1. The Olympic Truce
Found in the year 1894, by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a French educationist, the Modern Olympic Games
has captured the worldwide attention towards its magnificence and enduring spirit which is embodied
in the fact that the supreme ambition of an athlete is to take part in the Olympics and win glory.
Pierre de Coubertin’s idea of bringing back the Olympic Games through which he sought to promote
international harmony and understanding was enthusiastically received, and the International Olympic
Committee, or IOC, was foundedon 23 June
1894 with DemetriosVikelas as its first
president.Bringing the spectators to the brim
of excitement, King George I of Greece
opened the games before a crowd of 60,000
people on April 6, 1896.The IOC organizes
the modernOlympic Games and Youth
Olympic Games, held in Summer and Winter,
every four years. Baron Pierre de Coubertin
The tradition of the "Truce" or "Ekecheiria" was established in ancient Greece in 884 B.C. when the
treaty assuring the truce was signed by King Iphitus on behalf of Elis, by lawgiver Lycurgus on behalf of
Sparta and by Archon Cleosthenes on behalf of Pisa.
Holding hands- as its meaningindicates; truce was announced before and during each of the Olympic
festivals, to allow visitors to travel safely to Olympia. A bronze discus which was displayed at Olympia
on which an inscription describing the truce was written.During the truce, wars were suspended, armies
were prohibited from entering Elis or threatening the Games, and legal disputes and the carrying out of
death penalties were forbidden.
The negotiation of the IOC and UN regarding the athletes of the former Republic of Yugoslavia to join
the 1992 Barcelona Games as Independent Olympic Athletes is mentioned in a fact sheet on the website

2. of the IOC. An appeal for the Olympic Truce was adopted at the IOC session in July, 1992. Since 1993
support for the Olympic Truce has grown steadily within the General Assembly.
Today the Olympic Truce has become an expression of mankind's desire to build a world based on the
rules of fair competition, peace, humanity and reconciliation.
The five intertwining rings of equal size, in 5 different colours representing the union of 5 continents and
the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games is the symbol of the modern
Olympics. At least one of the 5 colours– Blue, yellow, black, red and green appeared on the flag of every
country in the world .
It has yet another symbol- the Olympic torch which is ignited several months before the beginning of the
Olympics at the site of the ancient Olympics, in Olympia. Its origin lie in ancient Greece, when a fire was
kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics.

3. The Olympic Torch
The Olympic Truce is symbolised by the dove of peace with the traditional Olympic flame in the
background. One of the IOC's ideals to build a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic
is presented to the world that is distressed by wars and hostility through the symbol of peace- dove.The
Olympic flame has brought warm friendship to all the people of the world through sharing and global
togetherness. In the symbol, the flame is made up of colourful effervescent elements - reminiscent of
festivities experienced in the celebration of the human spirit. The get-together of all races for the
observance of the Truce is represented by these elements.
Riya.A.S and team
10E
Christ Nagar English Hr Sec School
Kowdiar PO
Trivandrum