Arctic Olympics to promote High North
The largest city of Norwegian High North, Tromsø, is preparing an application for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. The organizing committee believes an Olympic event will be an excellent opportunity to build better relations with Russia.
In the opinion of the organizing committee of Tromsø 2018, the Winter Olympic games in Tromsø would not only be a national event for Norway. It would be an event to connect all people of the Barents Region. The infrastructure investments would benefit the entire region, making it a lot easier to travel here. This will enhance people-to-people cooperation between Norway and Russia and the other Barents countries.
This is one of several goals the committee has put up as important side effects of hosting the Winter Olympics in Tromsø. The organizing committee is now waiting for the Norwegian Government to decide if they will give a financial guarantee for Tromsø’s application to the IOC. It is expected that the Government will make their decision this autumn.
Olympic countries
The cooperation with Russia is of particular importance for the 2018 Olympic Games. The southern Russian city of Sochi is hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics, which will lead to wide contact between the two cities if Tromsø is chosen to host the 2018 games. At the same time, the proximity of Northwest-Russia and the existing cooperation in the Barents Region, makes it natural to increase the efforts in building relations between Russians and Norwegians. The committee is planning several cooperation projects between Russians and Norwegians within art, culture and technological development.
The Olympic Games will also give Norway a possibility increase the global awareness of the High North. For two weeks the world’s attention will be on Tromsø and Norwegian High North. The committee believes that it then will be of outmost importance for Norway to point out that the country is the foremost provider of good environmental solutions and a healthy resource management in the Arctic.
Indigenous people
The Sámi dimension of the Tromsø application is very thorough. Through the Olympics the Sami people and the Sami culture have a unique opportunity to be presented throughout the world. This will also be an important contribution in preserving indigenous peoples history, culture and basis of existence in the High North.
