The Vienna International Centre was gripped by football fever during the first week of the World Cup (14-18 June) with matches being screened in the bar and a larger-than-life "Zakumi" mascot dominating the Rotunda. In a joint effort, the Permanent Mission of South Africa and the United Nations Information Service used the opportunity to highlight not only World Cup host country South Africa, but also to draw attention to the Millennium Development Goals, whose target year for achievement is only five years away. Based on current projections, achieving the MDGs remains an elusive target for most countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
8 Goals for Africa, the song produced by the UN Country Team in South Africa as part of a campaign to highlight the Millennium Development Goals, was played at an information stand in the Rotunda of the VIC throughout the week. The song features Yvonne Chaka Chaka from South Africa, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo from Benin, Oliver Mtukudzi from Zimbabwe, Eric Wainaina from Kenya, Baaba Maal from Senegal, and the Soweto Gospel Choir from South Africa. World-renowned jazz musicians Hugh Masekela and Jimmy Dludlu from South Africa are instrumentalists on the track and Arthur Baker from the United States of America is the song producer. The eight African artists involved are among the continent's best-known musicians and they join the UN in calling for commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals with this campaign song. Music composer Jimmy Dludlu said at the launch of the song: "I was inspired by this initiative. We want to help promote the Millennium Development Goals and I am optimistic that the song will convey a message of peace, hope and promise of a better future".
In Vienna, school groups and other children visiting the VIC also had a chance to win a bag of football goodies, kindly donated by the South African Permanent Mission. Over the course of the week, more than 200 participants tried their hand at answering questions such as "How many Member States are there and how many of those are in Africa?"
and "When was the Millennium Declaration adopted?" Prizes included a football, a vuvuzela and other FIFA 2010-branded items, and three lucky winners were drawn at a lunchtime event on Friday 18 June.
Speaking at the event H.E. the Ambassador of South Africa, Mr Xolisa Mabhongo underlined the importance of education in achieving all the MDGs and expressed his pleasure at the high level of participation from school groups. "If we are to reduce global poverty and hunger by half, we cannot do so without investing in education. Similarly, if we are to reduce maternal mortality, we need to invest in education, and equally so for the other MDGs." Drawing a link between the World Cup, development and Africa, Mr Mabhongo said: "Hosting the World Cup has been a chance for South Africa to demonstrate to the world that Africa has progressed, is safe and welcoming and that it can deliver on promises made." The Director of the United Nations Information Service Maher Nasser opined that the world should see more of the kind of healthy and good-natured competition that is the hallmark of the World Cup games, instead of increased investment in arms and weapons. Both speakers reminded the audience that the target date for achieveing the MDGs was only five years away and that the world community would need to step up its efforts to achieve the 8 Goals by the target date in 2015 with particular focus on Africa where the challenges are greatest. ensure that Africa was not left behind.
