NCPR Events
| KICK-OFF
FOR DEMOCRACY Democracy Becomes World Champion Monday 12 - Tuesday June 13, 2006 Kabul, Afghanistan |
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Promotion of Democracy:
Sports and politics are more closely connected than most people might
think. Sports events always include symbolic and political meaning.
Coubertin takes the view that sports support “a healthy democracy
and a peaceful internationalization”. That is why the World
Cup in 2006 was a special event. Under the motive “Die Welt
zu Gast bei Freunden” teams from 32 countries came to Germany
to compete in a sports contest. KAF in Afghanistan took this lead
to organize a ‘mini World Cup’ in Kabul, along with the
Hans Seidel Foundation.. They wanted to use the World Cup at home
in an unconventional way for a “kick-off for democracy”.
Sports
and International Relations:
Sports, and especially soccer, bear much similarity to today’s
international relations. Important aspects of international politics
can be found in the game of soccer. To become a member in the FIFA
is almost as important for a sovereign state as becoming a member
of the United Nations. Soccer may be able to establish a new state
in the international system as well as to exclude a state from it.
That is why Afghanistan, after 23 years of civil war, finally a newcomer
in the world of international sports, must be welcomed in this event
– even though it does not actively take part in the World Cup.
This initiative by the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation in Afghanistan,
the project “Kick-off for democracy”, is aimed at supporting
the dialogue between sports/soccer and politics/democracy.
Kick-off
for Democracy:
Between 12-13th June 2006 there was a small World Cup at the Amani
school, founded in 1924 by the German Dr. Walther Iven. In the run
up to the event, the National Center for Policy Research made a
pamphlet with 100 questions about the Afghan democracy and the Federal
Republic of Germany. This pamphlet was distributed to participating
schools. Before each game team leaders had to answer a quiz consisting
of five questions about democracy. Every right answer counted as
much as a goal in the game. The soccer game followed the quiz. The
slogan of the event was“educational entertainment –
entertaining education”. The event was intended to allow Afghan
youths to participate in the bigger sporting event taking place
in Germany as well as to promote the young Afghan democracy.
In
order to reach a broad crowd of people with “Kick-off for
democracy”, the KAF partner “Radio Television Afghanistan”
broadcast the event. The first three winning teams each received
a one-year sponsorship by German teams. Therefore all teams playing
in the Federal League were contacted. Furthermore it is possible
that the embassies in Kabul supplement the school teams which represent
their countries with their national tricots.
The project is supported by the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation, the
Hans-Seidel Foundation, the soccer project of the German embassy,
the National Center for Policy Research, Radio Television Afghanistan,
Siemens and the Goethe-Institute. Patrons of the event are the German
ambassador, Dr. Steck, and the president of the Afghan National
Olympic Committee, Mohammad Anwar Jekdalek.
onal relations
