Olympism and Coronavirus & Proposals(IOC위원장 수신 제안서 내용 일부 발췌)

[Olympism and Coronavirus & Proposals(IOC위원장 수신 제안서 내용 일부 발췌)]

코로나바이러스는 장기적 안목으로 볼 때 이겨내어 극복하기 보다는 함께 건강을 지키며 자연과 공존(Symbiosis)하면서 자신을 지켜내는 가운데 지나쳐 보낼 대상이라는 생각이 든다. 마치 우리가 어릴 적 홍역이나 천연두를 앓고 지나가거나 우두(vaccinia)라는 천연두백신을 맞고 지나갔었던 것처럼…

하지만 앞으로 다가올 불확실한 미래에 닥쳐올 다른 형태의 종류와 장르가 다른 변종 바이러스 대란을 생각하면 더 이상 자연을 파괴하지 말고 야생동물들도 식용 또는 관상용으로 잡지 말고 함께 공존하는 사회적 캠페인을 벌였으면 한다.

이제 Homo-Sapiens(지혜가 있는 인간)에서 Homo-Symbiotic(공존하는 인간)으로의 인식 전환과 진화가 필요한 시점이다.

다음 내용은 올림픽 관련 코로나바이러스에 대처할 필자의 생각을 정리하여 Thomas Bach IOC위원장에게 보낸 제안서의 일부이다.

 

1.   Coronavirus crisis management & Leadership

Crisis, in Chinese characters of 危機, consists of “Danger +Opportunity”. The danger we are confronting with coronavirus pandemic also suggests the way forward. I believe that where there is a will, there is always a way out. As you correctly emphasize, the Olympic Agenda 2020 provides the entire Olympic Movement with an outstanding paradigm shift to overcome the uncertainty and unpredictability already way ahead of this crisis outbreak. Everyone knows that you initiated it, and therefore it is your brain child. Thanks to your insightful predictability, we all came to realize that we are all fortunate enough to have a right leader, Mr. IOC President Bach, to lead us toward the right direction in this fragile and present mixed-up world, particularly at this coronavirus-driven critical situation. Your great TF team of “Here we Go” will surely be able to find out an excellent solution eventually with an answer “There you Are” under your outstanding leadership and chairmanship.

2.   The post-coronavirus world & Proposals

The motto of Olympic Agenda 2020, “Change or be changed” clearly applies to the post-coronavirus world, and also reflects the spirit of Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship, and Respect. It has brought us a perfect timing to enter into changing not only the remaining systematic irrationalities, inefficiencies, irregularities, and inequalities, if any, but also our mind frame of hating each other and plotting any scurrilous attack mostly driven by egoism and self-interest. As I mentioned in my previous letter to you, in the post-coronavirus world, we do not simply need medial vaccine, but (1) echo-vaccine, (2) behavior-vaccine, (3) upgraded sport-vaccine, and especially (4) Olympic-Spirit Vaccine. Therefore, the Olympic Games in the future hopefully would turn out to be an echo-centered Games rather than just simply environmentally-friendly Games. In this respect, I would like to propose an establishment of new IOC Commission to be named “Echo and Sustainability Commission” in addition to the existing “Sustainability and Legacy Commission”. According to some experts, the similar virus tends to appear every two-three or four years at intervals. Human medical science might not sufficiently satisfy needs and demands for medical treatment in time for every possible new virus occurrence. What we urgently need to do would be the deployment of a movement of ecological-turn, and accordingly the whole humanity should find itself to change from “Home-Sapience” to “Homo-Symbiotic” for symbiosis with the nature. It would be an effective mid and long-term solution against any kinds of possible future virus outbreak, including but not limited to its variants.

#Stay safe, #Stay healthy, #Stay active

With my best wishes and prayers for the successful Tokyo2020 Games,

Rocky Kang-Ro YOON 

President of International Sport Diplomacy Institute and 

Member of IOC Evaluation Commission for 2008 Olympics