I’m Mark Tewksbury and welcome to what promises to be an historic and incredible afternoon.
Some of you may be wondering why a former Olympian might be asked to host a Talk by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
It may seem difficult to imagine today, but the Olympic Games were not founded by NBC, Nike and VISA.
They were founded by peace activists.
Individuals who believed that sport could encourage the “establishment of a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.”
Three of those men quickly went on to win Nobel Peace prizes. Men such as:
Elie Ducommun
Fredéric Passy
and
Fredéric Bajer
I’m privileged that I will soon share this stage with the 1989 recipient of this distinguished award.
But today we also have a question to ask.
When those men of peace met in Paris in 1894, were the Beijing Games what they really had in mind as they wrote their fundamental principles to the Olympic Charter.
Principles which included that the practice of sport is a human right to be celebrated without discrimination in regards to a country or a person on the grounds of race, religion, politics, or gender.
And the principle that to do otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.
This coming August, thousands of athletes from around the world will compete at the Olympic Games.
Let’s celebrate their passion and their personal triumphs.
But as we do, let’s also honour those who remain oppressed through military occupation or imprisoned solely for their beliefs and faith.
Au mois d’août prochain, des milliers d’athlètes de partout à travers le monde viendront participer aux Jeux olympiques.
Célébrons leur passion et leur triomphe personnel.
Mais, en même temps, souvenons-nous de ceux qui sont oppressés par des régimes militaires ou jetés en prison à cause de leur croyance et leur religion.
This is truly a universal responsibility of global citizenship.
Now I don’t want to push the sports clichés too far this afternoon, but let me add a personal observation, knowing a thing or two about sports.
The pursuit of freedom, the quest for human rights may almost be the metaphorical relay.
The race does not rest on the legs of a lone runner, but on a team, passing a baton from one to the other and sometimes even from one generation to the next.
The finish line is not a 10 second dash down the track.
But just as Olympic athletes persevere carrying that baton from one runner to the next, so will we.
Together we will win freedom for those who are oppressed, for those who fear.
Whether it is in Lhasa, Burma or Darfur. Freedom will win.
Ensemble nous vaincrons l’injustice et la peur, pour donner la liberté à ceux et celles qui ont tant souffert.
Que ce soit à Lhasa, en Birmanie ou au Darfour. Tous seront libres.
But today, now, in this very arena, we can help keep the flame of Tibet’s culture burning bright until the day that freedom is not our goal but our triumph.