PeacePlayers International: Learn More Who We Are Established in 2001, PeacePlayers International [PPI] is an innovative international nonprofit organization that uses basketball to unite and educate young people and their communities. Founded on the premise that children who play together can learn how to live together, PPI currently operates programs in Northern Ireland, Israel and the West Bank, South Africa and Cyprus that bring together thousands of children from different religious, racial and cultural backgrounds to form positive relationships and improve their futures. What We Do Though PPI’s programs vary slightly in each location and include occasional retreats, trainings and special events, core program activity consists of: School and Community Center Programs – PPI works with local schools and community centers to teach children ages 10 to 15 basic basketball skills and introduce them to PPI’s peacebuilding curriculum. Twinned Basketball Clubs - PPI combines teams of players from different religious and cultural backgrounds drawn from its School and Community Center Programs for weekly, integrated practice sessions and games on a yearround basis. Leadership Development Program (LDP) – After “graduating” from PPI’s School and Community Center and Twinning programs, participants that have demonstrated outstanding leadership potential are invited back to help lead PPI’s other programs and receive advanced basketball and leadership training. Professional Development Program – PPI recruits and trains young adults from each of our program locations to serve as basketball coaches and educators using our unique life skills and peacebuilding curricula. Why It Works Recent approaches to conflict resolution have emphasized that peaceful coexistence will not begin with the signing of a peace treaty, but rather that achieving a sustainable peace also requires a social and psychological grassroots transformation of the populations in conflict. PPI’s innovative peacebuilding curriculum, implemented in partnership with the Arbinger Institute and delivered by local coaches who double as community leaders, integrates tested conflict transformation techniques with basketball games and activities. The curriculum helps children develop a language to describe a conflict and understand the dynamics of that conflict, while offering practical outlets for them to apply what they’ve learned to their team, their family, their friends and their community. PeacePlayers International 1455 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW │ Suite 640 │ Washington, DC 20004 202-639-6685 www.peaceplayersintl.org South Africa Young people in South Africa are twice as likely to contract HIV as those in the rest of the world, and over 50% will do so before turning 24. In response, PPI – South Africa (PPI – SA) has augmented PPI’s core mission of bridging divides with a unique life skills curriculum focused on HIV prevention and risk-reduction. Based in KwaZulu-Natal, home to the country’s highest HIV-infection rates, PPI – SA trains its coaches to function more like older siblings than authority figures. Conversational, interactive lessons build trust and facilitate honest dialogue on topics including HIV prevention, gender roles, drug and alcohol awareness, It’s hard to live without my parents, but my PPI coach is diversity, and personal always there for me. He’s really more like a brother. development. - Sihle Cele, LDP Participant, Umbumbulu Northern Ireland Despite the existence of a formal peace agreement between Catholics and Protestants since 1998, less than 5% of educational bodies in Northern Ireland are integrated, and from 2008-2009 the Police Service of Northern Ireland recorded over 1,800 sectarian or racist crimes. PPI – Northern Ireland (PPI – NI) uses basketball, a culturally neutral sport in Northern Ireland, to bring together children from all backgrounds to build mutual understanding, forge new friendships and cope with the complexities of It would be a travesty to the kids of Northern Ireland if growing up in a post-conflict we didn’t have PeacePlayers International here. society. - Twinning Participant Parent, Claudy Middle East In Israel and the West Bank, religious and cultural divides have undermined generations of peacemaking efforts. PPI – Middle East (PPI – ME) uses basketball to enable Israeli Jewish, Israeli Arab and Palestinian children to overcome the cultural divides that largely prevent them from interacting, allowing them to build the trust necessary for sustainable peace. In both Israeli and Arab communities, PPI – ME works with diverse populations and promotes gender equality through sport. PPI – ME also operates a single-identity capacity-building program in the West Bank called BasketPal, which provides an additional outlet for underprivileged children and The best part was learning things from new players and additional training opportunities different areas coming together. I learned you don't for coaches. have to judge a person based on his religion. - Amir, Twinning Participant, Katamon Cyprus PPI By the Numbers SOUTH AFRICA (2000) • Worked with over 25,000 children. • Trained and employed more than 200 young adults as coaches and leaders. • Constructed 45 outdoor basketball courts. • Held 15 City-Wide tournaments. NORTHERN IRELAND (2002) • Worked with over 17,000 children. • Trained and employed more than 35 young adults as coaches and leaders. • Formed partnerships with 8 Belfast community centres and 14 primary schools. • Seen 2 of its local Board Members earn the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2007 ESPYs. MIDDLE EAST (2005) • Worked with over 5,500 Israeli and Arab children. • Established 13 Twinned Basketball Clubs. • Conducted 20 cross-community tournaments. • Trained and employed more than 80 local leaders as coaches and mentors. CYPRUS (2006) • Worked with over 500 Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot young people. • Trained and employed 20 local leaders as coaches and mentors. • Established permanent programs in 6 Cypriot cities. Why do we get together Cypriot people? Because when we bring together people who are different, there is a chance for peace. I want to teach basketball with this organization because in the world, peace is important. - Sevki Pirlanta, Coach, Trikomo/Iskele Since 1974, Greek and Turkish communities on this small island country in the Mediterranean have been physically separated by a UN-administered "Green Zone" stretching from one side of the island to the other, making interaction a rare occurrence. Launched in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme in 2006, PPI – Cyprus (PPI – CY), has engaged schools and clubs from both sides of the island to enable 10-15 year-old Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot boys and girls to play together and build friendships that overcome generations of intolerance and offer many of its participants their first opportunity to interact with their peers from the other side of the divide.