Olympic Truce
The work Olympic Truce was painted by Mina Papetheodorou-Valyrakis to honor the Greek tradition ekecheiria which would cease all hostilities during the ancient Olympic Games. The tradition was revived in 1992 when the International Olympic Committee called upon all nations to observe the Truce. Olympic Truce is signed by 23 women Olympic champions. The painting reflects the artists’ and the United Nation’s commitment to peaceful sportsmanship, the integrity of the international Olympic Games, and their support of youth and women in sports.
The artist was born in Athens, Greece and her work has been exhibited at the National Gallery in Athens, Greece, the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland and Galleria Ca’ d’Oro in Rome. Her work has been used for official posters of the 2002 and 2004 Olympic Games. She was the United States Sports Academy’s 2002 Sports Artist of the Year and has been an enthusiastic supporter of sports and the arts.
The painting was presented by the Foreign Minister of Greece, George Papandreou, and accepted on behalf of the United Nations by the Secretary-General, Kofi Annan. The presentation ceremony was attended by the artist, Papetheodorou-Valyrakis, as well as by International Olympic Committee President, Jacques Rogue.
In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 48/11 which urged all member nations to respect the Olympic Truce, to abstain from war and to compete and travel in safety. The United Nations Millennium Declaration, adopted in 2000, contains the same appeal. The United Nations and the International Olympic Committee urge all nations to follow the Truce at every Olympic Game.