The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF) and its Southern African partners met in Oslo from 7th to 9th June 2010 in Oslo to discuss issues relating to the development of community sports in Southern Africa – reflecting on the past and charting the way forward. The partners included the National Organisation for Women in Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation (NOWSPAR), Sport in Action, Response Network, Kwenuha Women’s Association, Edusports and SCORE from Zambia; Sports and Recreation Commission from Zimbabwe, the Kicking AIDS Out Secretariat and representation from Supreme Council of Sports in Africa Zone VI.
This meeting was a continuation of the sports development discussions held at the 3rd Commonwealth Sports Development Conference in Glasgow on 3rd and 4th June at which all the other organisations apart from Kwenuha Women’s Association and Response Network were present.
Addressing the Glasgow conference and opening the Oslo meeting, NIF’s Bjorn Omar Evju reiterated the importance of ensuring that sport takes its rightful position for all organisations whose mandate is to develop sports. One of the major issues discussed at the Oslo meeting was how to increase participation in sports in the various countries represented. The organisations went through a reflective process that included discussing what was going on and what needed to be done in future to enhance sports performance. Gender and human rights were identified as some of the cross cutting issues that inhibited participation, especially of women. The organisations further identified the capacities of each organisation and how to tap these for the benefit of the all. Discussed also was the significant contribution of the Kicking AIDS Out Network in coordinating training and managing data base on behalf of the membership.
The meeting agreed to strengthen the community clubs concept as a way of increasing sports participation, and addressing gender and human right concerns. To this effect, a three person committee under the coordination of the Supreme Council of Sports in Africa Zone VI was formed. The committee was tasked to study the various concepts used by different organisations to coordinate community sports and come up with one that could be used by all.