In what way will the Beijing Olympics impact on people all around the world?

Has anyone been chucked out of their homes due to the Beijing Olympics? Yes. Over one thousand people have been forced to evict their homes due to the construction of the facilities for the Olympic Games. Often this has been without due process or compensation to make sure they have access to new housing. In a December 2007 report there was estimated to be as many as 1.5 million Beijing residents that will be forced out of their homes in the run-up to the games.

How has the Beijing Olympics affected migrant workers/labourers in Beijing and their children? Dozens of schools for the children of migrant labourers have been closed due to the Olympic Games and has left tens of thousands of children without access to education. Also it was suggested that included in their city “Clean Up” operation (which they normally do before any major event they hold) they will expel up to one million migrant workers before the opening of the Games.

Have Migrant Workers helping construct the “New Beijing” had their rights protected? Generally no, there are concerns about evidence that suggests the rights of many of the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers employed on construction sites are being violated. Many migrant workers on construction sites in Beijing are also being routinely unpaid for the work they do, don’t receive legally- mandated benefits including labour insurance and days off, are made to do dangerous work without adequate safeguards and are subject to instant dismissal for challenging the denial of their legally guaranteed rights.

Has the Olympics been used to promote and try to kick the habit of anything? The Chinese Anti Smoking Campaign is using the Olympics to get the locals to kick the habit. Last week they placed an advertisement in the Beijing News offering free Olympic tickets to a volleyball match to 10 smokers who promised to quit. They received 132 applicants within 40 hours of the ad being placed.

Did they have anything at the Olympics to help the athletes be ready to present themselves to the world after or before their event? They have put up a tent for athletes to get rid of their emotion before presenting themselves to the world. The “Kiss-Cry tent at the Shunyi regatta centre has been erected at the end of the course for competitors to celebrate/commiserate after their event.

How is the Olympics effecting people who don’t originally come from Beijing who are going in or out of Beijing or the people who normally deal with them? To start with hotels are half empty because foreigners can’t get Visas as the security is so tight. Also Chinese citizens who live in Beijing but are not from Beijing are worried that if they leave the country then they won’t be able to get back in. And migrant workers who work in small restaurants have left because the restaurants have been closed down. Plus the security measures are so tight that people are calling the games the “no-fun games” or the “kill-joy games”!!

How are the people in Beijing going to benefit from the stadiums? The wrestling venue is to become a 6,000 seat gymnasium for China Agricultural University while Beijing University of Technology gets the 6,900 seat venue for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics. The coastal city of Qingdao plans to convert its yachting venue into a public marina and government school for Chinas future Olympic sailors. At the Olympic green, the Main Press Center is to become a convention centre and the International Broadcasting Centre will be one of its exhibition halls. Also the Water Cube will become a public swimming centre.

Have they been taking proper care of the workers staffing the Games? Not really. Many of them are sleeping on makeshift beds at the venues after working long hours and catching a little extra sleep in the afternoons between morning and evening sessions.

How have the athletes that haven’t got a medal reacted to the media? Some of them have been angry, as they don’t want to be written off by the media and have the publics view on them altered by negative things written about them. Others have been really positive, telling the media things like they gave it their all and will be back next time to hopefully have better luck.

Is the air in Beijing so polluted that it will be harmful to the athletes or worsen their performance? There are lots of reasons for athletes to be concerned about pollution exposure. According to recent reports and measurements, the pollution levels have improved quite a bit but it’s been hot and hazy, which worsens smog levels. All in all, the levels are clearly toxic. The athletes, especially those will asthma and allergies, are concerned. Also even though there has been an enormous effort to reduce pollution there is still what is called PM 10 particulate pollution. Exposure is linked to asthma, lung disease heart disease and even stroke and blood clotting problems.

It has affected everyone around the world in many different ways because for a start there is everyone who watched the games, they have been affected by their country winning or losing and also finding out about the things that happened/are happening due to the Olympics that may be relevant to them or their country. Also the people that went to watch the games have been affected by the experience along with also the bad things like the terrorists, the protesters, the smog and pollution and the heat. Another group of people that were affected were the athletes because of the fact that they either did or they didn’t win and also the conditions i.e. the pollution and also the things that have been happening in Beijing and china. The athlete’s families and their coaches have also been affected by them going to Beijing. So in conclusion millions of people all over the world have been affected in good and bad ways due to the Beijing 2008 Olympic games and it has caused major grievances but also great happiness.