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Printer-friendly versionWorld Cup reporting fuels development
With the World Cup underway in South Africa, an army of journalists has descended on the Rainbow Nation to report their countries chances. FIFA, in co-operation with the European Commission and the training arm of Agence France Presse, organised a series of training sessions for African journalists covering the competition.
The initiative, part of FIFA’s ‘Win in Africa with Africa’ development programme, was launched after South Africa was chosen to host the 2010 World Cup. It is supported with €300,000 from the European Development Fund to cover transport costs.
The training itself was provided by the Agence France Presse (AFP) Foundation – the training arm of one of the world’s biggest news agencies. Pierre Louette, who was until recently AFP’s chief executive, believes it "is the most ambitious project undertaken by the AFP Foundation since it was set up in July 2007".
"We trained 270 editors and photographers from 48 different African countries," explained Robert Holloway, director of the AFP Foundation. "60 one-week sessions were held throughout the year in French, English, Portuguese and Arabic, and the overall results were very positive," he added.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter said: “The media in Africa will play a key role in linking all of the continent's people. FIFA is particularly proud to help provide high-quality journalism courses for African media in association with the AFP Foundation and the European Commission”.
“In bringing together people from different countries and backgrounds, it created ties of friendship and professional solidarity that will endure well beyond the 2010 World Cup”, said Holloway. Highlighting the effect the course has already had on African sports journalism, Holloway outlined further such initiatives for the future: “The Union of African Women Sports Reporters (UFRESA) has asked us to organise training for 150 of its members, in English, French and Arabic. This project aims not only to improve the participants’ skills but also to raise the status of women in the African media”, he added.
Personal experiences
The journalists benefited from the training initiative and the responses have been very positive, with many believing it will have a lasting impact on the continent. “The training was an eye opener,” said Ephantus Mwangi of Kenya’s Nation Media Group. “It broadened my perspective and approach to football reporting, and equipped me with invaluable tips to write captivating stories in a very crowded field.” In terms of laying down roots, the training sessions made a big impact on the journalists who hoped it would leave a lasting impression on African sports journalism. “The training will last beyond our time as sports journalists,” said Mwangi. “We embraced it and we will pass on the new tips and styles to new sports journalists. The training will always be our reference point, and will form part of our new thinking strategy”, he added. | Sport has a role to play and is an emerging theme in the field of development co-operation. |
Sustainable development
Much like the Africa-EU Partnership, the onus is not on a donor-recipient relationship, but on bestowing all the tools necessary to let Africa develop itself. “The idea is not so much to give aid to Africa as to provide the continent with the tools to progress and develop. We aspire to give journalists skills which they can pass on to their colleagues and to future generations. Our mission is to teach those who may become tomorrow's teachers”, said Robert Holloway, AFP Foundation Director.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter believes the programme can leave a long-lasting impression in Africa. “We set out to ensure that long after the World Cup final in Johannesburg, there would be a legacy left not only for African football, but also for African society in general. We set out to achieve this with the partnership and active participation of the local population, and this programme is an example of such cooperation”, he said.
Sport fuelling development
In the long term, we really see the World Cup as a great opportunity for development.” | Sport is fast becoming a catalyst for development in Africa. European Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs recently told Sport and Ctizenship, a scientific journal, that sport “has a role to play and is an emerging theme in the field of development co-operation.” This view is echoed by Machacha Shepande, Senior Sports Officer in the African Union. “Our vision is to use sports as a tool for social integration and development. We have the policies in place. Our Sports Policy Framework is one tool to implement sport for development, through co-ordination with our member states” he said. “In the long term, we really see this as a great opportunity for development,” he continued. “It is a catalyst – there is growing evidence that sports leads to other initiatives; it is cross cutting, and overarching, particularly, I think, this World Cup.” |
The EU and FIFA signed a Memorandum of Understanding in June 2006 which focused on development cooperation. It covers a wide range of areas, from the promotion of children’s rights, anti-discrimination and social integration to health and post-conflict reconstruction.
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