Culture Committee, accepting the honorable invitation by Ancient Olympia Mayor, Aristides Panayotopoulos, travelled to Ancient Olympia to attend the Olympic Flame-lighting ceremony that took place on April 16.
High Priestess Mary Mina using the traditional curved mirror to light the Olympic Torch using the sun’s rays. The High Priestess then delivered the Olympic Flame to the first runner in the Torch Relay, rowing Olympic medalist Stefanos Douskos, at the edge of the ancient stadium in Olympia, kicking off the 11-day relay in Greece. The Olympic Flame will be handed over to the organizers of the Paris Games on April 26, in Athens, spend the night in the French Embassy and then depart for France on the ship “Belem” the following day. The ship is due to arrive in the port of Marseille on May 8, where the French section of the Torch Relay will begin, lasting 68 days until it culminates in the lighting of the Olympic Flame at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Games on July 26.
AmCham Greece Culture Committee had the opportunity to discuss with local key stakeholders, how the dimension of culture is recognized as a key element of the local community development process and sustainable development. The role of culture in local development through the expansion of its relationship and interconnection with tourism, a driver of economic development in the region, was highlighted at various points of the discussion along with the concept of sustainable development. Great importance is given to sustainable development of the region, as it reinforces the pillars of the environment and social welfare in the modern political agenda. The choice of culture, as a means of local and regional sustainable development, is a one-way street, being the cornerstone of any society that shapes its consciousness and identity.
