SOCCER FOR PEACE brings Palestinians and Jews together
Thursday, 14 December 2006
This starting place for relationship
healing and building was prescribed centuries ago in the
Earlier, the Psalmists knew such a meeting place of
adversaries was needed, sacred and blessed:
Could Rumi have imagined it
would be a soccer field, or the Psalmists a sports training table?
SOCCER FOR PEACE
Soccer. Eat. Dialogue. Soccer. Eat. Dialogue.
This is the nature of SOCCER FOR PEACE -- http://soccerforpeace.com
-- that brings together Palestinian and Jewish Israeli pre-teen youth ages
10-12.
SOCCER FOR PEACE is leading Jewish and Arab
youth toward excellence in sports and relationship building.
It's innovator, Israeli-American Ori Winitzer (
Ori@soccerforpeace.com ) realized "the binding power of the world's
most popular game"
Soccer is "a passion shared by all sides of the
Middle Eastern conflict" and a place to "find a commonality between
Jew and Arab."
This global sport is "a context in which dialogue
and mutual respect are possible" to help everyone recogize
their equal humanity.
Goal by goal, season by season the program has grown
since the idea's birth after 9/11.
To begin, it was a 5-day sleep-away camp program of
soccer and dialogue.
There were 50 youth in 2005, then 100 in July, 2006.
"Now the Arab and Jewish parents are also
becoming involved," says Executive Director, Deborah Clifford, is on fire
with the idea.
Clifford, a Christian, adds: "It is now becoming
a 3-year, sustained year-around program for maximum personal and relationship
transformation.
"We're really excited and hoping this model can
go to other regions of the world where it's needed."
Deborah Clifford can be reached at Deborah@soccerforpeace.com
or by phone at (917) 673-0021.
TWINNED PEACE SPORT SCHOOLS
TWINNED PEACE SPORT SCHOOLS are initiated by
the
In the past month, more than 1,000 girls and boys
engaged in twelve of these joint Palestinian-Israeli activities
These joint Palestinian-Israeli sporting and
social encounters include regular sport training, auxiliary educational support
and Peace Education activities.
Highlights included the joint activity of
youngsters from the Israeli town of
Under the guidance of the coaches, the Palestinian
and Israeli youngsters interacted freely, taking part in dialogue activities
and playing football in mixed Palestinian-Israeli teams providing fertile
ground for the establishment of real friendships between these youth from
diametrically opposed communities.
Coach preparation and communication is important to
this program.
To begin, 50 soccer and basketball coaches from the
Twinned Peace Sport Schools program gather for a coaches meeting to discuss the
progress of the program.
The Palestinian and Israeli coaches discuss new
methods for coaching and Peace Education activities.
They share successful techniques with each other
through practical demonstrations.
New evaluation mechanisms are being introduced, tol assess the impact of this peacebuilding
program on youth.
The Palestinian and Israeli coaches meetings include
social activities that assist the free flow of communication.
See a photo at:
This is about
Connection, Communication and Change.
Connection, Communication and
Change.
As a 19-year-old
"If we're not communicating, we might as well
live in the Stone Age."
In this special Season of Lights, do initiate and
enable these kinds of meetings and communication the best way you can.
This is truly bringing Light to Earth.