Today I went to a talk given by Jane Olsen who is the Chair of the Human Rights Watch board of directors. She spoke to us mainly about her experience with HRW and the ongoing conflicts that they are dealing with in Africa. Some of the stories she told were truly horrific and very hard to listen to, but what I really liked about her talk was her message of hope. She shared the gruesome, but also the happy and truly touching stories, that through pain there is still compassion. She also spoke about the upcoming Olympics and how HRW is involved. She was adamant that countries not boycott the Olympics, she stated that the Olympics are good for the international community and for international relations. However, HRW's position is that heads of state should not attend the Opening ceremonies. China has invited many heads of state from around the world to showcase China's coming of age, and by not attending the heads of state could show China that they do not approve of their politics. I think this is the best position to take because it does not harm the athletes or the games.
Here is a Letter from UNHCR to Heads of State urging them not to attend the opening ceremonies.
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