 |
|
|
 |
João Havelange - Citizen's Diplomacy in Action - Social Integration and Cooperation amongst Peoples through Sports
The achievements of João Havelange, both in Brazil and throughout the world, during almost half a century, accomplishing a transformation of football into a formidable medium for uniting peoples, promoting self-esteem and social inclusion, and, last but not least, fighting racism, represent for ComAfrica Institute an example of citizen's diplomacy. |
|
At a meeting with ComAfrica Institute in Rio de Janeiro on the 13 September 2007, Dr. João Havelange, today Honorary President of FIFA, has remembered aspects of Brazilian-African solidarity that are part of the history of football and highlighted the prospects for sports in uniting peoples:
Football individually leads the young person to learn to be correct, loyal, respecting and makes him/her know the importance of Fair Play. That way of acting was one of the facets of FIFA's work, through its Commissions, throughout the African Continent, favouring a disadvantaged youth, who today demonstrates, with their dedication and effort, their grandeur and respectability.
......
Within a few more years, we shall be witnessing in South Africa, the holding of the First Football World Cup on the African Continent, which shall be a milestone, an example and shall set a standard for work, organization and dignity ...
......
We are sure that there will be a standing ovation by the whole of the sports world for that competition, as we foresee it will be a great success.
......
....I have just one thought and one wish – to be able, to my pride and happiness, to attend the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which will be a triumphant milestone for world football.
 - Honorary President of FIFA
ComAfrica.org considers the 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa as the opportunity for deepening mutual knowledge between the peoples of Brazil and South Africa, and for their rapprochement. As Brazilians and as Africans, who have lived in Brazil, ComAfrica's membership is proud of the role Dr. João Havelange, an illustrious Brazilian, as President of FIFA, played in the elimination of Apartheid in the football fields.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
ComAfrica Institute, the former Brazilian Committee of Solidarity with the Peoples of South Africa and Namibia – COMAFRICA, established 22 August, 1985, now present on the World Wide Web, is continuing the bridging between academic research in International Relations and the practice of foreign policy as a public policy by civil society in Brazil. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Continuing to link academic research to the implementation of the foreign policy as a public policy, the International Relations area of www.comafrica.org presents Memória Comáfrica/Comafrica Archives, the institute’s social memory, eminently connected to the international relations of civil society, the domain in which it set roots for the development of citizen´s diplomacy - the foreign policy from below – and for the promotion of South-South Cooperation centred on civil society. |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
The study of the intensification of relations between Brazil and Africa as well as of the development of black movements against racism in Brazil and of anti-racism movements worldwide during the second half of the XXth Century should by all means consider the role played by the anti-apartheid struggle in such processes.
Regarding Brazil, Memória Comáfrica / Comafrica Archives is retrieving alternative historical sources that cover such processes in the period from the mid-1940’s through 1994. |
|
|
|
|
|
Citizen's diplomacy – 20th Century
João Havelange, then President of FIFA, and his Secretary General Sepp Blatter, with Nelson Mandela, leader of the African National Congress, subsequent to his release in 1990, and Sam Ramsamy then President of the South African Non-Racial Olympic Committee. |
 |
|
Citizen's diplomacy – 21st Century
Left to right: César A Braga (João Havelange Institute); Prof. Antonio Carlos Ferrão, ComAfrica (Member of Consultative Council), Dr. João Havelange, Honorary President of FIFA; Dr. Jennifer Dunjwa Blajberg, ComAfrica (Africanist, President); Dr. Salomon Blajberg, ComAfrica (Pol. Scientist, Director). |
|
 |
 |
Africanistics, African Studies, Afro-Brazilian Studies, eurocentrism, afrocentrism? Unidisciplinarity, multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity or transdisciplinarity? |
|
|
 |
|
 |
 |
Patrick Bond, a known economist and research professor based in Durban, South Africa, while unveiling those that propose the economy of exploitation that constitutes looting Africa in this XXIst Century, opens an optimistic perspective on the current social movements in Africa. |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
Should the History of Africa be included in the study of the History of Brazil and of General (World) History by way of content that enriches the knowledge on the African participation in the formation of Brazil and in human development as a whole?
() YES () NO |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
| African culture – arts, crafts and creativity while accompanying Africans outside Africa, impregnate the Visual Arts, Handicrafts, Movies, Drama and other Scenic Arts, Design, Literature and Oral Tradition, Fashion, Music and even Software. |
|
|
|
|
|
