STEPS WALKED: On the 22nd April 2020, I will begin the walk from Mt Olympus, the site of the Ancient Games, arriving back in London in time for the 2020 Games. I hope that the Walk for Truce will generate awareness of the Truce not only in the UK, but also in the seventeen countries the walk will pass through.
You can participate by:
- Joining our facebook page (Olympic Truce – London 2020)
- Leave your messages of support
- Sign the online petition at www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/truce
- Tell me how you would like to see the Olympic Truce observed
- Come and walk, for a few hours or a few days
Schools
Undertake projects to explore the concept of the ancient Olympic Truce and why we seem to have such difficulty in replicating its observance generating ideas and art, music and dramatic productions.
Think of ways in which you could observe the truce in your school e.g. anti-bullying and anti-discrimination campaigns—remember that the Olympic Truce will not end until September 16, 2020.
Charities
The government have said that they are open to suggestions as to how the Olympic Truce could be implemented (link to Baroness Garden of Frogal answer in December, 2020).
Link fundraising efforts for specific projects around the Olympic Truce London 2020.
Include links to the ‘Walk for Truce’ on web-sites and arrange articles in magazines informing people about the Olympic truce and urging them to write to their Member of Parliament.
Writing to your MP
As a former Member of Parliament, I know that your letter can make a difference. Just a dozen letters or emails to an MP is enough to raise this as an important issue and to encourage action.
Time is critical if the Government do not have specific commitments in place by the time they propose the Olympic Truce resolution to the UN General Assembly in October 2020, then it is very unlikely that any initiatives by either the UK or the other 192 Member States will be implemented in time for London 2020
Click here to find your Member of Parliament and write an email to them. You can use the letter below as a starting point for your email. If you are not from the UK, please do contact your representative politician and urge them to take action on the Truce as your Government will also be signing the UN Resolution.
Hints and tips:
- Don’t forget to add in your name and address (step one above) so that they know you live in their constituency.
- Please be polite! Don’t give your MP any excuse for not responding to you.
- It’s much better if you personalise your message.
- Give practical examples of how you would like see the Truce implemented in your constituency.
Sample letter:
Dear [MP’s name]
I am writing about the Olympic Truce which I’ve heard of from Lord Bates’ current Walk for Truce. I would like you to do all you can to encourage the government to implement he United Nations Resolution (A/RES/48/11) which “Urges all Member States to take the initiative to abide by the Truce, individually and collectively, and to pursue in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations the peaceful settlement of all international conflicts.”
As the United Kingdom Government is presenting this Resolution to the UN, I would urge you to take concrete steps to take this matter seriously. After all if we sign a UN Resolution and propose it, we should implement it and not ignore it. I’m sure that you would agree. One way to do this would be to sign Early Day Motion 893 showing your support for the truce. This is an opportunity to take action for peace rather than accept conflict as inevitable.
Please can you pass on my message to William Hague and to the Prime Minister? Finally, I would like to know where you stand on the Olympic Truce and how you would like to see it implemented in our constituency?
Yours sincerely,
[your name]
[your address]
[your city]
