Under One Banner; the Refugee Olympics Team
The Olympics are unfurling in Tokyo this summer, and whether or not you agree with the Olympics going forward in this current pandemic climate, and even if you don’t like sports, this year’s Refugee Olympics Team is something we can all get very excited about.
This year’s Olympic Refugee Team in Tokyo follows the success of the first team in Rio de Janiero. In 2016, 10 athletes competed in swimming, judo, the marathon, and medium distance running. In Tokyo that number has swelled to 29. Refugee athletes will compete in multiple sports as well as in the Paralympics, and represent far more than “love of the game” to people tuning in.
The Refugee Flag that will be flown during the Olympics was designed to mimic a life jacket. Photo credit The Refugee Nation
In 2021, attention needs to be paid to the ongoing refugee crisis and how we as “placed” populations treat and think of the displaced. The Rio Olympics happened amidst “the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War.” In 2016, 65 million people had been displaced worldwide. Today that number has climbed to a whopping 84 million; experts predict this trend will continue.
People will be watching, worldwide, for their favorite sport (I am 100% there for volleyball). But the Olympics is more than a competition. The Olympic Refugee Team wants viewers to know that they represent resilience, solidarity, and hope, as well as the pride of their home countries. The Olympics are for everyone, and our humanity knows no borders.
Help us cultivate our shared humanity this Olympic season.
In partnership,
Jessie Hughes, Network Intern
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