Is it, then, really possible to reconcile this major sporting event with the well-being of communities and of the planet? What matters most is that there is clarity in the conduct of the various national and international bodies responsible for the Games. And we are not the only ones who think so.
Open Olympics 2026
Transparency, legality and accountability are, in fact, the three key words that will resound on 14 May in the Cos.Mo Auditorium in Pieve di Candore (BL), where an event of considerable scope will be held. A network of 20 national and international associations will call on the bodies involved in the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games for clear accountability through the launch of a public petition.
The event will take place in two parts: in the morning there will be a round table open to the public, moderated by Gian Antonio Stella (well-known journalist at Corriere della Sera), which will present the data gathered by local communities in recent months on the subject of the Olympics, and will launch the Open Olympics 2026 petition. In the afternoon, there will be a civic monitoring workshop open to all citizens, run by “Common-Comunità monitoranti” of Libera.
In short, this is an event that not only has crucial significance in the context of the forthcoming Winter Olympics, offering a space for discussion and reflection on issues fundamental to the good management and the social and economic impact of such events; it also shows how local communities can make a difference by making their voices heard.
The launch of Open Olympics 2026 will indeed be a valuable opportunity to involve citizens actively in monitoring and critically analysing Olympic-related policies and practices, promoting, in the long term, informed and aware citizen participation.
But who are the organisations involved?
The network of associations that will present the data gathered and launch the petition is made up of some of the most important bodies that protect the environment and promote legality. To name only the best known:
- Libera. Associazioni, nomi e numeri contro le mafie, a celebrated social movement founded on 25 March 1995 by Don Luigi Ciotti, with the aim of combating organised crime and promoting legality and social justice;
- WWF Italia, the Italian branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature, which since 1966 has worked to protect biodiversity, promote sustainable development and raise public awareness of issues related to nature conservation;
- Legambiente, an Italian environmental association founded in 1980. Its activities range from protecting natural areas to fighting pollution, and from promoting renewable energy to raising public awareness of environmental issues;
- Mountain Wilderness Italia, which since 1987 has defended and preserved unspoilt mountain areas, protecting their landscapes, safeguarding their biodiversity and promoting sustainable, respectful tourism;
- Commissione Internazionale per la protezione delle Alpi (CIPRA Italia), the Italian branch of an international organisation founded in 1952, which is committed to protecting the Alpine environment, enhancing its natural and cultural resources, and promoting sustainable policies and practices aimed at ensuring a balance between development and conservation in the Alps;
- CAI Club Alpino Italiano, founded as far back as 1863 with the aim of promoting mountaineering and knowledge and conservation of the Italian mountains;
- Italia Nostra, an Italian environmental and cultural association, founded in 1955 with the aim of protecting and enhancing the country’s historical, artistic, cultural and environmental heritage;
- SAT Società Alpinisti Tridentini, which since the distant year of 1872 has promoted mountaineering and knowledge of the mountains of the Trentino-Alto Adige region. It also contributes to the sustainable development of mountain areas through conservation and enhancement projects.
Open Olympics for a better future?
It is hoped, therefore, that initiatives like these can help to consolidate in the long term the principles of transparency, legality and accountability as fundamental pillars of the preparation and organisation of major events such as the forthcoming Winter Olympics, thus ensuring a positive, sustainable and lasting footprint on the territory and the local community.
It is also hoped that dialogue between local institutions, civil society organisations, sector experts and interested citizens will always be a guiding light to bear in mind when planning events on the scale of Milano-Cortina 2026, in order to achieve a shared and inclusive vision of the development of a territory.
Ultimately, Open Olympics aims to promote a culture of responsibility and active participation, and a joint commitment to a more transparent, lawful and accountable future. We can only hope that similar initiatives will be repeated so that successes are achieved not only in sport, but also in social and environmental terms.
For more information: www.legambiente.it - open olympics 2026. Admission to the event is free.
