The central government took the lead in deciding to reduce administrative expenses. The State Council also asked party and government organs at all levels and state-owned enterprises and institutions to reduce various expenses and put the saved funds into post-disaster reconstruction. In recent days, how to hold the Beijing Olympic Games frugally has once again become a topic of public concern.
A survey by reporters of Outlook News Weekly found that with the approach of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, various activities held by some local departments, enterprises and social organizations to welcome the Olympic Games have gradually increased, including some creative and thrifty activities, but some activities must also be avoided as mere formality and extravagance.
Adhere to the policy of "diligence and thrift"
After Beijing's successful bid for the Olympic Games, Beijing proposed to adhere to five policies, among which the policy of thrifty hosting the Olympic Games was implemented.
Running the Olympic Games frugally is an important instruction of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to do a good job in the preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games. At the end of 20001,the inaugural meeting of BOCOG clearly put forward the policy of "running the Olympic Games diligently, saving investment and paying attention to economic benefits".
On August 29th, 2004, Wang Qishan, the current vice premier of the State Council and former mayor of Beijing, took over the five-ring flag from IOC President Jacques Rogge at the closing ceremony of the Athens Olympic Games, which meant that the Olympic Games entered the "Beijing cycle". Just this year, Beijing's "diligently hosting the Olympic Games" campaign has achieved remarkable results-
"Thrift Olympics" has quickly become the "theme" of Olympic construction. At the end of July of that year, the price of the "Bird's Nest" with a cost of 3 billion yuan was reduced to 2.3 billion yuan. At the same time, the "Water Cube" and the Wukesong Cultural and Sports Center have also been "slimmed down", saving billions of yuan. During this period, "thrifty Olympics" has become the key word of high-standard meetings for many times, and senior officials of Beijing Municipality and Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee have repeatedly interpreted this powerful measure in public.
At the same time, Beijing has also established a strict project cost control system, reducing the original planned 10 new venues to five, and increasing the number of renovation and expansion and temporary venues. Of the more than 60 training venues needed for the Olympic Games, except for more than 20 venues, the remaining 40 venues all use existing venues, and strive to make these Olympic venues serve the people's fitness, culture and leisure for a long time after the games.
In the whole preparation process of the Beijing Olympic Games, Beijing's pragmatic "frugal Olympics" action has also been highly praised by the International Olympic Committee. At the end of June 5438+ 10, 2004, Verbruggen, chairman of the 29th Olympic Games Coordination Committee, said in Beijing: "I don't think frugality will affect the success of the Beijing Olympic Games. The Coordination Committee does not advocate the construction of' big and useless' projects."
After the Wenchuan earthquake, how to hold the Beijing Olympic Games frugally has attracted more public attention than ever before. The reporter learned that this is not only an important reason for the huge investment in post-disaster reconstruction to arouse public awareness of saving, but also an important reason for national advocacy.
BOCOG officials pointed out that China's hosting of the Olympic Games has never been cost-neutral, and our national conditions and the disasters we are facing now do not allow us to be extravagant. On the premise of fulfilling our commitments to the international community, we will be careful and save money, and use more funds to support the reconstruction of disaster areas. I believe that the international community will certainly understand and support it.
"cost" that can't be ignored
It is understood that although frugality has always been the principle of hosting the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, with the approach of the Olympic Games, some local departments, enterprises and social organizations have gradually increased their activities to welcome the Olympic Games, and some activities that are mere formality should be prevented.
For example, what activities are needed to gather together for "2008", such as the collective wedding of newcomers to welcome the Olympic Games in 2008? Guinness Book of Records for 2008 Guzheng Players Ensemble to Meet the Olympic Challenge; Do you need to organize thousands of people to hold large-scale celebrations to challenge the Guinness Book of Records? For example, thousands of people relay * * * to knit a big sweater to challenge the Guinness Book of Records, thousands of people ride the Olympics to break two Guinness World Records, and thousands of people wear Hanfu to welcome the Olympics and apply for the Guinness Book of Records.
"Some people welcome the Olympic Games, only in terms of actors' costumes, scenery, lighting, props, posters, brochures, etc., the cost is not small. A netizen appealed on the Internet, "At present, the activities of welcoming the Olympic Games in various places are heating up further." I hope there will be more facts to publicize the Olympic spirit and enhance people's physique, and less empty work that lacks substantive significance. "
"After the Wenchuan earthquake, reconstruction needs a lot of capital investment, which requires all localities to implement frugality in hosting the Olympic Games." During the interview, most of the interviewees think it is understandable to organize some cultural performances at the commemorative node to express their yearning for the Olympics, but don't compare, normalize and follow the trend.
Enough is enough.
A "high-level Olympic Games with characteristics" must also be a thrifty Olympic Games.
"If there is a sea of people in the name of welcoming the Olympics, formalism will be easy." Professor Qi, a doctoral supervisor at Nankai University, said: "Luxury scenes, ocean scenes and gorgeous costumes are scary just for the cost. The Olympic Games is undoubtedly festive, but it should embody the ideal of human love. After the earthquake, the true Olympic spirit is to show courage in grief and profound connotation in celebration. In the words of saints, it is to be moderate-enough is enough, and you can do what you can. "
"In some places, there is a luxury at no cost. I just want to attract media attention and show it to my superiors. It belongs to a commercial speculation. " Professor Li Chengyan, a doctoral supervisor at the School of Government Administration of Peking University, said, "If there is a market for some activities to welcome the Olympic Games, it should be said that the media has a great responsibility and has played a role in fueling the situation-the more bizarre it is to attract attention, the more some media like to follow suit, which virtually encourages the spread of this trend."
"Some activities welcome the Olympic Games, and we have spent a lot of money and manpower to prepare the activities, but sometimes the activities are cancelled because the leaders are absent." A young civil servant in directly under the authority, a city in Hunan Province, once complained to reporters, "For such a large-scale activity, every street has to allocate places and send people, not only people, but also money. What is even more unacceptable is that everything that has nothing to do with the Olympics should be posted on the Olympics, so that there is a saying among the people that "the Olympics is a basket and everything can be put in." " "
Xiao Zhang, editor of an internet company in Zhongguancun, Beijing, believes that "everyone wants to contribute to the Olympics, and this enthusiasm for participation is really valuable." What we should be wary of now is that some "Olympic-welcoming activities" not only lack connotation, but also become some kind of "image project" or "investment promotion activities" in a sense.
Encourage people to participate voluntarily.
It is understood that from the first Olympic Games held in Athens by 1896 to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, * * has been held for 28 times, including the sixth (19 16), the twelfth (1940) and the thirteenth (/kloc). So far, only 25 Olympic Games have actually been held. There are also many activities abroad to welcome the Olympic Games, but all of them are sponsored by private enterprises and citizens participate voluntarily. There is no such luxury, and it is rare to see the Olympic welcome mode of "climbing relatives and becoming attached to Guinness".
"Hosting a distinctive and high-level Olympic Games is inseparable from the participation and support of the whole people. However, it is by no means that every place has to spend a lot of money on various activities without spending money, let alone dig deep into the Guinness Book of Records. " Professor Li Chengyan believes that "when advocating and organizing public participation in welcoming the Olympic Games, the relevant departments should not only consider the attraction of the activities, but also ensure that the goal of the activities is the success of the Olympic Games. In the process of welcoming the Olympic Games, we must let the masses voluntarily participate and benefit from it. Hosting and welcoming the Olympic Games can provide people with enjoyment and consumption, but it is necessary to prevent tossing and disturbing people. The requirement of a conservation-oriented society lies not only in not wasting economically, but also in saving energy and time. "
"Having the Olympics in your heart is the highest level of welcoming the Olympics. In order to achieve this goal, it is understandable and necessary for the public to meet the Olympic Games scientifically, frugally and rationally. " Associate Professor Yang of Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology believes that "the relevant government departments should give reasonable guidance, create more favorable conditions, make scientific overall planning for these activities, and let the people have opportunities and channels to participate in welcoming the Olympic Games."
In the interview, many people agreed with Sang Lan, the "sunshine girl" in China sports field, about how to welcome the Olympic Games. Sang Lan once said: "In fact, many things around us will be linked with the Olympics: we help an old man cross the zebra crossing and a blind man cross the overpass ... Because of this action, we have filled the world with love, because we love China, which truly embodies the Olympic spirit of yearning for peace and friendship and mobilizing everyone to participate."
Zhao Dong Ming, director of BOCOG Cultural Activities Department, said: "The cultural form we choose must be combined with reality and effect. We won't do anything unhappy with passive public participation. Including scale, we never deliberately create a very large scale, and never mention creating any Guinness records because it has no practical significance. "
"Activities such as' English fever' and community English training in Beijing, Qingdao and other Olympic host cities have not only enabled people to learn knowledge while participating in the activities, but also directly transformed this knowledge into skills for serving and participating in the Olympics." Lawyer Du Liyuan of Beijing Zhongsheng Law Firm said in an interview, "There are many such activities, such as promoting national fitness, taking the opportunity to advocate social civilization and environmental protection actions in public places. These specific activities are not only conducive to the preparations for the Olympic Games, but also have a very positive impact on the improvement of the overall quality of the whole people and should be strongly advocated. "
Lawyer Du Liyuan suggested that "the following principles should be followed in holding activities to welcome the Olympic Games in various places: First, the Olympic Games should be combined with some major local economic and cultural activities to highlight local characteristics. Secondly, according to local conditions, choose the way to hold activities that are suitable for the local economy and culture, and there is no need to engage in large-scale concerts and ten thousand people's activities. Third, when holding activities to welcome the Olympic Games, we should be careful not to infringe on the relevant intellectual property rights of the Olympic Games. Fourth, prevent the opportunity of the Olympic Games to engage in' image project', which will greatly affect the normal operation of the local economy and society. "