(This article is a translated version of the original in Norwegian People’s Aid’s web-pages: http://www.folkehjelp.no/no/nyheter/2011/?module=Articles&action=Article.publicShow&ID=18279)
East Africa Cup, a project run by the Norwegian Christian Sports Contact (CHRISC) and Norwegian People's Aid, won the prestigious "Best spors event for peace of the year" prize during the ceremony Peace and Sport in Monaco this evening.
- It is fantastic to receive this award. In East Africa Cup we use sports to link people together and to create a basis for communication, says Vegard Holm, CEO of CHRISC Norway.
- We are extremely proud. We feel we have managed to create something by making organizations in the north and south move in the same direction. To work with young people one must meet them in the areas where they usually spend their time, and this is what the East Africa Cup does. The tournament is not just about sports. No team is allowed to participate unless they can prove that they are also engaged in other activities, awareness and mobilization. It will be one week in Moshi and a full year in the local community, Liv Torres adds, Secretary General of Norwegian People's Aid.
East Africa Cup is organized by CHRISC, Norwegian People's Aid and Mathare Youth Sports Association. This year almost 2000 young people participated from eight countries. Sport is the foundation for the tournament, but the participants do also participate in courses about for instance AIDS-awareness, conflict resolution, technical competence in sports, couching development and first-aid.
- We also have our own program where we work with the BBC to develop media competence in East Africa. The participants are taught how to use modern, web-based tools, says Torres.
The award, Peace and Sport, is according to Torres and Holm among the grandest event within sports and aid assistance. Both the UN, the IOC and UNESCO are sharing the price.
- We hope that this can create more awareness around the tournament so that we can receive more funding, more participants and so that more development actors want to join us, says Holm.
BBC made a documentary about the East Africa Cup which was displayed in Monaco this Friday. A short version is available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXqgGZhtvlQ
Press Contacts:
Svein Olsen, Advisor Norwegian People's Aid, mobile: 92478862
Woody isle, Chairman of East Africa Cup, mobile: 97015982