The Olympics Truce
Last summer Lord Michael Bates set out from Greece to promote a world truce during the London Olympics. In early December I met the long-distance trekker in Luxembourg and shared his walk for twenty kilometers on the shoulder of a busy motorway in the rain. At the top of a hill I spied the approach of a black rain curtain and caught the next bus back to the warm comforts of Luxembourg. Lord Bates persevered through the worsening weather across Belgium, France, and England. A little after the New Year he arrived at the House of Lords and presented his petition to his peers. They applauded his efforts and submitted his request to the proper channels.
Britain as host nation to the Olympics could not sign the truce as they are at war in Afghanistan along with their ally, the USA. Syria attended the event, despite a brutal campaign to suppress rebels against the regime. Israel showed up with no apologies for its oppression of the Palestinian people along with many other conflict-riven states. Lord Bates' truce might have been ignored by these countries, but the majority of the competitors have peace with the world; Bhutan, Laos, Belize, Costa Rica, Switzerland, Sweden, Bolivia, Botswana just to name a few.
We can only hope that the rest will follow their example and that of Lord Michael Bates.
IMAGINE by John Lennon.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRhq-yO1KN8
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