2nd International Forum on Sport for Peace - Naciones Unidas

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summaries
In terms of legacy, the event had also contributed to sustained and diverse benefits to the nation. It had
built a legacy in infrastructure, economic growth, job creation, nation building and upgrading “Brand
South Africa” in international awareness. To this end, the FIFA World Cup could be considered as
an important developmental accelerator. The event further had enabled the affirmation of a common
African agenda of peace, development and prosperity. Concomitant to this was the wish to liberate
the continent from the perception of Africa as a hopeless continent. More so, in the end the event
had succeeded to position Africa and Africans as equals amongst the rest of the world.
While recognising the successes achieved by the World Cup, which had certainly helped South
Africa in many ways, Mr Oosthuizen also stressed that there remained many challenges for his
country to continue the momentum, such as maintaining and deepening their social cohesion to
build the “Rainbow Nation”.
Panel discussion
mr Lamine Diack,
President, international Association of Athletics Federations (iAAF)
While recognising that human development depends more than anything else on vigorous economic
performance achieved through the availability of substantial material and financial resources, and
applying the principles of good governance in management, Mr Diack stressed that sport, in
many ways, contributed to a range of human development issues and should not be confined to
its recreational function. Sport has become a powerful tool of mobilisation which can lead to the
boldest of social changes, and a vector of peace, harmony and cohesion. It has, for several years,
played a key role in giving rise to new strategies for promoting human development.
Athletes had a special role to play in promoting the values of sport as there was no better channel
to convey such messages to society, in particular to reach out to young people. Athletes should be
mindful of this special responsibility.
By joining forces with the IOC, the United Nations system had laid the foundation for raising
awareness and mobilising populations in a way of which no other social force is capable. However,
achieving the MDGs, would require all the Olympic Movement constituents to make even greater
efforts in the four years left until the 2015 deadline. He also strongly argued in favour of including
the level of sports practice in a country as a criterion for calculating the human development index.
It would be then easier to make all the public authorities aware of the need to invest more in sport.
<strong>2nd</strong> <strong>International</strong> <strong>Forum</strong> on Sport for Peace & Development
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