By Joseph B. Oduntan

The Olympic Games since their inception in 1896, have been a unifying force for world peace, growth and development.

The Republic of Korea with a rapidly growing economy, since the end of the Korean War with North Korea in 1953, exploited the great potential in sports to spread peace, understanding and unity not only in Asia, but around the world.

South Korea staged the 24th Olympic Games in 1988 and, together with Japan in 2002, staged the FIFA World Cup finals. The country in its effort to promote football and sport amongst young people at home and elsewhere around the world, has also assisted and supported many developing nations in Africa, in manpower training to develop their skill in various modern sports.

The 30th Olympics games when they commence on July 27, 2012, at the 80,000-capacity stadium in London, will be a gathering of giants and champions from all nations of the world.

The theme for this year’s game, ``Inspire a generation,” is food for thought to people all over the world. In today’s unsecured and unstable world with wars, coups, economic crisis, hunger, poverty, terrorism threats, political unrest and other troubles facing people and nations around the world, many with great aspiration and inspiration for sports as a force for global peace and unity will put their problems behind them to be part of the historic gathering for the 2012 London Games.

Man needs inspiration to meet his aspirations and be successful in anything he or she does in life. Inspiration can be generated within an individual or an individual can be externally influenced or inspired by the behavior or actions of an individual man or woman. However, the majority of all inspiration comes from influential or gifted persons with special information or moves to change people’s lives positively.

Mankind today, in medicine, education, agriculture, religion, politics, science etc., is enjoying the good fruits of the perseverance and labor of white men and women from Europe. Inspired by their love for the growth and civilization of mankind, in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries they left their families, risked their lives and went to America, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa to undertake missionary work with the spread of trade, agriculture, civilization and constitutional rule in politics.

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II’s love for the care of the less privileged in society and as patroness of many charity organizations is promoting government and individual support and change of perspective about disabled children and people around nations, particularly in Africa. Based on the philosophy that in every disability, there is ability, the Paralympic Games established by Sir Ludwig Guttmann officially started in 1960 as a healing process for wounded soldiers from World War II.

Athletes must obey all laws binding the games and must be prompted by the Olympic motto, oath and creed in their behavior and actions at all events of the games. And in a big event like the Olympics, when athletes work hard and compete for laurels and honors, one must expect criticism. This, however, like the queen in a speech last year to members of the British

Parliament said, ``Criticism which is the order of the day in our society must be done with a touch of humor, gentleness and understanding.”

America’s fight against al-Qaida and terrorism with the death of its notorious leader Osama bin Laden in 2011, may have brought peace closer and reduced or submerged the fears, worries and social insecurity associated with al-Qaida and terrorist threats in America and Europe. In nations on other continents of the world where terrorist threats still exist, leaders and governments are making great efforts to curb their deadly activities.

Global leaders, particularly in Commonwealth nations which make up about one quarter of the world’s 7-billion population for which the British monarch is the head, have a lot of lessons to learn from the queen’s leadership role as a woman and mother in her 60 years’ reign.

We wish the queen a happy 86th birthday and a joyful diamond jubilee anniversary with prayers to the entire family that her reign as the monarch of our time and generation will make the world peaceful, saver and united.

The writer is a freelance writer and a 1995 KOICA alumnus. His email address is jboduntan@yahoo.com.