Africans urged to make continent's renaissance go full circle

Yusuf Suleiman, Sport Minister of Nigeria, urges African Ministers and concerned parties in Africa to make the continent's renaissance go full circle by shooting balls instead of bullets. The African Union (AU) on Thursday kicked off the 4th Session of the Conference of Ministers of Sport (CAMS4), under the theme "Consolidating Africa's renaissance through sport" at its headquarters here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Chairing the Conference, Suleiman said the various ground-breaking achievements of African athletes at international competitions proved that "Africa's Renaissance Through Sport" has already began. "I therefore urge us to explore this year's theme to subdue flashpoints on our continent and make the 'Renaissance' go full circle by shooting balls instead of bullets," he said. Suleiman also recalled that Africa has hosted successful international sport events including 2010 FIFA World Cup, and that Africans gained remarkable achievements at different competitions, with a particular note of African Patrick Makau who set a new world record at the 38th Berlin Marathon on Sept. 25, 2011. The three-day CAMS4 primarily focuses on the future Architecture for African Sport. The Conference is expected to consider agenda items, including among others Report of the AU Commission Chairperson on the implementation of the Decisions of the 3rd Session of the AU Conference of Ministers of Sport, Consideration of the Report of the AU Commission on the new Architecture for African Sport, and Dissolution of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa (SCSA). It is envisaged that the new African Sport Architecture shall strive to consolidate our renaissance and achievements thus so far, and harmonize areas of intervention and global engagement for a concerted development strategy for sport activity, said Bience Gawanas, AU Commissioner for Social Affairs. She said the architecture also strives to pave the way for strategic partnerships, and harmonious relationships between the actors of the African Sport Movement and other actors. There will also be briefings on the 2011 All Africa Games, preparations for the bidding of the 2015 All Africa Games and the 2012 Sport Program of the AU Commission, for information and support purposes. The theme of the CAMS4 "Consolidating Africa's Renaissance through Sport" was developed out of the growing evidence and recognition that well designed sport-based initiatives that incorporate the best values of sport, can be cross-cutting, powerful, practical, low-cost but high impact tools for sustainable development. At the 3rd Session of the AU Conference of Ministers of Sport (CAMS3), the Ministers of Sport called for actions among others, a new Architecture for African Sports (consisting on this Ministerial Conference and its Bureau, and a Sport Advisory Board with Technical Committees) and that the Commission should conduct further studies regarding the integration of the Supreme Council for Sport (SCSA) into the Commission. They also said dissolution of SCSA to be concluded after the Maputo 2011 All Africa Games, and urged Member States to pay their contributions and arrears to SCSA in order for SCSA to fulfill its financial obligations before its dissolution. The Decisions of the Third Session of the AU Conference of Ministers of Sport were subsequently endorsed by the Executive Council decision in January 2010. Approval of a new Architecture for African Sport, and also the composition of the Sports Advisory Board and its Technical Committees are among the expected outcomes of The 4th Session of the AU Conference Ministers of Sport Ministers in charge of sport and Experts/Officials from AU Member States, the AU Commission, AU Organs, International and Continental Sport Organizations, International Organizations and Agencies, and Regional Economic Communities participated in the 4th session of CAMS4.