2. The Olympic Truce was the result of a United
Nations Resolution – signed by 184 nations –
calling for a truce in all wars during a period
of seven days before the opening and seven
days after the closing of the Games. The
Truce is a revival of the traditional
moratorium on armed conflict observed
during the ancient Games. For the first time
in modern Olympic history, flags with this
Olympic Truce symbol were flown during the
1994 Lillehammer Winter Games, and the
warring factions in Sarajevo paused to
observe the Truce.
Created by Canadian graphic designer Wei
Yew, the Olympic Truce is symbolized by a
dove of peace against the traditional Olympic
flame. The festive “effervescent” confetti
making up the flame suggest celebration of
the human spirit of all races.
-Greg Durrell

3. The tradition of the Olympic Truce
dates back to the 9th century BC, in
Ancient Greece. The idea of a truce
symbolizes the spirit of the Ancient
Olympic Games. The International
Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to
revive this ancient concept in order to
protect the interests of the athletes
and sport in general.
In 1992, the first initiatives were
launched by the IOC, in collaboration
with the United Nations, allowing
athletes of the former Republic of
Yugoslavia to participate in the
Barcelona Games. In 2000, during the
Opening Ceremony of the Sydney
Games, the South and North Korean
delegations paraded in the stadium

4. A truce (in Greek, ekecheiria, which literally means "holding of
hands") was announced before and during each of the Olympic
festivals, to allow visitors to travel safely to Olympia. An
inscription describing the truce was written on a bronze discus
which was displayed at Olympia. 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.

5. The official Olympic Truce logo is a graphic
with three elements: a dove, flames, and
the Olympic rings. The meaning behind the
logo is as follows:
The Olympic Truce is symbolized by the
dove of peace with the traditional Olympic
flame in the background. In a world that is
plagued by wars and animosity, the peace-
dove symbol represents one of the IOC's
ideals to build a peaceful and better world
through sport and the Olympic ideal. In the
symbol, the flame is made up of colourful
effervescent elements, reminiscent of
festivities experienced in the celebration of
the human spirit. These elements
represent people of all races coming
together for the observance of the Truce.

6. Through this global and
symbolic concept, the goal
of the Olympic Truce
movement is to:
Mobilize youth for the
promotion of the Olympic
ideals
Use sport to establish
contacts between
communities in conflict
Offer humanitarian support
in countries at war
Create a window of
opportunities for dialogue
and reconciliation

7. OLYMPIC TRUCE - RELEVANCE
TODAY
The International Olympic Committee (IOC)
decided to revive the ancient concept of the
Olympic Truce with the view to
protecting, the interests of the athletes and
sport in general, and to encourage searching
for peaceful and diplomatic solutions to the
conflicts around the world.
Through this global and symbolic
concept, the IOC aims to :
•mobilise youth for the promotion of
the Olympic ideals;
•use sport to establish contacts
between communities in conflict; and
•offer humanitarian support in
countries at
war ; and
•The IOC undertakings for the
Olympic Truce extend beyond the

8. Sport alone
cannot enforce
or maintain
peace. But it
has a vital role
to play in
building a
better and
more peaceful
world."