Can the Return of the Olympic Games to Greece inspire a Return to Nature?
Nairobi/Athens, 10 August 2004 – When the XXVIIIth Olympiad opens in Athens this week global attention will focus not just on the performance of the athletes, but on the organizers as well. In recent years the environment has gained increased prominence within the Olympic Movement. It is officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the third dimension of Olympism, alongside sport and culture. Environmental issues are now an important part of the review process of Olympic bids. “The return of the Olympic Games to Athens, where they originated some 2000 years ago, has sparked renewed interest in the historic reality of the competition,” said Mr. Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “Respect for nature was a feature of ancient Greek civilization.” “In those early Games victors were crowned with an olive wreath. The olive wreath remains as an Olympic symbol to this day, a reminder of the precious link between humanki
