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Kiwis and Aussies pledge EC support
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Speeches and Media Releases
 Sports, Arts Culture

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MEDIA RELEASE
 3 JULY 2000

KIWIS AND AUSSIES PLEDGE EC SUPPORT

Decision makers and leaders in New Zealand and the Australian Capital Territories (ACT) have pledged to continue partnerships in sport, art 
and culture with their counterparts in the Eastern Cape.

This follows a recent visit by MEC for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Mrs Nosimo Balindlela, to strengthen links and discuss mutual 
interests with the two countries.

Mrs Balindlela, who returned on 30 June 2000, was invited by the New Zealand development agency, Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA), and the 
Sports Bureau in ACT.

During the tour she held talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark as well as several other ministers and representatives of 
sporting bodies in both countries.

In New Zealand, Mrs Balindlela secured a firm commitment from the Hillary Commission on sports projects to assist the department in 
capacity-building and improving service delivery through sport co-ordination in the districts and community sport projects.

VSA also pledged to send a volunteer to help co-ordinate school sport and possibly later more volunteers in capacity- building for 
libraries and museum staff.

The University of Otago in Dunedin offered scholarships for Eastern Cape post-graduate studies, and an agreement was reached with the 
Mandela Trust in New Zealand on cultural exchanges between certain New Zealand and Eastern Cape schools.

In Australia Mrs Balindlela held talks with various ACT agencies involved in twinning arrangements for projects in the Eastern Cape and 
secured a commitment to broaden existing relationships to include arts, culture and heritage.

Much documentation was also obtained on best-practice systems and policies for sport, arts and culture.

They will be extensively work shopped here.

Accompanying Mrs Balindlela on her return was New Zealand government official Ms Camile Kirtlan.

She will be attached to the MEC's office tasked with strategic planning and putting into operation some of the plans discussed between New 
Zealand and the Eastern Cape.

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