Talking It Over

The lighting of the Olympic flame amid the ancient ruins of Olympia, Greece, is a simple and solemn affair. There are no marching bands, no fancy commercials, no play-by-play commentary, just a silent dance to the Greek gods punctuated by the beat of a single drum.

Watching this remarkable event on the grassy spot where the original Games were held more than 2,500 years ago, I was reminded not only of the enduring power of Western civilization but also of the democratic ideals we are still working toward today.

It turned out to be the perfect place to end my week-long trip to Bosnia, Turkey and Greece. As different as these countries appear on the surface, their pasts and futures are inextricably tied to ours and to the world's — and to the vision set forth in the earliest Olympic contests.

My first stop was Bosnia, a country that has suffered untold horror but is now trying, with international help, to create a multiethnic, multireligious democracy. Not only did I visit with religious, political and humanitarian leaders, I also spent time with American troops who are part of NATO's mission to enforce the Bosnian peace accords.

Then, I went to Turkey, a NATO partner whose importance to the United States goes well beyond its geography at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Turkey is a rarity in its region of the world because, although predominantly Muslim, it is a secular society.

At a time of increased political tensions and the rise of religious extremism in southern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa, Turkey's role as a secular democracy becomes that much more significant to nations interested in spreading the fruits of peace and democracy.

Turkey has a long history of religious tolerance, having been the birthplace of Orthodox Christianity and a meeting point throughout history for many of the world's great religions.

While I was in Istanbul, I had a chance to meet with the leaders of the country's major religious groups — Muslim, Jewish, Catholic and Orthodox.

We talked about what they can do to make sure that religion is not used to promote fanaticism, violence or extremism and remains a force for harmony and civility among people of different faiths.

Leaving Ankara and Istanbul, I traveled to Greece, where many of the values and institutions of modern civilization were born. Standing in the Acropolis above the city of Athens, I imagined the ancient Athenians coming to market to buy pears, figs and honey and the sounds of cobblers and sculptors making and selling their wares. I envisioned jurors assembling for court and senators taking their seats in the Athenian legislature.

Almost every aspect of our lives today has roots in classical antiquity. The words we use, the laws we follow, the medicine we practice, the ideas we believe in, the buildings we build, the plays and dramas we perform, the system of democratic government so many countries now enjoy all began with the ancient Greeks.

Since those earlier times, of course, empires have risen and fallen, wars have been won and lost, and much blood has been spilled in that part of the world. But through it all, pluralistic democracy has lived on and spread, proving to be the world's most equitable, just and productive form of government that civilization has ever known.

All of which brings me back to the Olympic Games, one of the most palpable and powerful symbols we have of the democratic values the ancient Greeks created for us.

The flame that was lit last week — and which will guide the Games in Atlanta this summer — burns with the spirit of Olympic contests that have taken place in Greece and around the world and the tens of thousands of athletes who have competed in them. It is a spirit that stretches back nearly 3,000 years to the first foot race held amid the orange and olive groves of Olympia.

Now, as then, the Olympic Games emphasize an inescapable dimension of the human experience — that we are all members of one global family.

Whether through athletes competing at sports in Olympia or Atlanta, or through American, Turkish and Greek troops helping democracy grow in Bosnia, we are coming together as nations to build bridges of respect, tolerance and friendship.

It is a task that has challenged us for most of human history. But rarely has it been as urgent as it is today.

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