Insights · January 18th, 2010
The Goodwill Games were created in the 1980’s as a brainchild of Ted Turner, in an effort to help bridge the gap between the then Soviet Union and the U.S., following the Olympic boycotts of the 1980’s. The effort was really quite successful, and I personally remember the 2nd Goodwill Games, held in 1990 here in my home-town area of Seattle, Washington.
The local promoter who brought those games to Seattle was Bob Walsh, and today in the Puget Sound Business Journal there is a story about his proposal to stage a Goodwill Games, in Seattle, for the Muslim world and the West, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 in 2011. The idea is to bring thousands of Muslim youth from around the world to Seattle for “four months of culture bridging events.†The idea has attracted an initial contribution of $200,000 from the Gates Foundation.
While the situation today is not exactly analogous to that between the Soviets and Americans in the 1980’s, I think it sounds like a good idea. It would be an opportunity to celebrate our common humanity and aspirations.
Check out the idea – subscription required for full access but you can get the basics here.
