African Union to host ‘Building and maintaining peace and security through sports’ workshop in Addis Ababa on Africa Day (May 25th 2010)

Event: ‘Building and Maintaining Peace and Security through Sports’ Workshop
Date: 25th May 2010
Venue: African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Time: From 10.00am

Among those Attending the event will be:

Hon. Ibrahim I. Bio, Chairperson of the AU Conference of Ministers of Sport, Minister of Sport and Chairman of the National Sports Commission of Nigeria

Tor Sellstrom, African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD)

Mr. Abel Mbengue, Coordinator, Office of the President, Confederation of African Football (CAF)

Representatives from the Great Ethiopian Run and the Ethiopian Athletics Federation and more!

The event is the latest in a series of fora across Africa to promote the African Union Year of Peace and Security. The workshop will provide information and share experiences on the role of sports in peace and security, as well as explore the opportunities presented by the Year of Peace and Security to further enhance the use of sports in peace-building both in 2010 and beyond.

The workshop will be held alongside other events including the Peace and Security Operations Division exhibition, Photo exhibition and the official flagging-off ceremony of the “Peace Journey”: an expedition across Africa aimed at creating awareness and spreading the message of peace amongst African citizens.

The Year of Peace and Security peaks on Peace Day, 21 September 2010, a day focussed on promoting non-violence and humanitarian assistance across Africa. All Year of Peace and Security activities build up to and follow on from Peace Day.

More about The African Union Year of Peace and Security
On 31 August 2009, the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), meeting in Tripoli, on the occasion of the Special Session on the Consideration and Resolution of Conflicts in Africa, declared 2010 to be the Year of Peace and Security on the continent; proclaiming in paragraph 9 of the Tripoli Declaration:

“We are determined to deal once and for all with the scourge of conflicts and violence on our continent, acknowledging our shortcomings and errors, committing our resources and our best people, and missing no opportunity to push forward the agenda of conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction. We, as leaders, simply cannot bequeath the burden of conflicts to the next generation of Africans”.

During the AU Summit held in Addis Ababa in January 2010, all 53 African Heads of State and Government reaffirmed their commitment to the Tripoli Declaration and the objectives of the Year of Peace and Security in Africa.
The overarching message for The Year of Peace and Security in Africa is Make Peace Happen.