Louis Michel, Member of the EC in charge of Development and Humanitarian Aid, receives ‘Zakumi’, the mascot for the South African Football World Cup tournament.

© EC/CE

There’s a growing recognition in European Community institutions of the role sport can play in development. The European Commission’s 2007 White Paper on Sport contains a specific chapter on cooperation in the field of sport to promote education, health, inter-cultural dialogue, development and peace aims and ambitions. A ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU) between EC Commissioner Louis Michel and President of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), Sepp Blatter, on the day of the 2006 Soccer World Cup final in Berlin, provides the scope for an EC/FIFA partnership in projects in ACP nations. 

“This new policy context might change the traditionally low profile of sport in EC development cooperation. It has been increasingly recognised that sport has a certain convening power and it is able to transgress borders”, says Tamas Varnai who is in charge of sport in the EC’s Directorate-General for Development.

“Sport also has a peace building potential, while it can be a relatively low-cost, high-impact tool to advance the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). A good example is a soccer pitch on school premises that can be used by school pupils after tuition. Athletes are perfect role models for children and youth, especially those who come from disadvantaged communities”, says Varnai.
 
The White Paper moots partnerships between the EC and the United Nations, European Union Member States, local authorities and private bodies whereas the FIFA/EC MoU foresees regular policy dialogue between the Commission and FIFA.

Funding deficit

But it has been difficult to get projects out of the starting blocks, as sport has to compete with other funding priorities. A joint letter was sent in May 2007 by Commissioner Michel and FIFA’s Sepp Blatter to all EC delegations and national soccer associations in ACP countries suggesting that they meet and identify cooperation possibilities. Ideas include: distribution of EC funded sports equipment, financing of soccer schools and national soccer competitions for schools; scholarships for young football players; sponsoring of famous soccer players to transmit messages on self-esteem health and education.

But few delegations have expressed interest in including sport projects in their bilateral programmes under the 10th European Development Fund (2008-2013). With no centralised EC budget for sport, the only other option is funding by country or via regional programmes. With the FIFA World Cup to be held in South Africa in 2010 – the first time on the African continent   South Africa is to use €10M of its EC funding package for sport   especially football – for boys and girls.

Photo-journalists for South Africa 2010

The European Commission and FIFA have teamed up to enable trainee African photo-journalists to take part in a course run by the ‘Fondation Agence France Presse’ to improve coverage of the World Cup. Some 200 participants will take part in various African capitals (Cairo, Lagos, Johannesburg, Rabat, Dakar, Libreville and Maputo).

• Sports and donors team up
• ‘International Inspiration’ targets 12M children in 20 countries by 2012
• A World Cup that can change South Africa forever
• UN gets behind Sport for Development
• The power of Jamaica’s track success
• Kick off for EC sport for development projects
• The power of Sport

Suggested weblinks