Olympic Heritage & Civilization in service of Humanity

Investment in Human Potential, Innovation & Prosperity

Who we are

Olympism for Humanity (O4H) is an Applied Olympic Studies Academic Innovation Center with expertise in Olympism for Humanity Literacy (in Action): the intersection of Olympic World Heritage, Athenean Virtues and Delphic Ideals as a social innovation enterprise and an enabler of Sustainable Development.

Our focus and what guides our mission

Olympism For Humanity (O4H) conducts original, theoretically informed Olympism in Action field research, produces applied knowledge and provides professional development training and capacity building, social innovation mentoring, and community-based programming and services to academic agencies, individuals and organizations in order to support Champions of Change Enterprises across domains.

Our pioneer O4H Academic Innovation transdisciplinary theoretically informed, data-driven community-based learning model, aims to preserve and optimize the impact and the essence of the Olympic Heritage and ideals, which is to promote Peace, Humanism, Health and Democracy (PHD) – and “to unleash and actualize human creativity and full potential “ (Lyras, 2003,2007, 2020, 2021, 2023)- across underserved and fragile communities- and in regions with long history of conflict.

Our O4H story

Olympism for Humanity (O4H) was founded by Dr Alexis Lyras in 2011 at the birthplace of Olympism and the Olympic idea, Ancient Olympia, Greece – and was established as an Olympism in Action – Sport for Development Academic Innovation global venture at the Conflict Resolution Program, Department of Government, at Georgetown University with support from the Center for Intercultural Education and Development (CIED) , the International Olympic Academy, Olymism for Humanity global academic partners– and more recently with support from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

The initial vision of this global initiative was to provide capacity building and academic support mechanism to scholars, academic institutions, policymakers and practitioners who wish to utilize the power of sport and the Olympic idea to promote positive social change, Conflict Resolution and Sustainable Development programs in their respective communities.

Since then, our founder, Dr. Alexis Lyras, pioneered the first Olympism in Action- SFD Professional Development Program at the birth place of the Olympic idea and established an Applied Olympic Studies Academic Innovation Center called Olympism For Humanity Alliance, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) IRS awarded Charitable Academic Institution (2014) with solid foundations and academic soundness grounded on the Olympism for Humanity (O4H) and Sport for Development (SFDT) Theories (Lyras, 2005, 2007, 2020, 2021). These theories- and framework has served as a blueprint for Lyras’ MA, Ph.D. work at the University of Connecticut (2002-2007), and were expanded through his Post-Doctoral work at the Georgetown University (2012-2014), with competitive scholarships, funding and grants awarded by the International Olympic Committee‘s Olympic Solidarity, United Nations‘ Agencies, the Research and Innovation Foundation, Goldman Sachs Gives, Georgetown University and Generations for Peace Senior & Post Doctoral Fellowship.

The central function of O4H and SFDT theories aims to provide a Universal Design & Global Human Development platform across disciplines and contexts for assessing and enriching, personal and institutional capacity of Olympism in Action and Sport for Development policy and community-based academic teaching and programming- (Lyras, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2020, 2021, 2023) a robust scientific blueprint for optimizing the use of Sport and Olympism as an enabler of Sustainable Development (UN 2003, 2005, 2008, 2019, 2024). These foundations serve as the lighthouse and the compass of all our Academic innovation ventures; O4H Academy and our Summer programs in Delphi, Athens and Ancient Olympia, the first, and longest running Olympism in Action – Sport for Development Champions of Change Certificate Academic program in Sport- and Olympic Studies History.

O4H Theory & Praxis: A Call for Peace & Democracy Champions of Change

The foundations of our global academic innovation venture are grounded on the Olympism for Humanity (O4H) and Sport for Development (SFDT) Theories and Praxis Model, the first and most widely used Applied Olympic Studies theories, which were established through extensive Olympic ideals – Sport for Development (SFD) field interventions, academic teaching, mentoring and community-learning ventures across contexts and continents. The ultimate goal of these ventures were to embrace Olympism for Humanity Literacy and Actualization (Lyras, 2020, 2021, 2023), the application of World Olympic Heritage, Virtues, Physical Literacy and Integrity as unconventional tool and an effective Peace, Health and Democracy ventures across fragile communities and in regions with long history of conflict (Albanides, 2013, 2014, 2017; Lyras, 2003, 2007, 2021, 2023; Mandigo et al., 2016, 2018; Moghaddam, 2016, 2019, 2024; Sugden, 1991, 2017; Sugden & Tomilnson, 2018).

Driven by the essence of the Olympic Heritage and ideals – O4H aims to prepare the next generation of scholars, foreign affairs agents, educators, artists, journalists, sport and community leaders, JEDI practitioners, CSR officers and citizens who are trained to serve humanity as Peace, Health and Democracy Champions of Change across fragile regions and communities in need. Actualizing, in other words, the essence of the Olympic idea and ideals- through scientific, theoretically informed, data driven Actions (Binder, 2001, Mandigo et al., 2016, 2018; Lyras, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2020, 2021). Our long term vision, aims to connect 2028 Los Angeles Games (with past and future Olympiads) and to advance a worldwide academic ecosystem committed to institutionalizing Olympism for Humanity in Action G.O.A.L.S. to embrace and sustain an Olympism for Humanity (in Action) global innovation Academic Diplomacy network committed to the advancement of Democracy and Humanity in Action enterprises across continents.

Inspired and guided by the richness of the Olympic World Heritage, our Applied Olympic Studies academic work built on Dr. Andew Yiannaki’s Applied Sociology of Sport model (Yiannakis, 1989, 1993, 2023) and a synthesis of collective work of award-winning Champions of Change initiatives implemented since 1993, ranging from data driven peace and democracy youth programs in regions of conflict, to multinational student engagement initiatives in close collaboration with the International Olympic Academy, the Muhamad Ali Institute of Peace and Justice, universities, schools, orphanages and Academic teaching in Universities across continents.

Over the last years, O4H in close collaboration with our strategic partner- the International Olympic Academy, the Center for Intercultural Education and Development (CIED) and our Olympism for Humanity Allies across continents – we have established the first integrated Olympism in Action- Sport for Development and Peace professional development training academic programs (O4H Praxis) and International conferences (O4H Summit) at the birthplace of Peace Education, Democracy and the Olympic idea— Athens, Delphi, Nemea, Ancient Olympia, Thessaloniki, Dion and Mount Olympos. Since then, we have expanded this work across the globe through professional training programs, workshops, forums and symposia, academic teaching, capacity building, multisided impacts assessment ventures, service learning, social innovation ventures, student engagement, and community outreach across continents. The main highlights of our first O4H Summits in Ancient Olympia, were Professors’ Fathali Moghaddam, Barbara Burns , Andrew Yiannakis, John Sugden and Alexis Lyras‘ keynote addresses. They all emphasized the connection between Olympism and Humanism as a peacebuilding transdisciplinary platform for embracing omniculturism, a collective sense of humanity, personal and democracy actualization, community health, social innovation and resilience (Burns, 2014, 2015, 2021; Lyras 2013, 2014, 2020, 2021; Moghaddam, 2014, 20200; Sugden, 2017, Yiannakis, 2023). These foundations are integrated in our Olympism for Humanity (O4H) and Sport For Development (SFD) Theories and serve as a universal transdisciplinary blueprint for applied knowledge production, academic teaching, social innovation, community development, fundraising and data-driven Humanity in Action ventures – across continents (Lyras, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2020, 2021, 2023).

Focusing on action (“Praxis”), our Champions of Change initiatives have been very successful for 35 years. Our social innovation work is built on field-based learning in multiple universities, high schools, NGOs and youth agencies across continents targeting homeless and underserved youth in the US and in India; capacity building in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Guatemala, Colombia, Botswana, Trinidad and Tobago, peacebuilding and at-risk youth in Cyprus and South Africa, Youth Programs and Olympism for Humanity and Sport for Development professional training in Delphi, Athens, Thessaloniki and Ancient Olympia; and disaster recovery in tsunami-affected areas in Japan as part of the Tokyo 2020 Games Academic legacy endeavors.

O4H Champions of Change Academy

More recently, in response to the state of global affairs Olympism for Humanity (O4H) joined forces with the Center for Intercultural Education and Development (CIED) at Georgetown University, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the International Olympic Academy, and O4H Alliance to further support and scale our Global Olympic Academic Learning ecoSystem (G.O.A.L.S.) and to optimize our shared Humanity G.O.A.L.S. and Vision. The first step of this venture was the implementation of the O4H-CIED Georgetown University Certificate Program, which is a hybrid Olympism in Action – Champions of Change online and onsite immersive experience for future leaders and includes webinars, in-class workshops and lectures. Successful participants can qualify for intensive and advanced hybrid and residential training at the birthplace of the Olympic idea, Peace and Democracy in Greece, the USA, Cyprus, France, Japan and across fragile regions and communities.

Our 2026 Champions of Change Certificate Program Applications are now Open

Click here for more information about O4H-CIED-UMES Academic Certificate Program.

Five O4H Wreaths of Academic Excellence

The core of our scientific-academic field work is based on more than 35 years of institutional expertise on Youth Development, Academic and Cultural Diplomacy, Intercultural Education and Development, Global Sport Management, Applied Sociology of Sport, World Olympic Cultural Heritage and Conflict Resolution program design, assessment and delivery. Inspired and guided by the wealth and richness of the Olympic idea and heritage we deliver on five core activities:

Olympism for Humanity Academic teaching, instructional design & professional training
Social Impact assessment and applied research
Cultural enrichment, capacity building, community-based learning, capacity building, and youth-led social entrepreneurship
Data-driven program design and delivery
Change management, fundraising and grant proposal writing

This picture captures the “krypte”, the entrance through which athletes use to enter the Ancient Olympia Stadium. Build your legacy and light your Olympism for Humanity “torch” and venture at the birthplace of the Olympic spirit.

What is Olympism?

“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 found in effort, the educational value of good example, and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles. The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity. The goal of Olympism is to build a peaceful and better world – to inspire and motivate the youth of the world.”

Olympic Charter, International Olympic Committee

What we do – in a nutshell:

O4H embraces the relationship between the ancient Olympic idea and the modern world by optimizing cultivating international collaborations, to educate youth and people of all ages through life-long learning, social entrepreneurship, peacebuilding and Sustainable Development programs across continents.

Our data driven transdisciplinary academic expertise, grant management and field programming is centered on integrated Olympism in Action Theory and Praxis: the intersection of Olympic Heritage, Peacebuilding, Democracy Actualization and Sustainable Development applied research and data-driven programming (Mandigo et al., 2016, 2018; Lyras, 2003, 2007, 2020, 2021). Actualizing, in other words, the richness of the Olympic Heritage into operationalized data driven Sport for Development and Olympism in Society ventures across fragile regions and communities in need.

We conduct action research and produce applied knowledge to enhance and further the values of Olympism for everyone involved through Olympism for Humanity Actions. We also host conferences, summits, professional training, capacity building programs and youth in action festivals. All of these important activities depend on outside funding, donations and sponsorship.