AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA - “Champions for South Africa - Join the game”: education for a world view and integration during World Cup

Johannesburg (Agenzia Fides) – On the occasion of the World Cup, the Salesian South African Planning and Development Office and Salesian NGOs “Jugend Eine Welt” (Austria), “Jovenes y Desarrollo” (Spain), “Salesiánská asociace Dona Boska” (Czech Republic), “Salezjanski Wolontariat Misyjny” (Poland), and “Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo” (Italy) have launched the “Champions for South Africa – Join the game” Campaign, jointly financed by the European Commission. It involves an interactive game available on the internet or with a DVD, with the aim of showing European children and young people how their peers in South Africa live.
The games develops through a series of animated programs representing the challenges and the choices facing young South Africans. At the end, after seeing reports, photographs and video clips the players have to make their decisions on which the final result depends. There is a version for children between 8 and 12 years of age and another for teenagers between 13 and 18.
“Champions for South Africa – Join the game” also provides teaching material for teachers with quizzes and open questions about South African geography, history, society and daily life also in two categories according to age, so that the players can test themselves to see how much they have learned.
According to the ANS Salesian news service, about 8,000 schools around Europe have been making use of this program for the civic and social education of their young citizens. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 05/07/2010)