I have just read today of the Indian star of football who has refused to carry the Olympic torch for supporting Tibet: ok, good for him.. then take him out from the Olympics team! He wants to boycott? Then do not go to the Olympics.. but in that way he would lose quite a lot of money.. and face!
Besides, I would like to remind that he is from India, a place where last week in a village they beat up a woman thought to be a witch!!!! (please, read the CNN report.. strong video.. I do not recommend it!!)
One thing I do not want to do is talking about too much politics on my blog.. but I had mentioned a bit about the Italian politics a few days ago, but it is more fun (or desperation!) and I would like to spend a word about the Olympics in Beijing. Just because I start being a bit pissed off!
Starting from the point that most of my Chinese friends are supporting the campaign for a free Tibet or at least for opening of some sort of communication between the Chinese government and Tibet, and stop the violence, I am still a bit angry about the kind of huge campaign against China, as a totality and as organizer of Olympics. When Olympics and problems are two words that go together very often!!!
I am a sports man, and a human being. I am against violence.
I am supporting the human rights.
But also I like Olympics, and sport..
But, is boycotting the Olympics going to improve the situation in Tibet?
Mmmmhhh.. I strongly doubt it..
Please, remember that IOC, international committee gave the Olympics to China in 2001, Moscow session, and the situation in Tibet was already messy.. But of course now it is good for getting a stronger visibility for the campaign supporting a free Tibet.. And talking about visibility, it is then not so surprising that the Tibetan autonomy groups are starting now making noise and there will be more and more in the following months.
But is that China the only “bad” country hosting the Olympics? Have other countries being boycotted before? With good results? Many times there has been boycott of sport manifestation. The results?? A bit questionable!
The list of not so innocent countries hosting the Olympics is quite long!
But of course China is very scary for the rest of the world as a huge economic power that does not make many compromises in order to reach its own goals.. like, for example:
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USA? Got the Olympics in: 1904, 1932, 1984, 1996
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Russia? Got the Olympics in: 1980 (CCCP)
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Germany? Got the Olympics in: 1916, 1936, 1972
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Italy? Got the Olympics in: 1960
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France? Got the Olympics in: 1900, 1924
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Japan? Got the Olympics in: 1940, 1964
Now, I am a convinced supporter of human rights campaigns and even stronger supporter of anti-hypocrite campaigns! So, agreeing 100% that the human rights must be respected, I do think that sport as managed to unify and has permitted different cultures to get closer and share values much more than politics, economy or boycotts!
What about the images from Olympics that give goosebumps to every adult with historical memory?
Images like Jesse Owens winnings in Berlin, or the black power podium in Mexico.
So India is giving an example about human rights? Together with.. USA? read Guantanamo.. But International community
I wish good luck to Tibet and good luck to China for the great occasion this nation has! The process to open to Westrern has started long ago: I hope we will see this year more results!
Stop the violence!!! Find the way in Dialogue!!!
Eight forces sustain creation:
Movement and stillness,
Solidification and fluidity,
Extension and contraction,
Unification and division.
From The Art of Peace
