PAN AFRIKANISM: SPORT AS A DRIVER FOR THE UNITY PROJECT OF AFRIKA “Without unity, there is no future for Africa” HE. Dr. Julius Nyerere BY Ndeulipula Hamutumwa 20th November 2012 Background The unification of Africa has been delayed on a political, social and economic level for the past 50 years. During the 1960s when the bulk of Afrikan countries were becoming independent, advocates of Pan African unity were primarily the political freedom fighters of those years. At the time, they faced several counter-arguments (and contradictions) to this unification, with many citing that Afrika was not politically, socially and economically ready to unit, or had to do so ‘gradually’. In 1963, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah courageously articulated the basis for the unification of Afrika when he addressed the OAU at the organisation’s founding. At the time, he stated that: “The hour of history which has brought us to this assembly is a revolutionary hour. It is the hour of decision…Our people call for unity so that they may not lose the patrimony in the perpetual service of neo-colonialism. In their fervent push for unity, they understand that only its realisation will give full meaning to their freedom and our African independence. It is this popular determination that must move us on a union of independent Afrikan states. In delay lies danger to our well-being to our very existence as Free states. It has been suggested that our approach to unity should be gradual, that it should go piecemeal.. This point of view conceives of Africa as a static entity with “frozen” problems which can be eliminated one by one and when all have been cleared, then we can come together and say: “Now all is well, let us now unite... Afrika must unite now or perish.”1 1 Speech – Nkrumah (1963) 2 Speeh – Nkrumah (1963) There’s no doubt that the type of unification envisaged by Nkrumah is long overdue. As a continent, it is imperative that we pose the question: How long should we ignore the advice of Dr. Nkrumah as articulated above? Current Status Quo 49 years after Nkrumah spoke the words above, with the conclusion that: “Only a united Africa can redeem its past glory, renew and reinforce its strength for the realisation of its destiny....We are today the richest and yet the poorest of continents, but in unity our continent could smile in a new era of prosperity and power”2, Afrika remains divided. Ostensibly, the reasons for the delay of this unification remain the same: that it is economically, politically and socially un-viable. As a continent, we live in difficult and troubling times. War, pestilence, drought and famine, economic stagnation, ignorance, destitute, political conflict and AIDS have taken control over our lives. People of Afrika are still cancerously divided between the Franco and Anglophone countries, and further compounded by the Arabic-speaking countries in North Afrika. Further, the continent is experiencing high unemployment rates amongst the youth, poverty is felt in both urban and rural areas, and underdevelopment is the order of the day. Inequality amongst the citizens of the continent is visible from a short distance, as the rich become richer, and the poor, ever poorer. Afrika’s natural resources continue to be exported as raw materials with no value addition; her best minds continue to migrate to developed countries, fueling the phenomenon known as ‘brain drain’; and the continent remains divided on the international diplomatic levels such as the United Nation (UN) and World Trade Organization (WTO) to mention but a few. In view of the above challenges, gradualism seems to be a counter-productive approach. In fact, these challenges illuminate the urgency with which the process of unification should take place. It is common knowledge that most great nations and empires have achieved their greatness by uniting their people and resources. In fact, if Afrika was more united, the challenges noted above would not be so dire. There is no a nation that can ever claim to have developed itself if its people are not united – the United States of America, Australia, China and the former Soviet Union provide clear examples of this notion. Hence, it is important to observe without any ambiguity that in unity (of people and resources) lies strength. Sport as a driver for the Unification Project of Afrika As a continent, it is imperative that we find lasting solutions to the challenges that continue to hinder Afrika’s development. In this vein, it is critical that all efforts be geared towards uniting the continent and its people, from north to south, and from east to west. If economics, politics and societal issues have not been sufficient drivers for unity, then certainly, sports is the next best alternative. Indeed, the United Nations Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace has identified Sport as a unifying development tool, and in 2003, noted that: “Sport offers a cost-effective tool to meet many development and peace challenges, and help achieve the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.” It is no secret that Afrika is endowed with great sport talent, and any great sporting event on the international stage features Afrikans as competitive participants, and winners in various categories. Sport has the ability to develop and shape individual character and personal development, as enunciated by the father of modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin, who once enunciated that: “For each individual, sport is a possible source for inner improvement seeking 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”. Why sport? Over the years, sport has proved to be a unifying vehicle for the continent, both systematically and holistically. Apart from the basic contribution to human development, sport contributes to the physical, psychological and emotional well-being and development of the citizens, and plays a significant role in healthy social development and interaction. It helps people to learn how to set and achieve goals through discipline and hard work, and nurtures decision-making and leadership ability while teaching success and failure management. People who participate in sport have the opportunity to gain valuable experience in collaboration and teamwork. Sport brings people together who might not otherwise have a chance to meet and allows them to share their experiences and work together toward a common goal. Marie-Jeanne Ndimbira shared this sentiment when she opined that: “Sport is a cultural equalizer on our continent where we have imposed prejudices and tribal divides. Sport levels the playing field allowing language, prejudice and perceived inequalities to be left on the sidelines. A ball does not discriminate based on race, colour or religion, it goes freely and equally to all players. Sport, in the context of development provides role models, structure and context in country settings where many of these things are limited and unavailable” Sport plays a significant role in cultures and communities around the world; and there is a growing understanding that sports programs merit support because they are powerful vehicles for achieving broader goals - particularly in advancing development, unity and patriotism. Without a doubt, sport has the potential to play an important role in fostering development and economic empowerment for Afrika’s youth because it is a common language that can bridge cultural, ethnic, and geographic divides. In fact, many initiatives use sport to promote the reconciliation of communities or nations in conflict, and this notion could easily be applied in Mali, DRC, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Egypt to mention but a few. Sport also plays a role in international diplomacy, helping to establish communication within civil society that can pave the way for political dialogue. It is encouraging that there is growing consensus that sport does not have to compete with other priorities, but can serve as a driver towards unifying Afrikan people. Plan of Action Afrika should embrace sport as a unifying tool, and I believe that the following action points are essential in advancing the unity project of Afrika: 1. Every Afrikan country should incorporate physical education in its school curricula. This will create opportunities for young people to play sports from an early age and to foster their personal characters and leadership skills early on. 2. It should be mandatory that each country construct no less than three (3), High Sport Performance Centres (HSPC) in order to train excelling athletes for major international competitions. Countries should strive to share expertise and knowledge in the field of sport excellence. 3. Each country should host national, regional and continental championships in different sport disciplines periodically to showcase their country and inherently promote sport tourism. These different games will bring nations together and allow them to embrace their different cultures, languages and heritages. 4. Create cultural sports youth camps in each country where the focus is on cultural tolerance while using sport. 5. There are various country to country bilateral agreements on business, tourism, etc. Sport should be packaged into those agreements with the focus being on social cohesion amongst our nations’ youth. That is, for every key business trip taken by various governments to other countries, sport should be part of the delegation and the agenda. This effort will promote sport diplomacy in continental and international dealings to attract investment in the development of sport. 6. We have scientists who serve on various international platforms throughout the continent; however, there has never really been an African Summit on Sport Science and Development. It is imperative that the AU convene a summit of this nature and bring together sports administrators, politicians, scientists, doctors and other sport personnel, to deliberate on the agenda of sport development and the way forward. 7. We have several retired athletes throughout the continent who have excelled in the international arena. It is imperative that the continent form an Afrikan Sports Legends Forum where sports stars can share their experiences and ‘adopt an athlete’ for mentoring and grooming. 8. Africa needs a retention strategy for talented athletes. We should ensure that the athletes are not used and abused by the unscrupulous agents who take them abroad but do not take care of them. All the African countries should have a policy on this to protect African athletes! 9. The AU should come up with a Sport Day. Member states should observe this day where sport activities are promoted amongst the citizens of each country. This event will promote sport for all and unite the people from all different backgrounds. Acknowledgment: Ezera Tshabangu (Sport Expert from South Africa) for her inputs in the “Plan of Action” Ndeulipula Hamutumwa ( ndeuli@gmail and ndeulipulatrust
Posted on: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 06:27:58 +0000
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