ATHLETIC TRAINING & EDUCATION
ATLANTA 1996, The Legacy Institution of the Atlanta 1996 Centennial Olympic Games
The ATLANTA 1996 concept was established on August 4, 1996 by Prince Albert II of MONACO and Dr. Marc-Daniel GUTEKUNST. On
May 6, 2002, Ambassador Andrew YOUNG Inaugurated the DeKalb International Training Center (DITC) in the presence of 8 founding countries. On
September 20, 2002, Prince Albert II of MONACO presided the Official Opening of the DITC. On July 1, 2007, the DITC changed name to ATLANTA DITC, and on July 1, 2012, the ATLANTA DITC became the ATLANTA 1996.
In 2001, the Atlanta 1996 Centennial Foundation in Partnership with the
DeKalb County Government (State of Georgia, USA) established the ATLANTA 1996.
The 10 founding National Olympic Committees of the ATLANTA 1996 are: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Eritrea, Macedonia, Madagascar, Mali, Rwanda, São Tomé & Principé, and Seychelles. Since May 9, 2003, the ATLANTA 1996 is recognized by the USOC (United States Olympic Committee).
A veritable mixture of cultures with athletes from Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and South and the Americas,
the ATLANTA 1996 provides first class training to enable participating athlete to compete in the US and internationally while furthering their education to graduate with either a high school, a vocational school, a or university degree. The ATLANTA 1996 has established a partnership with the best Universities and one school system of metro Atlanta where the athletes can study.
The ATLANTA 1996's focus is to train athletes for the Olympic games and for the athletes to proudly represent their countries of origin and win Olympic Medals for their homeland. Thus making the 1996 concept unique in the world.
Upon completing their stay at the ATLANTA 1996, athletes will be returning to their home country with at least one medal (a high school or university degree), and in the best of cases with two medals, a degree and an Olympic medal.
The ATLANTA 1996 also promotes peace and reconciliation, and foster exchanges between people and nations while respecting the socio-cultural and religious identity of each and every athletes in training at the ATLANTA 1996.
With the support of the State of Georgia and DeKalb County, the athletes enrolled at the ATLANTA 1996, as young as age 14, are also be part of cultural exchange activities while attending DeKalb County schools, colleges and universities.
The ATLANTA 1996 also shares the spirit of the Games with the DeKalb County and Georgia's youth by organizing athletic exchange training programs, as well as by hosting the annual Atlanta International Prep Classic (ATLANTA CLASSIC).
Funded by Private Donations, In-Kind-Donations (IKD), Value-In-Kind (VIK), Time-Donated,
US and Foreign Corporations, Foundations and Organizations,
Foreign Governmental Scholarships, USOC Scholarships, Olympic Solidarity Scholarships
Hosting the Olympic Team of Burundi during the 1996 Atlanta OLYMPIC Games
Project Duration: July 1 - August 4, 1996
Funded by private Donations (Atlanta, GA)
TRAINING PROGRAMS
RUFISQUE Training Center
US Project Coordinator: Rebecca KLOSS
Senegal Project Coordinator: Birame THIAM
Academic Director: Momar GUEYE
Institutional US Partner: LIFE University & LIFE International
LIFE Coordinator: Rodney HANDLY
Fall 1998 - Summer 2002
Funded by LIFE University (Marietta, GA)
Communications Network Rwanda ONLINE
Project Coordinator: Rebecca KLOSS
Project duration: August 1997 - November 1997
Funded through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP, New York, and UNDP Rwanda, Kigali)
Practical Training
Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program at TULANE University School of Public Health for Dr. Moussa BA from Senegal
Training Coordinator: Marc-Daniel GUTEKUNST
Project duration: 1995-1996 Academic School Year
Funded by private donations (Atlanta, GA)
EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS
Selected Health Systems of Africa (SHSofA)
Editor-in-Chiefs:
Kandjoura DRAME,
World Health Organization, AFRICA Bureau,
Regional POLIO Program, Côte d'Ivoire, Former Minister of Health of GUINEA
Marc-Daniel GUTEKUNST,
Emory University
Managing Editor:
Cheryl WILLIAMS,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
(Atlanta, USA).
To be published in 2010 and released during the 2010 IX Leon Sullivan Summit in Kigali, Rwanda
Funded by private donations (Atlanta, GA)
Majii and the Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda
Written by: Marc-Daniel GUTEKUNST
Illustrated by: Stan MULLINS & The Students of Fernbank Elementary School (DeKalb County, Atlanta, USA). Project Coordinator at Fernbank Elementary School: Becky EVANS. Published in March 2000 by FNT International Press
Project duration: Fall 1998 - Spring 2000
Funded by private donations (Atlanta, GA)
Reflections of Rwanda: Serenity & Tragedy
by
Stan MULLINS
(Athens, USA)
Art display of works on Rwanda by world renowned artist Stan MULLINS at the Alliance Française of Atlanta Preview in the Presence of His Excellency Joseph MUTABOBA, Ambassador of Rwanda to the United States
Coordinators: Tess CUNNINGHAM, Claude WEGSCHEIDER, Marc-Daniel GUTEKUNST
Funded by the Atlanta French Alliance and private donations (Atlanta, GA)