Ifrane, Morocco,
23 August 2005 - Young
men and women leaders from more than
40 African countries unanimously agreed
to advance initiatives toward the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
at the second Pan-African Youth Leadership
Summit in Ifrane, Morocco, 18-23 August.
With theme "From Awareness to Action,"
the Summit endorsed sport as an entry
point for mobilizing African youth
for practical initiatives, many delegates
are working on projects using sport
to help reverse the deadly HIV/AIDS
epidemic, help at-risk youth and to
promote peace and tolerance in areas
torn by conflict.
The Ifrane Declaration
- "I am very happy that delegates
from every African country, embodying
the African Union's young leaders,
unanimously adopted the Ifrane Declaration
at the conclusion of the summit,"
said Dr. Djibril Diallo, Co-Chair
of the summit and Director of the
UN New Office of Sport for Development
and Peace. They re-committed to the
first Pan-African Summit's Dakar Declaration
and affirming their commitment to
work towards the achievement of the
MDGs. The delegates committed to sport
as an entry point towards achievement
of the MDGs within the framework of
the International Year of Sport and
Physical Education (IYSPE 2005), and
pledged to work towards a future where
"Africa controls its resources" and
can offer these to aid in building
"a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable
world." The declaration points to
several tools to help realize the
summit's vision, including sport,
improved access to information and
communications technology, and partnerships
with young leaders from other regions
of the world.
The delegates called on governments to create a stronger voice for young people in the decisions and actions that affect their daily lives and futures. They asked governments, the UN system, NGOs, and civil society groups to integrate sport into their development agenda and dedicate more resources to "sport for all" initiatives at home and abroad. The delegates committed to working with their regional chairs, those from other regions and the organizers toward the Global Youth Leadership Summit at the UN in New York in August 2006, and pledged to turn back hunger, poverty, disease, and war and injustice, saying that "patience and steady work" are needed to achieve their vision for the continent.
Leaders
of Morocco and Senegal welcome participants
- H.M. King Mohammed VI of Morocco
hosted the event, held at Al-Akhawayn
University, and Prince Moulay Rashid
presided at the opening ceremony.
"The Summit "offers Morocco a chance
to reaffirm its commitment to its
African roots, its support for the
development of Africa, and its firm
belief in South-South cooperation,"said
the King in his message to the Summit.
President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal,
who hosted the first Pan-African summit,
told the delegates: "Tell me what
kind of young people you have, and
I well tell you the future of your
country." Senegal is allocating 40%
of its budget to education to promote
progress towards the MDGs, and sport
is integrated into the curriculum.
Adolf Ogi , Special Adviser to the
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on
Sport for Development and Peace, conveyed
a message from Mr. Annan, telling
the young leaders that IYSPE 2005
is an ideal time to raise awareness
about using sport to help attain the
MDGs.
Working in partnership with Dr. Diallo, the other co-chairs of the summit were: Dr. Driss Guerraoui, Adviser in Office of the Prime Minister of Morocco, and Ms. Dena Merriam, Convenor of the Global Peace Initiative of Women.
The
power of sport for the MDGs
- In his keynote speech,, Mr. Ogi
emphasized the positive role of sport
in promoting health, education, development
and peace. "Sport, as a universal
language offers powerful ways to promote
peace, tolerance and understanding,
bring people together across boundaries,
ethnic groups and religions," he said.
He saluted initiatives by sports stars
such as UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Dikembe
Mutombo, who is building a hospital
in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of
the Congo, and tennis star Roger Federer,
spokesperson for IYSPE 2005, who helps
South African children attend school.
"I am convinced that if the value
of development and peace promotion
through sport is better recognized,
with your support and help, we will
achieve a more equal and peaceful
world." During the plenary discussion,
Leila Barakat of UNDP Morocco introduced
their sports initiative to help at-risk
youth in Casablanca. Several delegates
described sports initiatives. Lansana
Mausaray of Liberia, for example,
works with a project that holds soccer
tournaments among teams from Liberia,
Senegal and Sierra Leone to promote
peace, with prize money donated by
businesses going for social projects.
Sun
Microsystems: using IT to connect
and mobilize youth -
Sun is a new technology partner for
the youth summits, and Sun Chief Researcher
John Gage virtually "flew" the delegates
around the world with free software
during his keynote, demonstrating
the power of IT to connect people.
But many African countries face obstacles
with Internet access, and about half
the delegates depend on Internet cafes
at sometimes exorbitant prices. It
is a challenge to persuade governments
and IT providers to cut access prices,
he pointed out, since costs have dropped
dramatically. Sun has set up a web
site for the youth summit series (www.unyouthsummit.org)
and will provide mentors to help delegates
connect -- including assistance with
web access, chat rooms and blogs --
to advance their projects and offer
online forums on MDG issues for youth.
Youth
projects win awards for excellence
- With the emphasis on practical action,
delegates submitted descriptions of
projects, both underway and planned,
to advance progress towards the MDGs.
Ten were selected as award winners,
ranging from activities to improve
water supplies in areas of Morocco
to HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention
in several countries. Several winners
are sport-related, including the Rwenzori
Sports for Peace Project in western
Uganda submitted by Lydia Muchodo
that is helping youth turn away from
conflicts that threaten the area with
assistance from the German Development
Service (DED).
Sessions
highlight peace building and MDG initiatives
- Dena Merriam, convenor of the Global
Peace Initiative of Women, held a
plenary session on building peace,
discussing initiatives in Sudan, Rwanda,
Palestine and Israel, Sierra Leone
and Somalia. Delegates from Japan
presented their perspectives on ways
to promote peace.
Delegates also participated in workshops to discuss projects to help achieve the MDGs, including using the contribution of sport and culture. In Bamako, Mali, an annual soccer tournament among schools spreads HIV/AIDS awareness messages, reported Mouhammed Yahya Diallo, and winning teams become ambassadors to schools around the country and also to local imams, asking that they spread warnings about HIV/AIDS. Clement Bwawya from the Youth Associations Organization in Zambia noted that sport is widely used to spread awareness about stemming HIV/AIDS and malaria, as well as the other MDGs. His organization conducts summer soccer camps in rural areas, working with local leaders and also coaches on conveying MDG-related messages. In Madagascar, sport is an important vehicle for reaching out to young people on reproductive health, including HIV/AIDS, with the Scouts at the forefront. Similar activities are underway in Togo, reported Tettah A.K. Crédo, where the national football team supports their efforts. Delegates involved in sport-related initiatives agreed to form a group to compile information on sport projects and exchange information and ideas.
For
further information, please contact:
Leila Barakat, UNDP Morocco
leila.barakat@undp.org
Karima Zerrou, UN New York Office of Sport for Development and Peace
karima.zerrou@undp.org
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