6th FISU FORUM - CAPETOWN 2002
Capetown, South Africa - September 9th to 14th, 2002
Africa's First
The 6th FISU Forum was held from 9th to 14th September of this year at the Cape Technikon University in Cape Town, South Africa. It is the first time that the Forum has been organized on the African continent, and our friends from SASSU (South African Student Sports Union), in collaboration with the members of the Commission for University Sport Study, went to great efforts to ensure that this event was a genuine and exceptional success.
The six days devoted to the Forum consisted of six short presentations of the 'academic' sort on these subjects by people who are expert in each field, followed by questions from the participants and discussions and reflections in small groups. Some moments were also devoted to the practice of sports and cultural activities. As has now become a Forum tradition, the participants also had the opportunity to present the running, the structure and the financing of their National University Sports Federation in the form of posters. During this 'short week', the members of CESU also took the time to conduct a meeting with two main objectives: to prepare for both the next Forum (in the city of Lisbon, Portugal in 2004) and the next Conference, to be held in Daegu (Republic of Korea) from 22 to 26 August 2003.
Inauguration Ceremony
The first morning was devoted to the official inauguration ceremony, in which numerous representatives of the sports movement and academic authorities of South Africa participated. Among them were Mr. Mandla Tshabalala (vice-chancellor of Cape Technikon University), Mr. Patrick McKenzie (MEC Sport and recreation of Western Cape), the President of SASSU Mr. Melessa Maleka, and Mrs. Mangaliso Mahlaba and Dr. Malumbete Mike Ralethe (both honorary vice-presidents of SASSU). FISU was officially represented by its President George E. Killian, its Secretary General Roch Campana and by the President of CESU, Mr. CL Gallien. During the opening ceremony, after listening to the numerous warm messages of welcome by the South African authorities, the President of FISU emphasized in his message, his 'interest in the Forum's role in providing a meeting place'.He went on to indicate, referring to future relations between FISU and the African continent that what was happening in Africa was only one step in a continuing process.
Working Sessions
The following days were an occasion for the 155 students and officials from the 32 countries to participate in the Forum working and discussion sessions. The day after the opening ceremony, 10th September, the participants had the opportunity to listen to Mr. Sam Ramsamy (President of the South African Olympic Committee and IOC member for South Africa), as well as Mr. Adrian Gagea (FISU Auditor) speak on the theme of 'The value of student sport as a means of contributing to a healthy, successful society'. The afternoon was spent on numerous discussions in working sessions between the students and the officials as well as a presentation by the Korean delegation from the next FISU Conference to be held in Daegu in 2003 concurrently with the Universiade. The evening was an opportunity to attend the presentation of a cultural spectacle, mixing South-African tradition and modernity, in the amphitheater of the Technikon Peninsula.
Thursday 12th September, due to the friendliness of the Organizing Committee was a day of relaxation in the sense that the participants were able to visit the cultural and tourist riches of Cape Town and its surroundings. The following day, Friday, 13th, there was the opportunity to hear Dr. Malumbete Mike Ralethe express himself on the theme of the 'development of student sport'. His presentation was followed by Mr. Omar Al Hai's (United Arab Emirates) on the role that a regional federation will play in the development of university sport. His speech was titled 'The Arab Federation of University Sport: Vision for the region and for the FISU'. Friday morning was concluded with a presentation by the Polish University Sports Association (AZS), the oldest university sports federation, on the organization of the particularities of university sport in Poland. The afternoon was devoted to traditional debates and discussions between the participants, to the presentation of posters with a period reserved to sports activities.
Final Declaration and Fitting Finale
In a final declaration, the students also expressed their interest in seeing an International Council for Sports for University Students created within FISU. The banquet organized at the Bay Hotel provided a fitting finale for the 6 days of the Forum, during which 155 persons participated, 85 of whom were students and officials from 32 countries. The unanimous opinion of the students, officials, organizers and members of CESU was that this 6th Forum was entirely successful, in spite of fewer attendants in comparison with the last Forum.
The FISU FORUM: A Place to Meet
Every two years, the Forum is an opportunity for the students and officials from the university sports movement of the FISU member associations to meet each other. The main objective of the Forum is to offer the conditions for a meeting and exchange, associating culture and education with physical and sporting activities. By establishing this Forum more than ten years ago the FISU authorities wanted students, teaching staff and sports leaders from different backgrounds to get to know and understand each other in order for both parties to be enriched by all the different aspects of their diversity.
Themes for Discussion
Before each Forum, the themes for discussion and debate are decided jointly by the Organizing Committee and the members of CESU. For this year, the organizers also took account of the wishes expressed by the students during the previous Forums (particularly in Monterrey in Mexico) by choosing themes whose importance reach beyond the domain of university sports and that weigh heavily on the preoccupations and aspirations of young people the world over. For this 6th Forum, the general theme was 'Challenges facing student sport at the beginning of the millennium'. This general theme was then divided into four sub-themes (themselves split into sub-subjects). (a) The values of student sport as a means of contributing to a healthy, successful society (overtraining in sport and excessive competition, doping, AIDS, drugs, diet and nutrition)… (b) The values of student sport as a means of contributing to a non-discriminatory society (Gender, ethnicity, social inclusion, disability, and age). (c) Development of student sport (relationship of student sport, financing of sport in different countries, new trends in university sport in different countries, major issues in university sport in different countries, value of (university) sport in different countries, how new technology could be used in university sport. (d) How professional sports impact on university sport (Universiade teams performance levels, eligibility: what is a student, media involvement in student sport, high level sport and academic performance).
More Promotion of University Sport Needed
During the debates, all the participants agreed on the interest of promoting even more the practice (the practices) of university sports and the role that FISU could play in meeting this objective (by making recommendations to the FNSUs, regular communication with the authorities…) with a view to guaranteeing harmonious development of sports.
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