Playing for Peace

GETTy IMAGES Cover: Players of the all female ‘113’ soccer team take part in a training session in Cabinda, Angola. The team was established ContentsEditorial 20 years ago and competes in the women’s national league. REUTERS / THE BIGGER PICTURE 2 Message from Jean Ping 22 Profile of Didier Drogba Chairperson of the African Ivory Coast Varun Mathure Union Commission 24 Profile of Michael Essien 3 Message from Danny Jordaan Ghana Chief Executive Officer, 2010FIFA Varun Mathure World Cup Organising Committee South Africa 26 Profile of Samuel Eto’o Cameroon 3 Message from Graça Machel Varun Mathure Chairperson of the ACCORD Board of Trustees 28 Profile of Nwankwo Kanu 4 Editorial Nigeria Varun Mathure Vasu Gounden 30 Profile of Steven Pienaar 5 Make Peace Happen South Africa Varun Mathure 6 Football for Liberation and Peace in Africa: South Africa 32 Beyond the Big Stage Algeria and Ivory Coast Football, Reconciliation and Social Development in Africa Tor Sellström Tor Sellström 16 Interview with Pierre Nkurunziza 48 The Team: A Soap Opera on President of the Republic of Football for Reconcilation and Burundi Peace in Africa Tor Sellström 19 Interview with Roger Palmgren 50 More Than Just a Game Sports Director at AmaZulu FC The Makana Football Association South Africa John Daniel Playing for Peace Playing for Peace | 1 MessagesEditorial Message from Jean Ping Chairperson of the African Union Commission 2010 FIFA World Cup has been 2010 is also the Year of Peace identified by many as Africa’s and Security in Africa, offering an THE World Cup, becoming a source of pride for unprecedented opportunity for our people. African governments, citizens and Indeed, through football, children, institutions, in partnership with the women and men share a common international community, to celebrate our language and a spirit of fair play that accomplishments and to review current transcends the divisions and despair that efforts to peace-building on the continent. are the fruit of conflict. In Africa, ‘the This year we are pushing for a day beautiful game’ has become more than a of non-violence in every country on sport. It is a vehicle for rebuilding broken Peace Day, 21 September. So that while societies. Africa makes history by staging the 2010 This is why I am pleased to join in FIFA World Cup, Africans will be making solidarity with the people of South Africa another kind of history too: One billion around this event that will bring hope to people working together to make peace our people, uniting us around a common happen for one day. We will show that positive cause. I am honoured to join peace is possible and establish a stronger ACCORD in this important endeavour platform for sustained peace in Africa. to tell the story of football and its This is Africa’s moment to leave a contribution to peace in Africa through this legacy for our people and to make history. publication. Let’s make peace happen! Jean Ping 2 | Playing for Peace REUTERS / THE BIGGER PICTURE Message from Danny Jordaan Chief Executive Officer 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa I am confident that everything possible democracy had won the privilege to host has been done to successfully stage this the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This was not historic tournament on African soil and that only a victory for South Africa, but for the South Africa will make Africa proud. I am African continent as a whole. also convinced that the participating African A better future in Africa requires teams will prove their strength in contests sustainable peace and economic with the best in the world. development for all. In the same way In 1976, we welcomed FIFA’s decision as the game of football has contributed to impose sanctions on South Africa as part towards national reconciliation and of our struggle against racism, apartheid progress in South Africa, we trust that it and minority rule, a system which denied will do so in countries torn by conflict in behalf of the 2010 FIFA World a black child the right to play football with Africa and elsewhere. Cup Organising Committee South a white child. We attained our freedom ON Africa, it gives me true pleasure that, finally, in 1994. Ten years later FIFA made the the FIFA World Cup™ has come to Africa. momentous announcement that our young Danny Jordaan Message from Graça Machel Chairperson of the ACCORD Board of Trustees my capacity as Chairperson of the to heal war-torn societies and create the IN ACCORD Board of Trustees, I am necessary conditions for sustainable happy to be associated with this initiative. development. As described in this As we celebrate the FIFA 2010 World publication, from the collines of Rwanda Cup, it is appropriate to recall the positive, and Burundi, via the streets of Liberia constructive role the game of football can and Sierra Leone, to the villages in Kenya play for peace and development, in Africa and Sudan, through football women and and elsewhere. children take the initiative to bridge ethnic women and children who on modest While the competing teams in the divides; offer meaningful recreation to stages beyond the limelight in the most tournament represent the pinnacle of former child soldiers, amputees and other difficult of circumstances truly make men’s elite players in the world, let us war victims; and, thus, lay the basis for football more than just a game! also acknowledge the thousands of post-conflict reconstruction. African women and children who at the As we enjoy the athletic artistry during community level use football as a tool the World Cup, let us not forget those Graça Machel Playing for Peace | 3 Editorial development, which in mid-year replaces admirable strides towards sustainable our regular Conflict Trends magazine. As a peace and post-conflict national practitioner organisation, ACCORD has for reconstruction. As will be seen in eighteen years across the continent been our interview with President Pierre directly and actively involved in conflict Nkurunziza of Burundi - himself an active resolution through training, capacity- soccer player - football played a significant building, mediation and sharing of best part in and for this positive development. practices. Training of soccer coaches in In recognition of its peaceful transition conflict management has formed part to democracy, in June 2006 ACCORD of our practice. We are cognisant of the granted its Africa Peace Award to the fact that passions surrounding football at nation of Burundi. The award was the elite, inter-club level - and sometimes received by President Nkurunziza. In April internationally, as demonstrated by the 2010, we similarly had the pleasure of tensions between Algeria and Egypt after handing the award to President Ernest their deciding World Cup qualifier at the Bai Koroma on behalf of the people of end of last year - may turn ugly. In Africa, Sierra Leone. Present at the ceremony however, the game has always been, and in Durban was Jacob Zuma, President still remains, above all a ‘beautiful game’. of South Africa and as a young political Beyond the skills and artistry prisoner on Robben Island the captain displayed by professional stars on the big of one of the teams in the extraordinary the world focuses its attention stage, football on the African continent Makana Football Association. on the 2010 FIFA World Cup in has in the past played a major role in In addition to socio-political articles AS South Africa, ‘the biggest show on earth’, the struggles for national liberation, self- on football, peace and development we must not forget that political instability determination and democracy. Today, in in Africa, this magazine includes and intra-state conflict remain realities on post-colonial Africa, the game is used profiles of African star players who will the African continent. As sadly illustrated by the United Nations, international participate in the World Cup. Coming by the attack on the Togolese national organisations and local NGOs as an from deprived and difficult backgrounds, football team in Cabinda, Angola, just important and effective vehicle to bridge they are using the success achieved before the Africa Cup of Nations in the ethnic or political divides, heal wounds on the football field to uplift, enrich and beginning of the year, and subsequent and pave a way for unity, post-conflict inspire their communities off the field, outbreaks of armed violence in Nigeria, reconstruction and socio-economic often dedicating considerable private as well as continued strife and protracted development. Through its ‘Football efforts and resources to combat racism warfare in the Democratic Republic of for Hope Movement’, FIFA is making and xenophobia, to promote health Congo, Somalia, Sudan, northern Uganda significant contributions in this regard. In and education or to pursue national and elsewhere, there is a dire need for countries such as Rwanda and Burundi dialogue and peace. Together with the peace and stability. Dialogue and peace - with horrific legacies and scars from tens of thousands of boys and girls who are keys to development. Conflicts not recent genocides - football for national in disadvantaged, impoverished rural only result in untold suffering for millions reconciliation, unity and peace is actively areas and urban townships across Africa of men, women and children across the promoted by the state. combine football with schooling, HIV/ continent, but stand in the way of much In the 1990s, Liberia and Sierra Leone AIDS awareness, community services or needed socio-economic

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