In Africa, sports has been a major tool in consolidating peace amongst nations.Sporting events like The African Cup of Nations, The African Games, Olympic games, among others, create opportunities for dialogue, advance gender equality, promote social inclusion and combat discrimination among people in the African continent. The African Union and other leaders over the years have put in place several sports projects to eradicate gender inequality and peace promotion. The African Union Sport for Development in Africa (S4DA) Regional Project is an example that uses sport and physical activities as a tool to promote gender equality by empowering women and girls and fostering positive masculinity in boys and men.
In the African continent and around the world, Sport has often helped to establish opportunities for dialogue, advance gender equality, promote social inclusion and combat discrimination against vulnerable groups.The African games taking place in Ghana from 8 to 23th march 2024, organized by the African Union on behalf of its member states, bring together both female and male athletes from across the continent every four years. This sporting event celebrates African cultural values and heritage, and promotes solidarity, and integration. Additionally, the Games offer a crucial and effective platform for fostering youth education, gender equality, and social cohesion, all important milestones for fulfilling the Agenda 2063 aspirations of The Africa We Want.
“Our commitment to hosting these games is a testament to our beliefs and the transformative power of sport and its ability to inspire, motivate and bring people together….Today the main objective of the organization of the African games is to harness the value in sports to accelerate the unification and acceleration of the continent which is the True purpose of the African union and the building of the human capital of present and future generations of Africa”.
NANA AKUFO-ADDO, President of the Republic – Ghana
With expertise ranging from hosting soccer tournaments that bring together disparate Bol Island youth in Chad, bridging community gaps in Sudan, and supporting the first national women’s basketball tournament in two decades in Somalia, The AU member states have also recognised that there is a need for Africa to enhance its campaign against all forms of racial, religious and political discrimination in sports. The African Union Sport Council (AUSC) is the body responsible for the coordination of the African Sports Movement and the forum that will coordinate efforts by member states to promote and develop sports on the continent.
“We have provided a conducive environment for women and girls to pursue sport at all levels through an inclusive, accessible and cohesive policy framework”.
ISAAC KATOPOLA, Chairman of the African Union Sports Council – Region 5 – Malawi
Sports have a universal quality which bridged language and cultural barriers . According to FIFA, more than 200 countries play soccer, one of the world’s most popular sports. This shared quality can tangibly demonstrate commonalities rather than differences among players and spectators. CHARLES NYAMBE, President and CEO of Special Olympics International of the African Region encourages professionalism, qualification and a base in all sport domains before performance in order eradicate challenges in sport administration.
“If you look at sport, especially in Africa, many people that are in sport, if you ask them the majority will say they are in sport because they played sport but not that they have the qualifications in sport”.
CHARLES NYAMBE, President and CEO of Special Olympics International, Africa Region – Zambia
In Africa, Sport is recognised as an element of culture and a major contributor in human development and reinforcement of national cohesion and rapprochement of people. Most nations, clans and cities have found peace due to sporting activities for example, in West Kordofan, Sudan, USAID TEPS worked through existing local sports clubs to organize and outfit football tournaments for 26 teams from eight localities. These games brought together teams from two clans Awlad Omran and Zeud who had suffered from the deadliest conflict over two years.
