Today, it is easy to let ourselves believe that the world is burning. Apparently, the pointers are in abundance. Blood-soaked stories continue to dominate what has come to constitute as news. Terrorist-fuelled bloodshed this summer has rocked France and Germany in Europe. The inhumanity of Syria’s civil war appears to have no end, at least any time soon. Sectarian violence in Iraq and Afghanistan has spiked in recent times. Mass shootings on the streets in America have taken a frightening turn.
But the world is not on fire.
No doubt, it has its own share of hotspots. But conventional wisdom tells us that there is always a yin to every yang. Even though it is rarely mentioned, it is a fact that a greater number of the world’s nations embrace peace, and abhor violence. For every Syria, let us not forget, there is a Switzerland. And for the next two weeks, we will be witness to the thousands of athletes who have gathered at Rio for the Summer Olympics reaffirm our belief in the values of humanity.
Yes, it must be placed on record that the Olympics will swim in rough waters. The road to Rio has been paved with controversies. Almost the entire contingent of the Russian Olympic team has been banned from participation because of illegal doping. More than a sizeable contingent of athletes has decided to stay home due to concerns over the Zika virus that is so prevalent in South America. And Rio itself, even long before the Games began, has been dealing with filthy waterways that will be used for some events. Include to that list the haphazard housing for athletes and a last-minute rush to complete the myriad buildings and infrastructure needed for such a global endeavour. Protestors – while crying “enjoy the Olympic games, because we are paying a high price for it!” – have hit the streets demanding impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff and prosecution of her predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, one of Brazil’s most powerful figures.
All these have conspired to form the Games’ early headlines. But let us remind ourselves that we are more interested in seeing the Olympics’ human element. We know that we will witness the triumph of human spirit in the Refugee Olympic Team – formed by displaced athletes of Syria, Ethiopia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Or the athletes from Iraq whose obstacles back home are, to put it mildly, frightening. And we know that the human element will be on full display through the pride and joy that beams from triumphant athletes as they stand on the podium, soaking in the strains of their nation’s anthem.
This is not to suggest that the Olympics will solve the world’s problem. It never has, and perhaps, never will. But the Olympics have always delivered the most poignant message, unfailingly. Even despite Hitler’s infamous attempt to pervert it, the Olympics have always been a pointer to what is possible when people of different languages and divergent cultures decide to come together – instead of trying to tear one another apart. So, as the Rio Games hit our TV screens today, let us remind ourselves of what the Olympics truly is – a metaphor for celebration of the triumph of human spirit. This is the torch that must burn undiminished. Enjoy the Games!
