What an awesome sight it was, all those Olympians holding hands with teammates of the same gender, in quiet but unmistakable defiance of Russia's anti-gay laws and the International Olympic Committee's stated ban on political protest.

Until a few years ago, I used to ice skate in the winter – when it was cold enough. Making beautiful trips across the ice of frozen lakes, gliding amid the beautiful Dutch landscape. Ice skating has an enchanting, and also somewhat addictive effect. Even on TV. So, over the next few days I will be fascinated, watching the Olympic team perform in Sochi, Russia. Indeed, the Netherlands is one of the top countries in ice skating. Over and over again, great talents arise, both men and women.

Until a few years ago, I used to ice skate in the winter – when it was cold enough. Making beautiful trips across the ice of frozen lakes, gliding amid the beautiful Dutch landscape. Ice skating has an enchanting, and also somewhat addictive effect. Even on TV. So, over the next few days I will be fascinated, watching the Olympic team perform in Sochi, Russia. Indeed, the Netherlands is one of the top countries in ice skating. Over and over again, great talents arise, both men and women.

Recent developments in Africa related to the contentious topic of homosexuality have reminded me of a discussion that took place during one of the interactive sessions at CPD’s 2013 Summer Institute in Public Diplomacy. During this discussion, I argued that the West needs to fully recognize and show respect to the cultural, religious, and sociological demagogy of countries (especially in Africa) opposed to the practice. This is especially true when promoting the acceptance of homosexuality as a human right.

Corporate sponsors of the Sochi Winter Olympics should act now to urge Russia to halt the rising tide of discrimination, harassment, and threats against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, 40 of the world’s leading human rights and LGBT groups said today, in an unusual joint open letter.

Outraged by a new Russian law that outlaws “homosexual propaganda” and by President Vladimir Putin’s recent remarks that gays who go to Sochi for the Olympic Winter Games should “stay away from children,” some gays and lesbians are planning to boycott watching the Olympics on TV.

The world is just a few days away from witnessing the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics. This year, the games will be held in the Russian summer resort of Sochi. Sochi, known as a longtime retreat for the Communist elite, will be hosting history’s most expensive Olympics, with a bill of $51 billion.

The 2014 Winter Olympic games begin in a little less than a month at the time of writing this article. They will be located in Sochi, Russia, which is a tiny Russian resort town on the Black Sea. Also this year, the 2014 World Cup kicks off this June. It will take place across Brazil in a multitude of cities across the country. Both of these events are significant because they are two of the largest (if not the largest) worldwide sport events.