Olympic peace call to World Green Tourism

Gordon Sillence makes a call for a London 2012 Olympic Peace Strategy – A Must for World Green Tourism Stakeholders in the Middle East and Africa

In the face of all our global challenges, an opportunity of a life time presents itself at this years World Green Tourism event to make a major contribution to a common vision of a peace-based, global green economy. Writes Gordon Sillence

 The London 2012 Olympic Peace Strategy invites World Green Tourism stakeholders to take a leading role in implementing the historic UN backed six weeks of Global Peace during next years’ London Olympics.  This has great implications for tourism in the Middle East/Africa, and the six weeks should be used to highlight those destinations that are peaceful and welcoming, especially as the time is at the height of the summer vacations in the big northern Europena markets. 

Middle East and African tourism stakeholders – in enlightened self interest -can add their weight to the strategy, which calls for a:

• One Minute Silence for Global Peace  at the Olympic opening ceremony
• Global mapping of peaceful destinations and safe passage related to the Global Peace Index
• Youth for Olympic Peace Campaign in which one teenager from conflict zones /area of violence  is sponsored to attend the Olympics as youth peace & culture ambassadors, .
• Responsible & Sustainable Tourism Business & Destination Support Travel Initiative – showcasing community-based responsible and sustainable tourism best practice offers next to a country’s Olympic icons.
• Urgent Call for Support to Help Youth from Conflict Zone Attend the Games

We would like to highlight the urgent need to put together the programme to bring youths over from  conflict zones – youth from Tunisia, Libya, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Isreal, Congo, Sudan etc, … and join them with youth from other conflict zones and areas of violence from all over the globe,  bringing them together in peace and solidarity at the Opening Ceremony to celebrate the peace.

They can then become the peace ambassadors of the new generation in their countries.  The rallying call is now out for tourism stakeholders taking part in the Abu Dhabi event to play a key part in making the six weeks of peace and all its benefits a reality in 2012.   

Can you identify yourself as an organisation or individual who can:

• Recommend one teenager from a conflict zone to come to the Games (citezens choices, aid programme/worker/charity group recommendations, etc ..)
• Provide in country support services for logistics, visas, health checks, etc .. (govt/administrative officials, private sector reception agencies)
• Pay towards the costs of bringing the teenagers over (multi-stakeholder contributions, Olympic sponsors)
• Help fly these teenagers to London (airlines)
• Host the teenagers in your accommodation business (eg hotel chain)?
• Provide support services in the UK (Govt/UK travel industry reps in London)
• Provide follow up opportunities for the teen-agers (scholarships, training opportunities, etc?)

To see the overall picture, please download the strategy, read what we need to do in each country, and then contact me to help make this happen’    

  You can find further information on the campaign in the DestiNet Portal HERE

or

email Gordon Sillence  [email protected]

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