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Seminar on the impact of the 2010 World Cup on South Africa

A group of Germans, Kenyans, Ugandans, and Zimbabweans gathered at the Deutshe International Schule in Johannesburg, South Africa recently, to examine and report on the impact that the 2010 FIFA World Cup has had on the so-called rainbow nation.

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What followed was an intensive two week workshop, where participants were advised and guided by an experienced three men trainer team. The training sessions were sandwiched by briefings by high profile speakers on the political and media landscape of contemporary South Africa.

A second aim of the seminar was to deliberately create an intercultural environment, where German students paired with an African colleague, or vice-versa, jointly researched and pursued an area of common interest. The motivation behind the idea was so that each person could begin to understand and appreciate the different challenges faced in each other’s countries.

Having got a glimpse on the current state of affairs, participants brainstormed and agreed on a wide range of story ideas. The topics included the public transport system, informal traders, homeless people, HIV-Aids and the legacy that the World Cup will leave on South Africa.

With the preparatory work done, the participants commenced writing their stories. Their work and experiences during this historic event will be published in a special magazine, which will be made available at the check-in counters of Lufthansa at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. The magazine will also be widely distributed to project partners of KAS’s Media Programme, journalists, and other stakeholders. These articles, along with video, audio and photo slideshows can also be accessed online via www.africangoals2010.info, a website that was jointly created with Deutshe Welle for this exercise.

The delegation also got some insight of the history of the country, through visits to South Africa’s most famous township Soweto, where they toured former president Nelson Mandela’s house as well a visit to the Apartheid Museum. They also took a guided to tour of Constitutional Hill, which houses a very important institution; The Constitutional Court of South Africa.

Despite the hectic schedule, the group also managed to attend the Germany-Ghana match at Soccer City.

So, was the seminar a success? Did it produce the desired outcomes?

The answer quite simply is a resounding YES! Everyone involved in the project is unanimous in that it was an enriching and unique experience.

As one German delegate, Amelie Herberg, who is a scholar of the Journalistic Academy of the KAS put it, “Without the seminar I would never have had the chance to research and work journalistically during the World Cup”.

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