With the Paris Summer Olympics and Paralympics here, coupled with the exciting news that Utah will once again host the Olympics in 2034, it’s an ideal time to reflect on a legacy uniquely Utah and critical to the success of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Twenty-two years ago, over 26,000 volunteers donned their iconic Olympic coats and welcomed 2,399 athletes from 77 teams and countless spectators from across the nation and around the globe to our state.
Utah’s volunteer force is heralded as a linchpin of the game’s success to this day.
We often talk about Utah’s “secret sauce,” which has led to historic accomplishments and propelled Utah to the national stage. And while some outside of Utah are convinced that “sauce” is our now famed fry sauce, it is indeed our people. While host cities around the world struggle to fill volunteer roles for their large-scale sporting events, Utah had more applicants than positions to fill. The 2002 Olympics was not a special case, however, as Utah is consistently ranked the most generous state in the nation by several factors, including volunteerism.
While the 2002 Winter Olympics displayed Utah’s charitable prowess, it was also the single largest showing of citizen diplomacy — people-to-people connections on a global scale — in Utah’s history. The volunteers did so with kindness and, in many cases, in their native tongue. With more than 120 languages spoken in Salt Lake County alone and nearly 16% of residents speaking languages other than english at home, our residents, including immigrants, have a unique global perspective obtained through international living, service, religion and education.
As Utah’s leading organization for citizen diplomacy, we recognize the power of a simple handshake between a Utahn and an international visitor. We see it almost daily in our work. We see the best in humanity when a Utah family breaks bread with leaders of social movements in foreign countries, when foreign diplomats exchange ideas with our legislators or when Utah nonprofit organizations share their organizational strategy with an NGO 9,000 miles away.
Being a citizen diplomat isn’t a one-time act; it is a lifestyle. It’s a show of compassion for our fellow humans who come from different backgrounds, religions or types of government. We display empathy. We share ideas that work for us and listen to the brave work of these modern pioneers in third-world countries and emerging democracies.
Utahns not only welcomed visitors to our state during the Olympics but also welcomed them into their homes, provided translation services, shuttled them to and from Olympic venues, shared local traditions and customs and created lifelong friendships. Because of the historic success of the 2002 games, largely due to our volunteer force of citizen diplomats, Utah has hosted over 175 international winter sports events, including more than 60 World Cup events and seven world championships, along with numerous other sporting and non-sporting events. Utah is now recognized as an established international training hub for world-class athletes.
These, along with many other events, allow us to practice our role as citizen diplomats regularly — long before and after we host the Olympics. Whether we are traveling abroad for work, religious or charitable purposes, or interacting with foreign athletes, businesspeople or tourists, we can demonstrate compassionate, empathetic citizen diplomacy. We can share how our sprawling communities in Tooele compare to densely populated European cities. We can share our stories of launching a business in Cache County while learning how a startup struggled upward toward success in Cameroon. We can learn about architectural innovations in the Middle East while showcasing innovative development in Utah County.
Utahns have much to offer and learn from our fellow global citizens. Employing citizen diplomacy opens doors, creates new relationships and elevates our collective desire for a brighter tomorrow. As we celebrate the International Olympic Committee’s 2034 Winter Olympic Host City announcement and participate in the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Paris, let us recognize the power and impact that citizen diplomacy had on the success of the 2002 Winter Games. We now have the opportunity to demonstrate this again on a large scale in 2034. Let us remember Utah’s enduring legacy of citizen diplomacy, practice it as a lifestyle and prepare to once again impress the world as we host millions of visitors again in 2034.
(Felecia Maxfield-Barrett) Felecia Maxfield-Barrett is the president & CEO of Utah Global Diplomacy.
Felecia Maxfield-Barrett is the president & CEO of Utah Global Diplomacy, Utah’s leader in citizen diplomacy and international relations.
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