LSE student. He is involved in countless sport events and during the Athens 2004 Olympics, he held several positions and posts at various games e.g. he was a member of the bid committee of Volos for the Mediterranean Games in 2013 (later cancelled). He knows Jacques Rogge and the European Olympic Committee. So it is my pleasure to introduce our dear host, Dionyssis Gangas, Director of the International Olympic Academy

 

Dionyssis Gangas

The title of my presentation shall be “the ancient Olympic tradition and its educational dimension today.”

                    

 

                     The International Olympic Academy in Olympia

My life was spend more in this area than in the house. My wife said she brought up the children alone.

I will speak in Greek. There is a risk to give the floor to a retired lawyer and director of this place, for then you will never end.

Let me thank Spyros for having conceived this events. It is an honour to be amongst such distinguished professors and academics. You are the persons who have a different input to this issue. I will be modest in my presentation about sport in Ancient Greece and what happens today.

Sport in Ancient Greece counted as part of an important education, but also involved society and politics. This sporting spirit was dominant in Ancient Greece and set standards through exercise. Athletes could offer their services to the city they came from. It was not an end by itself but a life long learning experience. So it was applied not merely in the stadium but in the arena of life. Gymnastics was prominent and became a part of general education. It directed young people towards a balanced life of body and mind. The Olympics in Ancient Times had inputs of the ancient philosophers and engaged the athletes in dialogues held in the gymnastics. Plato was himself an athlete. No one should neglect this and which should continue after adolescence.

Linked to morality is this important term called 'measure'. The aim was to have a balance in life. Prudence reflected the moral perception based on the individual who will undertake the action. Hercules is an example for such a citizen. It is important to be a just citizen.

The spirit in the arena prevailed as well in politics. It meant that the very concept of 'Nike' or victory was central. It is linked to fairness and competition, so that the Olympic Games were the perfect expression of this spirit. That presupposes that you can acquire your full values, maturity and participation in public life, by participating in the Games. It means that athletes, musicians, philosophers could present at the Games their achievements. This is the very concept shown at Olympia as a site of freedom, peace and democratic convictions. Thus values which we seek out today in modern society were developed then.

Athletes who won had a special recognition and brought down the walls of their cities from where they came from. Thus they acted as a symbol and as a social role model.

In 1984 the revival of the Olympic Games started. It is not correct to draw a parallel and link it immediately as to what happened in Athens 1986. We should also not compare the initial Olympic Games and the modern Games. The latter differ due to other social conditions prevailing. Certain persons contributed:

Olympism represents a social philosophy not only directed at the athlete. Given that, there is a need to establish education as a way to shape modern man and should be based on following attributes:

                         The grounds of the International Olympic Academy  Photo: Hatto Fischer

The International Academy in Olympia was founded in 1924.

As of 1961, the concept of Olympism meant a 'way of life'. It is shaped by linking education about the past to social values. It is a matter of blending the culture of the body with man' spiritual dimension.

In 2000, there was established a Master Degree in the Program in Olympic Studies and thereby the IOA has an important role to play, but it remains un-recognised by the Greek state and its citizens.

The Academy is the unique cradle of Olympism.

Without discrimination it seeks to promote Olympic education.

Thomas Bach said: “the Olympic idea is invaluable for the future.”

 

Chairman Konstantinos Zaimis: thank you for the presentation and for elaborating on the Olympic idea. By aiming for proper education linked to bravery and a sense for justice, it managed, therefore, to bring together body and mind, and thereby bring together communities, so that they are able to protect their own society. You said the preconditions for the modern games are more complicated and therefore have nothing to do with the Ancient Games. But your presentation is valuable because you highlight what is missing nowadays. Thank you for reminding us about these values. We need to promote them, so that the Olympic spirit will be integrated into our modern society.

He continues by introducing Spyros Mercouris, President of the HORIZONS – Human & Cultural Activities who will be the next speaker. The chairman acclaims that he is really the heart an soul of this symposium.

 

Spyros Mercouris

When I received the copy of the presentation by Dionyssis Gangas as we were gathering to collect all the papers, then I went nearly into panic. I wondered how could I follow his speech. I started to think about history and how to elaborate upon the theme of dialogue linked to the Olympic spirit.

In 1996 I was in Atlanta, Georgia when the Games were held there. There was this one athlete, Michael Johnson. When he was about to receive the medal, he was jumping, excited, exuberant , but during the ceremony he stood still and we could see it on the big screen. I saw him being in tears. I realized then the difference between world games and Olympic Games. So let us discuss the Olympic idea.

The Homeric poems can be understood as an expression of rationality. And in Achilles we find the perfect youth, as we find in Ulysses the adventurer and who shared his wisdom with Athena while combating Poseidon. Ulysses is the first man to take control of his own fate.

Now there is religion which seems to submit thinking to a pre-established scheme

So what does bring man to logos, to rational thought? By representing all the athletic skills and techniques, the Ancient Games had back then essential religious features, for they were first organized in honour of another famous man. For these Games were organized by Achilles in honour of his friend who had passed away.

Homer referred to his own times and which became the principle of Greek education.

It was astonishing when the Ioanians and Dorians followed suit for all was based on a common language. It included respect of diversity. It depended upon the mother, the city, the metropolis, and it spread around the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

The Greeks created many Gods linked to different social tasks with Zeus being the supreme symbol of justice located in Olympia. Here the truce came about with the Spartans. It began to be known as sacred truce and became the fundamental principle of all Games. Heralds were sent out to announce the Olympic Truce and thereafter the roads were made safe to allow the citizens and athletes to come together at this pan Hellenic centre.

The glory and fame raised them to the status of semi Gods and here in Olympia people came together as free people.

This spirit was captured in the gymnasia where they could test their strengths. Thus it required of them to train so that they could defend the honour of their country.

Aristotle established the Lyceum next to the gymnasia where they were taught music, philosophy, and the concept of education and of citizen. Thus it became a tool of social education. These qualities were born in Ancient Greece and what Coubertin wanted to revive.

Greeks since 1821 strove to revive the Olympic Games and to host them in Greece where the Games were born.

In 1984 the Olympic Committee chose Athens for 1986 and the enthusiasm of the Greeks was huge. They all rushed to Athens and tried to help and to participate in a moral, financial and athletic way. Many donations were huge. The stadium was built and the additional playing fields e.g. tennis courts. The city came to life. Many more people came together than expected. There were many articles in newspapers and the world was taken by surprise.

Greece managed to revive the Olympic Spirit and it became an institution.

In the meantime many things have changed and we live in times of cynicism with people chasing more money for the sake of profit. We live in a crisis. So our hopes reside with the Olympic idea. It is a great economical event. There is the Olympic spirit which the athletes and the spectators share.

 

Chairman Konstantinos Zaimis: Thank you, Spyros, for speaking from the heart. We can see how the Olympics could establish the mosaic of ancient values and how it was revived in the 19th century. Since the ideals are articulated now in a harsh world, we need to remind ourselves as to what prevailed in Ancient Greece. In the past decades athletes like Johnson understood this. We can transfer the Olympic idea into the modern world in its own guise, so that something permutates.

He then introduces Constantinos Filis, Director of the International Centre for the Olympic Truce, but cannot be with us today. Instead we have a video of his so let us listen to his address.

(there are no notes on what he said since the video was shown, but no translation into English was provided).

After the showing of they video, the chairman continues and introduces Eleftherios Diamantaras, who is researcher of history of Philosophy, a writer, and member of the Academy of Philosophy of Naples. Has written on ancient religion and in Italy about Greater Greece.

 

Eleftherios Diamantaras

Thank you. It would not be prudent to spouse about oneself. I have chosen to speak about common cultural aspects of Greece and China.

Must thank the Academy and IOC to continue the Olympic spirit.

There are four main pillars: science, humanism, values, contest.

Those who founded Olympism is an ideal.

I refer to ancient Olympism linked to comparisons being made as part of an unwritten oral history upon which others have based their studies. This mythology goes centuries back and has travelled then to the Middle East. Cultural bridges existed throughout the centuries. Mythology is the major matrix from which springs all scientific thought.

Many people in the East benefited from Alexander the Great and his contribution to civilization.

There existed manifold contacts between Mediterranean and China as indicated by the use of Greek names to designate places e.g. Atlantic.

Millions of people are capable of laying claim to being a part of the Greek culture.

Scientists accepted the Greek origin for many thoughts developed in the Far East, Afghanistan, Japan etc.

China – millions of Arabs called the Greek Iona because at the end of the long journey they ended up in Ioannina.

When it comes to Greece, they call it Hellas.

Chinese thinkers were influenced by thoughts brought by Dionysos

They knew the earliest signs of civilization.

However, China has followed its own cultural path. We do not know where it all started. In terms of mythology, China created its own social order which differs from Western reasoning. Chinese culture remained static as it did not have the inherent dynamics Ancient Greece had.

Only when interventions came from the outside, then its culture was influenced, Tibet just an example. Consequently different social groups have been formed.

In China, people looked to the past and to nature. The philosophical perception embraces people like a prayer to follow the same path as the soul and to raise it to heaven. Copying was not considered a theft but an art. So its culture lived on without evolving but it had as well a value. For the Chinese it is not accidental when coinciding with Chaos as origin, and which took on the form of an egg. It reminds of Orpheus. Once born, there came Yin and Yang who respresent two fundamental principles of the universe. Similar Heracles and the theory of the opposite represent chaos and the birth of the cosmos, or rather the development from chaos to order.

So for both Chinese and Greeks were the stars, especially the polar star, important references and orientation marks.

Also the sun and the moon played a role in culture

In the 6th century BC, theories of numbers were developed at the same time in China and Greece and therefore a legacy was developed in both cases.

Their belief about soul and death can be compared with Confucius. Also about the art of war and diplomacy, but also what constitutes philosophy are evidences of a parallel development.

Greek and Chinese religions can also be compared. All three in China came from India.

In Chinese religion, you have at its core cynicism while Confucius who taught harmony of nature and society can be compared with Pythagoras and Socrates.

Taoism made itself felt in philosophical practices. Lao Tse taught the metaphysical quest. He can be compared to Greek mysteries. Both cannot be interpreted by Western rationality. For both schools of thoughts look for immortality and this is opposite to empirical inquiry.

Buddhism passed from India to China. Its main religious streams had philosophical ideas in them but could not be developed further.

About Greece in China, some discoveries were made in 1993. A British scholar refers to people talking about a Greek city which has been buried under the sand dunes. According to tradition, the inhabitants live in the Dionysion spirit. Another version is that they refused to return home after Alexander the Great had initiated this settlement. It was constituted by 25 affiliated tribes all of them not of Chinese origins. When examining their traces many of them show a Greek origin an this on many different layers: dialects spoken, traditional dresses worn, buildings constructed etc....all of them showing Greek elements.

There is no written testimony of Chinese travelling to Greece but vice versa, there is.

There are the Obscurantists who created so much havoc in the Middle Ages and evidences of other civilizations like the ones in Crete who have lit a fire all night and who love wine.

Research based on oral history lists many tribes all showing Hellenist traces e.g. when holding festival of the springs.

In modern times, China is exporting cultural ideas more than importing them. The country can become the new beacon of the intellectual world.

In conclusion, this symposium should send out a strong message and refer to the spiritual bridges which we have constructed, for it would bring us together and let us to work together.

 

Chairman Konstantinos Zaimis: Thank you, since your presentation has helped us to bring together two cultures. Now Mr. Mercouris will introduce the next speaker.

 

Spyros Mercouris:Li Jinghong is Deputy Director of the Research Centre of Beijing Olympic City Development Association, known also as Bota which has the task to establish the legacy of the Olympic spirit after 2008. He studied chemical engineering, so he was at first not predisposed to athletics, but after that he developed an athletic spirit. He became a full time researcher on the Olympic legacy. After 2008, he joined Bota to continue his research. In 2010 at the request of IOC he completed an evaluation study of Beijing 2008.

Li Jinghong

Title. Olympic spirit

International exchange – BODA is an NGO for International Exchanges

How Beijing is carrying out this:

  1. Olympism is a cultural legacy shared by mankind -commodities, technologies, ideas, they are all regarded as culture and can be communicated. Olympism is a philosophy of life

    - conforms to the pursuit of mankind for better life

    - offers a broad platform to promote cultural exchange

    - advocates the harmonious relationship between body and mind

  2. Beijing 2008 has well interpreted Olympism by bringing people together with 96% of people who support the bid and link to Chinese over seas while 1.7 million work as volunteers

  3. Carry forward the Beijing 2008 legacy and to continue to practice Olympism by opening up to a global vision. It is achieved by cooperating with the Olympic Committee to stage the Games. In that sense, the tradition of the Olympic Truce was adopted. Reporters covered fully the Games. Athletes and artists together influenced the stage design and gave shape to the art performances during many ceremonies. Together with the singers all joined in performing the theme song.

  4. The aim is to present a spectacular, extraordinary and excellent Olympic Winter Games to the world in 2022.

To promote cultural exchanges not only the opening and closing ceremonies are used so that the world gets to know China better. Promotion is done as well through mascot, emblem, medals, torch relay, and cultural events. The aim is to promote the value of harmony by staging six Olympic Cultural Festivals.

To promote social harmony, there are made links to historical sites and key cultural relics while the urban eco-environment is being upgraded by improving transport, services, logistics, communication facilities. All these urban functions are improved to the benefit of the public, while Olympic knowledge and etiquette is being promoted.

For the Winter Olympics, the scope of urban development shall be broadened e.g. Green Olympics, high tech Olympics, and People' Olympics. Altogether everything shall be transformed into the humanistic Beijing through use of the Olympic legacy for urban improvement

The carrying forward of the Olympic legacy is done by creating Boda: the Beijing Olympic City Development Association with nearly 10 000 members and organizers of all types. All public-welfare events are held to promote fitness while aiming to continue at the same time international exchanges and exchange of experiences.

Boda organizes cultural and sports events e.g. six festivals which attracted over a million local residents. There takes place also an Olympic music day, and educational programmes at primary and high schools continue with about 200 000 students from 100 schools participating.

The aim is to generate economic and social benefit through various means e.g. world mind game, IAAF World Championship Games in 2015. All continue in the spirit of Olympism.

The XXIV Olympic Winter Games (Chinese: 第二十四届冬季奥林匹克运动会; pinyin: Dì Èrshísì Jiè Dōngjì Àolínpǐkè Yùndònghuì), 

shall take place in 2022 in Beijing and Zhangiakou with three prime aims:

The slogan for 2022 shall be a“joyful rendezvous upon pure ice and snow!”

 

Chairman: My congratulations for this effort. The next speaker isChristian Kirsch, initiator and founder of the International Delphic Council and of The Delphic Games of the Modern Era.

 

Christian Kirsch

Dear friends, thanks for being here, and thanks to the organizers for choosing this topic and to honour this mind and spirit at home in Olympia, and even more so in Delphi.

To be standing here means a lot.

The director of the International Olympic Committee is called Gangas by his family name. It is as well the name of the river in India, so a journey from here to there can start in the mind.

The Olympic Games and the Delphi Games, they are twin brothers or twin sister. For it is not just moving the body but as well the training of the mind which is important. So we move to the Delphi Games to be the twin sister of the Olympic Games.

The Delphi Games started when 12 Greek tribes performed these Games after three wars. It started with the creation of an amphitheatre which became the pre model of the United Nations. It allows the sharing of pleasure as it means peace.

At the core of the Delphi Games, it aims is to have peace. It requires respect and trust as the two prime prerequisites. If that is not given, then the Games are just bubbles. Naturally respect and trust does not come by itself, nor it cannot be simply switched on. It needs a common accepted platform. That depends in turn that we can create a common past and on that create a future. By learning from the past to promote respect and trust, and it means learning how to do it, this ideal can be promoted.

I am pragmatic and want to see some outcome. I want to see it in my life time. I want to show our achievements.

Together we can become stronger as such. To bring together the arts and culture, it requires a concept. Indeed, the 100 years of Olympic Games have taught us a lot on how to avoid some of the mistakes made repeatedly.

                                                       

Let me explain this symbol of the Delphi Games with the colours reflecting the meaning of brighter colours standing for joy and the darker ones for deeper thoughts. The six rings stand for the six categories in which the competition of the arts take place. All are interrelated.

In the past I heard some voices of resignations as if we have no power but we are powerful and should not allow ourselves to be marginalized. And this conviction in ourselves we want to promote through the Delphi Games. It is a combintion of culture, arts and education.

So how do we it? The sports promote entertainment by uniting press, media, finance, but what have they achieved? Politicians want to join the winner and the winners take all. But in the Delphi Games, there are no losers. By combining the arts and culture, we roll in the future.

The modern world is growing together at a rapid speed. We are over whelmed by all the information, and we face one problem: the media does not play a serving role for society but looks only for a headline while ignoring what exists around the corner. So we have to face the fact that we are a part of the entertainment world.

I compare the Delphi Games to the blood flow in our body. We are strong in what we are doing although the power in arts and education has not been revealed until now. Indeed, not one of the art festivals comes close to major sporting events such as the Olympic Games or the Formula 1 motor race, so that the arts suffer financial cuts and is marginalized.

It is, and you allow me to state it in such terms, the aim of the Delphi Council to create with the Delphi Games on a world stage something which has been done already with the Olympic Games for the past 120 years. So to promote and to reward achievements in the arts and culture is not just my or one single dream, for if we all share the same dream, then it can become reality.

We have also a similar time frame with Delphi Games: the adult and junior Games take place every four years and therefore are also two years apart.

How did the Delphi Games came about? Angelos was the founder. He strived for the Nobel Prize together with the winner Tagore. The Delphi Council started twenty years ago. At the beginning I heard all sorts of comments, many of them deeply cynical but also there were some supportive ones. Interestingly enough, they came from women who have the real power in society. I say this not only because of my mother for when we founded the Delphi Games, the founding president was an African lady from Nigeria. That was in 1994, thus just twenty years ago.

The Delphi Games were born in Greece, revived in Germany and implemented in Africa. It marks a recognition that the world needs a balance between body and mind.

Many people asked me back then how do you dare to start such an initiative, do you have millions? I answered: no, but let me first think, then seek friends and take things further!

We designed six art categories: four traditional ones are

The fifth category:

I know numbers are boring but when we held in 1999 the first youth games in Georgia, it was time of conflict. The hotels were full of refugees so the government decided to include the youth of the refugees to participate in the Games. And then the Delphi Games took place in Russia with 14 nations participating. In 2016 the Delphi Games shall be held in Goa, India. Each time has its own symbols. We ask ourselves how to animate children and draw them into the picture? We ask them what can you do best in terms of your own talents and show them at the Games!

Fire is the Olympic spirit and water the Castalian spirit of the Delphic Games. In 2014 we celebrated our 20th anniversary and I went to the grave of our member who passed away: Nelson Mandela.

 

Spyros Mercouris: Thank you, Christian. I very much admire him because of his insistence and his wanting constantly to promote this idea. Of course, he has come to Greece many times to deal with the Ministry of Culture and Delphi Councils but he did not find that understanding which is needed to promote really the Delphi Games. I rarely say something negative about Greece. So I will only say if someone strives hard so much, why not support such a person? The culture of Greece is ecumenical and universal centred on man and therefore it belongs to all. It is time here in Greece to comprehend people like him and cooperate with him. It seems we do not understand something.

Angelos Delivorias, can I ask you something? I read it during my youth something about Apollo with Aris: is this myth true? Helios was represented by two Gods, one of them Ray to warm things. After Apollo had killed the snake, the earth was very angry, so he had to find some true elements and invented the Delphi Games. Hence art is immortal. By the same token, Hermes is the speed by which art is disseminated. Thus it is high time to go back to the Ministry of Culture to ensure the Delphi Games here in Greece. Also it is said if you drink the Castelian water at its spring, you will return to Delphi.

Chairman: I cannot add more to what Spyros has just said. But now we wish to talk about constructive dialogue. Our next speaker is Sarika Bahet. She is a very active person combining art, advertising, etc. For many years, she headed a large industry in which she was assistant secretary general. She also was involved in high speed rallies. But most of all she conveys here the beauty of Indian culture in her dress. Traditional India is very beautiful and while she is a globe trotter, she is as well a true messenger of India.


Sarika Baheti, Youth Delphic Games in Goa, India

                           

                             Sarika Baheti

"Namaste~

Warm greetings from heart-to-heart & soul-to-soul, on behalf of my beautiful country that is........ "India"!

I am thankful to Mr. Spyros Mercouris for giving me this unique opportunity to share my thoughts with the great minds and distinguished personalities present at this symposium in the premises of the prestigious International Olympic Academy. And how happy I am to have had  the privilege to try a hand at Table tennis with him yesterday and witness his skill. Sir, you lead as a fine example as a mentor with immaculate qualities. ? 

It has been a great learning listening to each one you with vast experience in your respective fields. I would also like to convey my appreciation for the wonderful translators who made it easier for us to understand the constructive Dialogues on Cultures by personalities from different countries.

I chose to pen down my thoughts and get it delivered to the Translators beforehand to reduce their efforts. 

Now with the Vth Youth Delphic Games coming up in 2016 in Goa, a popular sea beach holiday destination in India with Indo-Western fusion, will get a chance to realign socio-economic relationship and re-establish its image as a leading community in Arts and Culture. 

India is gearing up fast to host these games in a short span of less than a year since it was announced in March at the closing ceremony of ITB, Berlin. The Youth Delphic Games Organising Committee is working hard to cope up with the time constraints and expectations to stage a magnificent show. Realising that we can't afford to lose this grand opportunity, our government is extending its full support to promote Arts, Cultures and Tourism from all across the world.

I strongly feel that it is very important for India to prove its capability on global sharing of Ideas, Knowledge, Arts and Culture. We need to connect India at a macro level with other countries. It will help our artistically inclined folks to enrich their lives and regain the glory by presenting their ethereal skills.

I really appreciate the commendable drive and relentless efforts of Mr. JCB Kirsch to have Founded the International Delphic Council to Link and celebrate world's Arts and Cultures through the international platform of The Delphic Games, earlier called the Pythian Games, the twin sister of Olympic Games. For any sensitive and sensible person, it is easy to understand the holistic values "The Delphic Games" adds by creating an environment of hard work, patience, courtesy, respect and confidence in the artists and individuals involved. It shall instil a mindset of openness to learn from our fellow beings from other cultures and countries, while retaining our rich heritage and culture. From ancient Olympia, we go to Delphi at the Castalian Springs for the "Water Ceremony" mandatory prior to the Youth Delphic Games. I believe, such rituals interweave the multi cultured nations based on mutual understanding, appreciation, sanctity and harmony. 

Late Mr. Nelson Mandela, the Winner of Nobel Prize for Peace was also the Delphic Brand Ambassador. If we venture to approach "The Making of Mandela", the script that develops in his lifelong education, combines the core of African and European traditions. And similar to his course of struggle for peace, he continued like the legacy of "Mahatma Gandhi" who is also recognised with the honorary title of "Father of India". Mr. Mandela believed that Education is the most powerful weapon which you can be used to change the world. And what better ode would it be from us to him than to bring that change by Linking World's Arts and Cultures!

As assigned to me, I now will deliver the speech of the Deputy Secretary General of International Delphic Council "Mr. Ramesh Prasana", based in India. 

We are well aware that to spread Love, Peace, Happiness in Healthy and Harmonious ways is the main objective of the Olympic and Delphic Games. So, as a step towards it, I  extend an invitation to you and your countrymen to visit my motherland India. I am happy to show a short film on the upcoming Vth Youth Delphic Games.

Dhanyawaad 
Shukriya 
Thank you!"


Warm regards 

Sarika Baheti 
Director | Vectus Industries Limited 
Founder-Chairperson | Neeranjali, NPO
Advisor | Youth Delphic Games Organising Committee, India
Plastwin &


Sarika Baheti

Note: after attending the Symposium in Olympia, Sarika Baheti and Christian Kirsch of the Delphi Games went on to Delphi for the Castalian Spring Water Ceremony. There they were joined by Spyros Mercouris.

Castalian Spring Water Ceremony. 

http://planetgoaonline.com/places-to-visit/buzz/Castalian-Springs-Ceremony
 
http://spicystarsmumbai.com/delphi-hosts-the-castalian-springs-ceremony-for-youth-delphic-games-to-be-held-in-goa-the-worlds-largest-platform-for-arts-cultures.html
 
http://www.webnewswire.com/content/delphi-hosts-castalian-springs-ceremony-youth-delphic-games-be-held-goa-%E2%80%93-world%E2%80%99s-largest-pl
 

 

Chairman: It is impressive what is being prepared for Goa 2016. We should look for the new categories of the Delphi Games. However, it must be said we are in Olympia who is the mother, not the big brother.

 

Discussion:

Chinese speaker: He wishes to thank the professor of showing how Chinese culture has developed and for his main thesis as to the influence of Greek culture upon Chinese.

To give a recap from our delegation: when we think about culture, we tend to think only about what we can contribute and thus we tend to overlook what others contribute. There remains the open question as to why are all people different and why we are all the same? To answer the second requires time and over the past few days we have gained new knowledge. It is nice to explore different sides of the issues. We understand now the need for a constructive dialogue. It is there to bridge the gap between different cultures. We all share one simple goal: happiness.

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