 I
would like to warmly welcome all participants to the 3rd international
Symposium for Taekwondo studies.
First I want to express my gratitude to the organizer of
this symposium for bringing together the prominent scholars
in the every field of study, I am also thankful for the presence
of all distinguished guests, keynote speakers and contributors
taking part in this meaningful platform of discussion.
The main theme of this symposium, "The realization of
Olympism through Taekwondo Education," perfectly reflects
the growing popularity of taekwondo worldwide as a global sport-for-all
that transcends nationality, gender, physical ability and age.
As the World Taekwondo Federation expanded its membership to
192 countries with tens of millions of practitioners around
the world, the globalization of Taekwondo now sets a significant
vision projected both in theory and in practice.
According to the Olympic Charter, "the goal of Olympism
is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development
of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned
with the preservation of human dignity. Olympism is a philosophy
of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities
of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education,
Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of
effort, the educational value of good example and respect for
universal fundamental ethical principles."
Taekwondo shares these same values and the same mission as
Olympism. It is an art and a sport that not only brings the
mind and body together, but also improves the value of life
for all that practice it. Implementing the core virtues of
Olympism into the curriculum and education of taekwondo will
further its cause and continue its spread throughout the world.
There is no better place to start than at this 3rd edition
of the International Symposium for Taekwondo Studies.
I hope this intellectually stimulating experience will yield constructive discussions and outstanding initiatives among the participants in order to bring further development of the academic discipline of taekwondo worldwide, and to promote taekwondo as a global sport.
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