Project Coordinator James Hughes took the opportunity to speak with sessional coach, Ben Scullion, to find out what his experiences have been like with PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland since he started last year.

Sessional coach Ben Scullion coaches the North Belfast Junior Belfast Interface League (B.I.L.) team and acts as a leader and role model for the children playing at PPI-NI’s annual Jingle Ball basketball tournament.

As a coach and facilitator, what have your experiences at PeacePlayers International been like to date?

I started with PPI-NI through Tony McGaharan who told me about a few opportunities to coach basketball with PPI-NI. It turned out to be so much more! I was quite nervous when I initially started, as it was quite a big responsibility. It has been an incredible experience though, with going on weekends to complete training courses and traveling to Glasgow to take part in a basketball tournament that promotes diversity all over Scotland. It has been a fantastic process for me, not just professionally, but personally as well.

New friendships are even made at PeacePlayers International’s coaches training weekends! These focus on developing facilitation skills for the sessional coaches.

Tell me about your experiences with working with kids who have experiences growing up in interface areas?

Again, I was nervous when I initially started coaching any kids. Over time, through experience and training, I was able to feel confident in my abilities as a coach and facilitator. There were some however, who held back while participating in the programs. This was usually down to already developed opinions and beliefs surrounding a number of contentious issues that are in Northern Ireland. They might not speak to one another or they might not want to participate in the games, but most of the time, the children were just incredibly nervous about meeting kids from the school. In some cases, this would have been the first time some of the children would have met someone from a different community!

During the PeacePlayers International program, did you see any change in their attitudes towards each other? If so, why?

During the community relations time, the kids are able to talk about issues that might not be covered otherwise. They are able to hear experiences from both sides of the community and realize that a lot of the problems are the same on both sides. PeacePlayers International provides a safe and secure setting for these kids to talk about their experiences in topics like discrimination and sectarianism. Through this, the children are able to develop an understanding that difference can be positive, and that they can actually be friends with ‘the kids from over the wall’. Throughout each primary school twinning program, from start to finish, the results are incredibly tangible. In session #1, the kids are nervous, shy and want to stay in teams with their friends from their own school, but by session #7 (the last session that both schools are together) they are hugging one another, giving each other high-fives and sad that the program is over!

Some of our younger ‘Coaches In Training’ on the Champions 4 Peace program are now able to step up and assist the coaches.

As a sessional coach for PPI-NI, do you see yourself as a role model and leader for the children who take part in PeacePlayers International?

Yes, but I think a better description is being part of a catalyst for positive change. Without PeacePlayers International, I don’t think that these children would be interacting with each other in the way they do. There is a large element of being a leader and role model for the kids, but that is just a part of the work. There is more of an emphasis in teaching the kids how to be leaders and role models in their communities.

Do you think that PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland is making positive social change within the communities in Northern Ireland?

Without a doubt! The training and development of the coaches and facilitators is really good. The support that the sessional staff have makes the implementation of the PPI programs so effective. The curriculum that has been developed by Joanne (Curriculum Development & Project Coordinator) works incredibly well within the primary school twinning programs. The progression of the programs from twinnings to Junior B.I.L. to the tournaments like Jingle Ball and Summer Jam gives the children from the different communities as much time to interact and engage with each other as possible and this can only be positive for the future.

PPI-NI Managing Director, Gareth Harper, facilitates a community relations session that helps the kids to develop their understanding of the issues still present in Northern Ireland.

PeacePlayers International would like to thank all of the sessional staff for their continued help and support on all of our programs.

Hadas (second from right) enjoys a celebratory meal with fellow All-Star champions.

This week’s blog is written by Hadas Prawer, a member of the Leadership Development Program and the Jerusalem All-Stars.

Hello, my name is Hadas, and I’m a Jewish 17-year-old from Jerusalem. Two weeks ago, I was reading International Fellow Jamie Walsh’s blog, and I started thinking that we, the participants of the program, should be sharing our thoughts and feelings as well, especially with everything that is going on with the conflict right now. That’s why I decided to write this week’s blog.

I’m in America right now for soccer camp, and all I can think about is what is going on back in the Middle East. I know everyone already knows about the war that is happening, but the thing that bothers me the most is what is going on between the people in my region. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to see the hate between both sides, and it’s true that there will always be extremist groups that will try to spread the hate, but the question is why do we let them affect us so easily? If you look on any social media site you can see racism and hate from both sides towards each other, and that is what bothers me the most. But there’s a little light of hope in the middle of all this hate (at least for me), and this light is called PeacePlayers.

Hadas and three of her fellow All Stars celebrating after a big win.

Here’s an example:

Besides basketball, I also play soccer for A.S.A. Tel Aviv (a team that only has Jewish players), and my team got to the national championship game against Sakhnin. For those of you who don’t know, this team is from an Arab village in northern Israel. A few minutes after the game started, I saw a group of people coming into the stadium, and I was surprised to see a group of my friends from PeacePlayers coming to support my team and I. Now try to picture it: a Jewish team playing against an Arab team. You are Arab, but your friend is playing for the Jewish team. My friends cheered for me. What would you do in this situation? In some places in the world, this might not seem so crazy, but where I’m from, most of the time Arabs and Jews don’t exactly cheer each other on at sports games. When they cheered for me, I was so proud to be a part of PeacePlayers. I was so happy that I got to know these girls, and that without a doubt, these girls changed my life. Anyone that was watching the game was so surprised. I think it sends a message, loud and clear, that our friendship is stronger than any war, and we will continue to be friends forever. Our friendship is there to show the world that there’s another way, a better way.

Hadas (second from left) at this year’s Peace League at the American International School in Even Yehuda.

The message I want to pass on is this:

It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter what you are, always support the people you care about. Dare to say out loud, “We refuse to be enemies, we refuse to hate each other.” I can say it, and I am saying it. And I bet, if you ask anyone that is a part of PeacePlayers, we would all say the same thing: “We are PeacePlayers, and we are against the hate and racism. We won’t let our society dictate to us who to hate and who to like. We are PeacePlayers, and we refuse to be enemies, no matter what. We are PeacePlayers, and we are here to prove that there’s a better way for all of us!”

Cetin over four years ago with Coach Adam!

Today’s blog is brought to you by Cetin Pirlanta, our oldest PPI-CY member and Leadership Development Program participant. He shares his 8 years in the program and what he hopes to do with PeacePlayers in the future. He is the son of legendary PeacePlayers coach, Sevki Pirlanta.

Hi everyone…This is the time for me to share some things about myself and PeacePlayers and why I joined PeacePlayers. So first of all, I would like to introduce my self- I am Cetin and I am 18 years old and I have started my college life this year. I am a Cypriot guy that loves his island very much and expecting peace again this island one day. I have been in this program since It was started so I can easily say that I am the oldest player in this program.

Cetin jumping high for the lay up

First, when I started this program I was an inexperienced small kid and I was worrying about how to get together with Greek-Cypriot  people but now I can easily get talk and play basketball with anyone. This is the one of the values that I learned from PeacePlayers. I am practicing in Iskele (Trikomo). This year I started to coach practices to small basketbal players while also playing with the older kids.

Through PeacePlayers I have learnt how to share, trust, cooperate, and respect everyone, creating friendship and peace. PeacePlayers taught us whatever your religion or language you are talking, it doesn’t matter. The world is small and there are lots of people so we have to live with peace and love to have a great life with great people. Another point for me is having new friends so I will get know another cultures and their countries. PeacePlayers provides us this easily so every one gets to know each others’ cultures from South to North side.

My favorite thing in this program are the Summer Camps. Camps are so joyful and I learn so much from them. At these camps we meet with previous NBA or WNBA players, so this is the biggest adventage for us. By teaching us what they know from their experience and Cypriot coaches teach us many things too. By these camps we will get more experience and meet some new friends. These camps are the reason I met Alexis, a very tall Greek-Cypriot, one my best friend all around the world. We have good conversations and relationship so I can easily trust him with all my heart.

Cetin and Alexis at summer camp many years ago!

Lastly, I can easily invite everyone to PeacePlayers to have beautiful life and increase your knowledge by great coaches. By the 8 years in this program, from the first year to up now, I became a mature person. I hope that I can become a full time coach for PeacePlayers one day. No life without PeacePlayers-Cyprus. So I want to thank to PPI-Cyprus family to get me this point so I promise that I will improve my self everyday.

Everyone had an awesome time at PPI-NI’s Jingle Ball basketball tournament!

Today’s blog is by PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland Managing Director, Gareth Harper. Gareth talks about PPI – NI’s Jingle Ball basketball tournament in relation to the ongoing efforts of the other PeacePlayers sites to commemorate the Christmas Truce, a time during World War I when British, French, and German soldiers stopped fighting, exchanged gifts, and played sports.

On 6 December 2014, PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland hosted its annual Jingle Ball basketball tournament. This year, the event recognized the 100th anniversary of the World War I Christmas Truce that took place on the Western Front on Christmas Day, 1914. The event was of several that PeacePlayers globally has been involved with to celebrate the courage of those first Peace Players who stepped into “No Man’s Land”, during a time of conflict, to show a different way.

Both the Christmas Truce and Jingle Ball are about coming together.

The spirit of Christmas 1914 was on full display December 6, when 140 modern day Peace Players aged 9-14 years old from north, south, east and west Belfast came together to take over the entire bottom floor of Stranmillis College’s sports hall. The participants had been polishing their basketball skills for 12 weeks in the Beflast Interface League on their respective sides of the city. While playing on these integrated teams, they were able to not only develop practical basketball skills, but also take part in community relations discussions which allowed them to understand and learn about the communities and backgrounds their new friends were from. Their leaders, be it their coaches, parent, teachers or community leaders have been encouraging them into their no-man’s land to build sustainable relationships.

On 9 December 2014, PeacePlayers volunteers supported a commemorative screening of the French film “Joyeux Noel” from 2005, which the events of that Christmas Day 1914. The film depicts events through the eyes of French, Scottish and German soldiers. In addition, later this month, our PeacePlayers colleagues in Cyprus will be working with the British High Commission to commemorate the Christmas Truce; they are planning to recreate  a football match within the Buffer Zone. An international team that will include United Nations soldiers, representatives from foreign missions and diplomats will compete against a bi-communal Cyprus team, which will include PeacePlayers International -Cyprus players. The event, weather permitting, is scheduled for the 22nd of December. The symbolism of these events poignantly and powerfully support us in reflecting upon the bravery and courage of those first Peace Players whose actions 100 years ago continue to inspire all that we strive for today – bringing together divided communities through sport.

So this Christmas let us keep in our thoughts and prayers the Peace Players on the Western Front 100 years ago and all those since, whom in many areas of conflict, have proved and continue to prove that through sport and other means, there is a different way and that friendship works.

Friendship is one of the main reasons why our kids play.

Last Twinning between Kiryat Anavim and Ein Rafah, both communities from the Jerusalem area

PeacePlayers-Middle East has made it through another year packed with programming. The year is winding down with only a few more Twinnings left. A Twinning is essentially a joint practice for youth from two communities, one Jewish and one Arab. The Twinning communities are usually relatively close in proximity to each other but have little to no communication or interaction before joining PeacePlayers.

Most of the teams have said their “see you laters” as summer break approaches. As a project manager in the North, I’ve seen some amazing things happen in the Twinnings between Tamra and Nahariya, as well as Meiser and Kfar Saba. Tamra and Nahariya are both in the north, while Meiser is in the Menashe region in the center of Israel and Kfar Saba is about an hour north of Tel Aviv.

Playing Scramble at a Twinning between Meiser Boys and Kfar Saba Boys

No one expects there to be instantaneous friendships from the first, second, or even third Twinning. Getting familiar takes time, but once two teams begin to see each other regularly, they begin to take it to the next level. From my experience, the Meiser and Kfar Saba Girls’ teams have almost been an exception. Right off the bat they were ready to learn each other’s names and have fun together. What I noticed about Kfar Saba and Meiser was that while the girls were intimidated at first, it took only a few players who led by example to make the others come out of their shell. By the third Twinning, I noticed several girls from both teams trying to speak to each other using the little Hebrew and Arabic they knew. It was amazing!

Players from Kfar Saba Girls and Meiser Girls team hand in hand completing a Twinning relay race

Not only were they trying to communicate together using words they picked up from Twinnings, but while they were waiting on the side for their turn to participate in drills they were even playing together with games they invented. While it’s sad that there will be a few months without these Twinnings, I look forward to starting another year and seeing what they can achieve!

By keeping the same Twinning partner year after year, PeacePlayers ensures that true friendships form. Our Twinning season will start again sometime at the end of October so stay tuned!

This weeks blog was written by former PPI-CY Fellow, Ryan Hage. Ryan was an outstanding member of our family for over a year. After finishing his fellowship, Ryan accepted a position at his alma mater, Fordham University, where he currently works with their men’s basketball team. The following is his “ode” to the fellowship:

Ryan and PPI-CY participants preparing for tip-off at a Twinning event.

Looking back, it’s funny to me that when PeacePlayers offered me the fellowship, there was a moment of hesitation to accept. Little did I know that it would be one of the greatest things I would ever do.

Let’s put aside for a second that you get to live on a Mediterranean island or work with kids in the outskirts of Durban, South Africa. That you can get the best hummus in the world with some hummus experts in Jerusalem or explore a country that is famous for warm people in not so warm Northern Ireland.

Your job is to TEACH THE GAME OF BASKETBALL IN THE NAME OF PEACE. Does that even sound real? I look back at it now and think of it as almost too good to be true. I have to look at Facebook pictures and text old coaches to make sure it wasn’t just a dream. I know the role of an International Fellow is different from site to site, but the main responsibility is to share your knowledge of the game of basketball while making kids feel comfortable enough to build relationships in conflict areas. Sounds pretty amazing, right?

Ryan, Jale and Jessica at PPI-CY Summer Camp 2015

I received a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something I am extremely passionate about and share that with others, but I also got to do it while making a Cypriot family 7,000 miles away from home. The greatest part of my fellowship was going to help with practice in Iskele and then being invited for dinner every single week at Coach Sevki’s house; getting a coffee with Coach Koulendis to talk PeacePlayers strategy for hours after watching him work his magic at Faneromeni school; having a boss that is so supportive and helpful with anything issue or topic, from helping me with the annual budget to helping me cook a turkey for Thanksgiving. Jale Canlibalik is the greatest boss I will ever have.

Calling up PeacePlayers Coach Nicos Mashias to play pickup with International Fellow and great friend Jessica Walton on a random Tuesday night and then going out for a Mediterranean feast afterwards was a regular occurrence that I will miss forever. Asking PPI-CY Program Manager Stephanie Nicolas about political barriers to hosting an event and then calling her because I blew a tire again and need her help is a resource I will miss very much. But I know I have made a Cypriot family that I will have for life, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that.

While the details are different, I know the love, learning, and support to be the experience of each fellow at every site because I have had countless conversations with fellows from the other sites. After traveling to PeacePlayers-Middle East many times and seeing the impact a single fellow can have on a site and how much that site can have on a fellow, I knew it wasn’t only my experience. Now I have best friends like Heni Bizawi, Program Manager of PPI-ME, that I could ask for advice for our own programming and also someone who I count as a friend for life.

If you are thinking about applying to the fellowship but may not be sure how it will affect you with your career or if it will be everything you want it to be, then let me put your worries at ease. It will be the most transformational experience of your life. You are given the freedom to really make a difference and put your stamp on a program that is changing lives. Former fellows have gone on to work for the NBA, Nike, and attend Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service.

“I want YOU for the fellowship”

It has been very sad to see my time with PeacePlayers end, but I will be forever grateful for being able to do something I love with such amazing people. To use PPI-ME Fellow and friend Jamie Walsh’s words, “how lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

So if you are thinking about applying or know some who should, APPLY NOW!!!!!

Sophia with her fellow campers at PPI-CY summer camp 2015

This week’s blog is written by PeacePlayers Alum, Sophia Georiou. Sophia recently enrolled in her first year of university in Nicosia. An active member of PPI-CY and the Leadership Development Program for the past few years, Sophia decided to reflect on her time with PeacePlayers and the beginning of her new journey at university.

Hi Guys! My name is Sophia and I’m from Larnaca, Cyprus. I’ve been a PeacePlayer for a few years and I’ve just begun my first year of university in Nicosia. A few months ago I moved out of my family home and into a new city with my brother who is also studying in university. I decided to focus my studies on radiotherapy and radio diagnostics. So far I’m really enjoying my lessons, particularly anatomy and radio physics.

Sophia, Helin and Toot at PPI-CY summer camp 2015

I was so surprised to find that while making this new transition from high school to university, I would find similarities in some of my sessions I had while I was with PeacePlayers. I participated in a classroom session at a Leadership Development retreat. We were learning about setting, achieving and maintaining goals in the long-term and short-term. I can easily relate to goal setting here in university as I work towards achieving and sustaining a strong GPA, set up study schedules, plan projects and study for midterms.

Sophia with Coach Steph

Luckily for me, my PeacePlayers family is still around to support me. My first day of classes I got lost and was having trouble finding the school. Thanks to my great relationship with one of my PPI coaches Steph (who happens to live close by), she picked me up and helped me find my way around. Some of my favorite memories come from my time spent at PPI. I had a blast at the last summer camp, meeting up with my old friends and making new ones with the participants from other PPI sites. I’ll never forget hanging out with my friends Mush and Toot and scaring our friends in between our basketball and classroom sessions! Thankfully we caught some of it on camera. It’s nice to know that as I start this new chapter filled with new memories, I can still hold on to these great ones. It’s great that I’m able to keep in touch with my PPI friends and even find time to meet up with some of them too.

This weeks blog is written by Thobani Khumalo, PPI-SA LDP Co-ordinator, who attended the PPI LEAD4PEACE Summer Camp in Cyrus.

Thetha and his”Caranilla” team mates

The 2016 LEAD4PEACE Camp that took place in Cyprus was one of a kind. The camp empowered young people from across the world, who were leaders in their own right, to enhance their knowledge about leadership and peace building. PPI-SA was able to send 5 participants to take part in the camp.  They all had life changing experiences and left the camp more confident in their leadership skills. The camp was packed with leadership activities; basketball sessions and site quizzes that helped participants learn more about each of the PPI sites.

They participated in leadership and basketball activities that broadened their mindset and

Thetha and his”Caranilla” team mates

through these activities they learnt from their peers who have diverse experiences. All four of the participants from PPI-SA who attended the camp share their thoughts on the camp below:

“It’s was great for me to hear about what happens in  the other sites around the world and to be able to make new friends. I really hope to go to another leadership camp in the future.” Nomfundo Ngcobo.

“I felt like we had more in common with the people in my team and this made me feel more comfortable. What made me really happy was that my team selected me to win the MVP (Most Valuable Player) award. I felt so appreciated.” Meagen Montiere  

“I met a lot of people and I gained more knowledge about others PPI sites. My teammates were great and always supportive even when you made a mistake or missed a shot they did not point fingers or shout at me. This was one of the lessons I will take back with me and apply in my team to help our team be better.” Ayanda Dlamini

“It was hard for me to bond with the other guys,  because I didn’t know if they would be accepted. My roommate helped me to unlock my suitcase, and that helped me come out my shell. Once the camp started and we had to work in teams, I started making friends.” Thetha Nxumalo.

A group picture from the Lead4Peace Summer Camp.

The Summer Camp was generously made possible by Laureus and the Erasmus+ program

This week’s post is brought to you by Managing Director of PPI-NI, Gareth Harper.

9 days and counting…
In just over a week from now the brilliant PPI-NI team will be hosting its annual
Jingle Ball tournament. Over 150 excited Catholic and Protestant children and
young people will gather at Queens PEC for an afternoon of fun, friendship and
basketball. In preparing ourselves for this really amazing flagship event we have
been kicking back and taking it easy… NOT!

This has probably been the busiest November in PeacePlayers Northern Ireland
history. As well as managing our usual schedule of Twinning and after school
programming; our amazing team has been planning and preparing for an
international exchange to Cyprus; delivering an expanded programme of training
and experiential learning with our Junior and Senior Champions for Peace, and
kicking off two Peace IV funded technical assistance programmes in Mid & East
Antrim. This would freak some mere mortal organisations out – but not PPI-NI.
The buzz is amazing! The office is a flurry of activity, with folks grabbing 5mins
here and 10mins there to keep each other up-to- speed and seek input and
support in making all of this happen.

I’m so proud of this fantastic team. Each and every one is committed to doing the
best job possible, and dedicated to always going the extra yard for PPI-NI’s
participants.

To give you a feel for all of this, here’s some photos to give you a snap shot of
what we all were up to at the weekend:
Sat 25th :
 10am – 12pm: Castlewellan Co. Down, Cooperation Ireland – Cross
border CR through sport training session with a cross border group of 45
young people from Cork and Belfast.
 12pm – 2pm: North Belfast, Co-Op Store OldPark – Celebration day for
local causes – PPI-NI picked up a cheque for £2558.00

Cake from the Co-Op!

 9am – 7pm: Junior C4P study visit to Ulster American Folk Park*

 4pm – 10pm: Senior C4P U.S.N.I Youth Leadership Initiative and
Friendship Four Ice Hockey Tournament
Sun 26th :
 3pm – 6pm: Coaches training session

This week as Debbie, Joanne and Andrew head out to Cyprus with a group of 12
of our Coaches Development Programme (CDP) participants, the rest of the team
will be holding the fort; delivering 7 Twinning’s, 4 BIL sessions, and planning not
only for Jingle Ball on the 9 th but also for PPI-NI’s Strategic Planning session on
the 12 th December. Bring it on!
Are we all a wee bit tired and just a wee bit under pressure? For sure. But hey,
if it was too easy it would be no fun at all. More coffee anyone?
#itscooltobeapeaceplayer

*as a part of the trip to the Ulster American Folk Park, those in attendance learned about Thanksgiving and wrote what they were thankful for. Here are a few!

Hi, my name is Ayelet, I am 14 years old and this is my seventh year in PeacePlayers. When I was little, I was the kind of girl who didn’t fit in in dance classes like the rest of my friends. I was looking for something different, so I decided to follow in my older sister’s footsteps and joined a basketball team. By joining PeacePlayers, I found exactly what I was looking for. When I play basketball, I love it; the satisfaction of winning a game not only as an individual, but as a team, plays a major role in that. While choosing basketball I wasn’t looking for friends, but I found them.

Even basketball players love shopping, so when my [Arab] teammate and friend Keynana turned twelve we decided to celebrate at the mall. We tried on clothes, we ate, we chatted – it was a very fun night! During our stroll in the mall we bumped in to some [Jewish] friends from my school. They came up to say hello and realized Keynana had an accent. They were shocked as it was their first time speaking to an Arab person their age. For me it was just a night out with my teammate, but for them it was a very unusual experience. The next day in school they asked me a bunch of questions and after telling them about Keynana, her hobbies, her likes and dislikes and after showing them a couple of photos of the two of us, they started to understand that she is a teenager like us and a great friend of mine. In that moment I realized what PeacePlayers is all about. I might have joined only to play basketball, but it turned out to be so much more than that.

Peace shouldn’t come from the politicians but from two girls playing basketball and going shopping together. On April 6^th, we celebrate the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, but in PeacePlayers, I feel like we are celebrating this day every day!