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The Delphic Games - Sister of the Olympic Games


Once upon a time when body and mind lived in symbiosis in ancient Greece, the Olympic Games took place as a competition in sports. The Delphic Games were dedicated to arts, culture and sport.
Both took place for about 1000 years until they became banned.

In 1994 representatives of 20 countries founded the International Delphic Council in Berlin to start off the Delphic Games of the Modern Era. Since then the IDC arranges for Delphic Games and Junior Delphic Games within a four-year period.

Similar to the Olympic Games for sports, bringing people together across the globe through enthusiasm, the Delphic Games unites people of all nations and cultures through fascination for the arts. It is our aim to provide human beings of all ages all over the world access to cul-ture and art as a base for emotional understanding among each other.


1. What are the Delphic Games


   -   The Delphic Games were held parallel to Olympic Games in ancient Greece and celebrated
       one year prior to the Olympic Games for about 1000 years - until both games were banned as
       heathen Games 394 BC

   -   The Olympic Games for sport revived with the founding of the International Olympic
       Committee (IOC) 1894 in Paris - 1500 years after the ban

   -   The Delphic Games for arts and culture revived with the founding of the International Delphic
       Council (IDC) 1994 in Berlin - 1600 years after the ban



2. What is the aim


   -   To make Art and Culture an important part of our everyday life.

   -   To change our social behavior based on awareness of other cultures.

   -   To integrate Art and Culture in the life-long education process.



3. Who is interested and why


   -   Participants - new, unique national and international forum to present their Art and Culture

   -   Audience - new, unique Active and Transparent participation system

   -   States, Countries - new, unique motivation for Art, Culture and social, political
        Participation

   -   Economy - new podium for marketing and unique transparent Sponsoring opportunity



4. How is it happening


   -   National Contest - organized by the National Delphic Council (NDC)

   -   International Games - organized by the International Delphic Council (IDC) together with
       the NDC



The symbol of the Delphic Games of the Modern Era consists of an infinite ribbon of six colored semicircles which are designed within a circle on a white background. They symbolize the unity between the Delphic Art Categories.




Statements by prominent persons:


I welcome these excellent initiatives, which deserve every support. Through the reintroduction of the Delphic Games, you have created an exceptional opportunity for people of different cultures to meet in the spirit of tolerance and understanding, and promote the ideals of international co-operation and universal dialogue pursued by this Organisation, particularly in the context of the International Year for the Culture of Peace 2000.

Koïchiro Matsuura
UNESCO Director General, May 2000



I can think of no model more worthy of emulation than the Greek. They placed the refinement of body, mind, and spirit on one invisible altar to life. This trinity must be revered and cultivated. It is a feature of our own world than we have divided and subdivided continually the whole into its specific component parts and have often lost the binding unity to which this specific function is attached. There is a mutual independence between the whole to its parts and parts to the whole; we must never lose sight of either. I applaud your new impulses and your targets.

Lord Yehudi MENUHIN, OM, KBE
Violinist and Conductor, April 1997



It was for me a great pleasure to get acquainted with your initiative of reviving the International Delphic Games, and I do support it. I wish you great successes on this not easy but vital way.

Michail S. Gorbatshow
Former President of Soviet Union, February 1996



It's a moving moment to state, that the "continuously talking water" of the Kastalian spring did not stop flowing and that there are still people sensitive to hearing it.

Konstantinos Lefas
Mayor of Delphi, Greece, December 1994