The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) President, Thomas Bach, will be guest of honour as the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic flame - which has travelled more than 14,000 miles en-route from Athens to Argentina before the Games that start there next Saturday (October 6) - reaches Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world.

Thereafter the sacred flame of the Games will be carried back up north to the capital where it has important work to do at an outdoor Opening Ceremony that will be held at the iconic El Obelisco monument in the city centre.

Everybody has been able to see the point of El Obelisco since it was erected in 1936 to commemorate Buenos Aires' 400th anniversary.

Since then it has become a meeting point and rallying place for all manner of social groups, witnessing religious congregations, political demonstrations, candlelight vigils and celebrations/commiserations following sporting successes/failures.

It is many things to many people. A bit like the Olympic Movement, in fact.

On the same day that this new and open Opening Ceremony takes place, a two-day IOC initiative associated with the Youth Olympics will conclude - the Olympism in Action Forum.

Olympism. We all know what it means. Don't we?

In essence, that is.

It is the spirit in which Baron Pierre De Coubertin delivered the zealous ideals that led to the creation of the Modern Olympic Games, 1,500 or so years after Theodosius I, in his wisdom, had banned the Ancient Games that had taken place for more than 1,000 years, in one form or another, at the Greek site of Olympia.

Except that, like everything in life when we turn to examine it, it is not quite that simple.

Theodosius, many scholars argue, did not ban the Games. He merely issued the Theodosian code that was based on the enforcement of the Christian faith, and thus prohibited pagan practices, many of which were a traditional part of the Games. So it was a form of collateral damage rather than a direct proclamation.

Similarly, many of the things we think we know about De Coubertin have been challenged.

His views on the benefits and purity of having only amateur athletes taking part in the Games has been critiqued as an elitist attitude, consciously favouring those who have the private means to compete. A class distinction, in fact.

Others have pointed out that athletes of the Ancient Games were effectively professional or, at least, those taking part since 480 BC were.

The quote for which De Coubertin is best known is the one that has been reprised at so many of the modern Games: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well".

But scholars have pointed out that this was entirely at odds with the spirit of the Ancient Games, where it was deemed highly important to win, with large rewards on offer for doing so. 

So large, in fact, that many cases of cheating were recorded, and those found guilty were made to pay for statues that displayed confessions of their guilt and were set out on the route athletes had to pass in order to get to the stadium.

But let's not go down that road right now…

Coubertin's assertion that the Games were the impetus for peace - through the mechanism of the Olympic Truce - is also seen as an exaggeration. The peace of which he spoke only existed to allow athletes to travel safely to Olympia. It did not prevent, or stop, war.

Even the idea that athletic competition leads to greater understanding between nations has been strongly challenged, although in fairness this is not a topic where there can be an unequivocal judgement.

All of which leaves us no nearer to a clear idea of what Olympism means.

What of De Coubertin? How did he describe it? There are one or two specific definitions offered by the man whose vision, evaluate it how you may, has helped create something huge and important in human life.

"Olympism", De Coubertin said, "seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of a good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles".

He also described it in terms of a single, ideal athlete - "Olympism, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, mind and will".

These quotes are certainly helpful, but far from definitive.

"In our view the Olympic idea involves a strong physical culture supplemented on the one hand by mobility, what is so aptly called 'fair play', and on the other hand by aesthetics, that is the cultivation of what is beautiful and graceful".

Another De Coubertin take on what the whole Olympic thing is all about. Are we getting closer?

Maybe we will have an even clearer vision by next Friday (October 6) when the Olympism in Action Forum has discussed and formulated some of its conclusions on the subject.

This gathering in Buenos Aires, according to an IOC release, is "focused on building a better world through sport". 

The release continues: "The role of sport in our world is more relevant today than ever before. By bringing together thousands of athletes and inspiring billions of viewers, the Olympic Games and the spirit of Olympism unite people around the world and promote peace in our society. To further the momentum of using sport for good, the International Olympic Committee is launching the first ever Olympism in Action Forum.

"Join us in Buenos Aires for this important discussion…it will address the most important topics related to sport and society through a constructive dialogue with a diverse group of speakers and guests.

"The Forum will not only involve Olympic Movement stakeholders, such as private and public sector leaders, athletes and media, but it will also welcome broader spheres of society with the power to effect change, including NGOs, academics, businesses, artists and more."

The Forum will have plenty to do over the two days, given the list of questions down to be considered.

"How can we better protect clean athletes and the integrity of sport? What concrete ways can sport help achieve the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals? Why should a city host the Olympic Games? What will the future of sport look like? Which grassroots sport organisations are making a real impact in the lives of young people? How can we strengthen our institutions and fight corruption in sport?"

Those involved in the discussions will be drawn from a wide field in and around sport: "Olympic champions, UN leaders, IOC members, grassroots NGOs, young change-makers, Government officials, experts and academics, International Sports Federation leaders, Refugee Olympic Team members, Mayors of Olympic Cities, Olympic Partners."

The year of 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of Olympic Day, which the IOC describes as "an annual global celebration that sees millions of people - of all ages and from all walks of life - participate in events across the globe to raise awareness of the vital role that sport and physical activity play in society".

"To celebrate the power of the Olympic values - excellence, friendship and respect - in every part of life to deliver a better world now and for generations to come, we have released our United By video," the IOC added.

"The video seeks to define Olympism and to highlight that it is more than the Games, and more than Olympians. It is a philosophy of life that brings together sport, culture and education for the benefit of humanity."

"United By also shows the world the role that the Olympic Movement can play in opening the door to peace, and how sport can build bridges and bring people together. This was never more apparent than the coming together of the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Games."

This gets us close to the official IOC take on Olympism.

No doubt Mr Bach would point also to the co-operation between hosts South Korea and their northern neighbours that was evident at the Pyeongchang Winter Games in February this year as Olympism in action. And it would be a very good point.

That initiative has since borne further diplomatic fruit.

On Friday (September 29) it was reported that North and South Korea are reportedly considering forming a joint artistic gymnastics team for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, in what represents the latest example of sporting diplomacy between the two countries.

Earlier this month, North and South Korea - estranged and alienated for more than half a century - agreed to launch a joint bid for the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics. That would be a truly positive sporting enterprise brought about by the Games.

How about a view on Olympism from a man whose life has been all about sport - albeit with a diverting sideline in philately - Svein Arne Hansen, President of European Athletics?

"For me, Olympism is a philosophy and set of aspirations that cover all the good things sport has the possibility to deliver to individuals and society," Hansen tells insidethegames. "It is the main answer to the 'why?' when people talk about sport.

"We in European Athletics very much support the concept and it is reflected in our slogan 'Your Sport for Life', which is not just about long-term engagement in athletics but is also about the many and varied ways our sport can add quality to people's lives.

"If sport in general or any sport in particular are going to remain relevant and successful in the modern world, we in the movement must constantly remind ourselves and everyone else of our values and the value we can bring. We need this to guide what we do and how we act."

And how about another view, from an individual IOC member? Richard Peterkin, representing the St Lucia Olympic Committee, has obliged, and eloquently so.

"For me, Olympism is essentially the philosophy of the Olympic Games, as outlined by the Olympic Charter and the works and writings of Pierre de Courbertin," Peterkin writes.

"It cannot be defined in one sentence or one paragraph, as it has become a global philosophy, a way of life, that seeks, through sports, and through the Olympic Games in particular, to influence the way people and organisations blend sport with culture, education and international cooperation.

"On a more practical level, Olympism is all about how a strong global network of organisations, led by the International Olympic Committee, has attempted, through a blend of rules and principles enshrined in the Olympic Charter, 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 philosophy, promulgated through educational programmes and multi-sport Games, has used sport and an internationally accepted series of events culminating in the Olympic Games, both Winter and Summer, to spread values, ethics and international cooperation while providing tangible benefits to athletes, affiliated organisations, and cities and countries that are granted the right to host these Games.

"Given the current political changes now sweeping the world, and the polarisation that is present within and between countries, the philosophy is particularly significant, as witnessed by the close relationship between the IOC and the United Nations.

"Both organisations share the belief that the enjoyment of rights and freedoms to practice sport should take place without discrimination of any kind, and the practice of sport is both healthy for the individual and for local and international cooperation.

"So, in essence, it is a bedrock of values and principles embedded on a platform of organised activity that seeks to provide opportunity, enjoyment and support for those persons and organisations that actively participate in these activities.

"It extols the value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental principles, in the hope that that these values can make the world a better place for us all."

That certainly gives a clear and wide view of what Olympism does, and how it can operate for the benefit of wider society. 

In the end, perhaps, one has to adopt the same approach as that articulated by Bob Dylan in the Nobel Lecture he gave last year after accepting his award of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

After offering a vivid description of some of the influences that have helped form his work, Dylan concludes: "So, what does it all mean? 

"Myself and a lot of other songwriters have been influenced by these very same themes. 

"And they can mean a lot of different things. If a song moves you, that's all that's important. I don't have to know what a song means."