Athens 2004: The Convergence of Culture and Sport
HISTORY, CULTURE AND A GLOBAL MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION AND PEACE FORM AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE UPCOMING OLYMPICS AS THEY RETURN TO THEIR NATIVE LAND.

EVANGELOS VENIZELOS, Minister of Culture, is spearheading the cultural focus of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

In 330 B.C. the Panathenaicon Stadium was constructed in Athens. For several centuries, the stadium was the site of the main athletic events in ancient Greece. In 1896, the Panathenaicon was used once again to host the 1st modern Olympic Games and now, in the summer of 2004, the stadium will be opened for the Olympic archery competitions.

Those attending the upcoming Athens Olympics are in for a very special experience. As the country gears up to host the 2004 events, it is clear that the nation is committed to providing the world with a resplendent moment combining history, culture and pleas for world peace, along with the traditional sporting events. Minister of Culture, Mr. Evangelos Venizelos, states, “Athens and Greece are getting prepared to deliver excellent Olympic Games, to exhibit the history of the country, to link sport with culture, and to convey the message of peace and friendship. The Olympic Games in Athens will be ‘authentic’ in terms of the ideas, the ideals and the landscape.”

Many of these ideals are expressed in the unique Cultural Olympiad program, which has been running since 2001 and will continue until 2004. According to Mr. Venizelos, the Cultural Olympiad, whose central message is the need for a culture of civilizations, capitalizes on the idea of the Olympic Games as a major cultural event and cultural forum and seeks to stress the universality of civilization. The program includes a series of cultural events in Greece and abroad which include international meetings and conferences, exhibitions, theatre, dance, concerts and festivals for film and the digital arts. “For other cities and countries that have hosted the Games, the cultural aspect of the event and its preparations were, of course, a very important, but nonetheless secondary issue. However, for Athens, and for Greece, the Cultural Olympiad is more than a secondary aspect of the preparations for the Olympics; rather, it is part of its essence,” explains Mr. Venizelos.

Through an all-embracing view of human affairs, organizers of the Cultural Olympiad are hoping to convey the message that hard work and determination are required to approach culture as a bridge for creating peace rather than as a cause for conflict. Consequently, organizers are especially focused on reaching the world’s youth through the Olympiad events. “It is especially important that young people can follow these events, since it is above all the young who must be impressed with the values of peace, reconciliation, creativity and fair play,” states Mr. Venizelos. The Olympic Truce is another important element in the Athenian Olympic concept and also involves mobilizing young people world over in the cause of peace; an international plea will be made that all hostilities cease during the Games.

In the meantime, physical preparations for the 2004 Olympic Games are full steam ahead. Despite earlier criticisms of delays, the International Olympic Committee’s assessment in June of this year was overwhelmingly positive. Construction progress, as well as progress in other areas such as transport, health services and accommodation were applauded by the committee. According to Mr. Venizelos, 85% of the construction on all sports facilities is now completed and 95% of all other Olympic construction is fully underway. The Greek government is overseeing construction on 68 main Olympic projects, including sports venues, roads, and mass transit systems such as suburban rail and tram. Security issues are being firmly dealt with as well. After enlisting the support of an international advisory committee to help develop a security master plan, the Greek government has allotted some $600 million to ensure the safety of the event.