Author Archives: ashleyjohnson13

by | May 17, 2013 · 2:18 pm

PeacePlayers-Cyprus takes the court with The Harlem Globetrotters!

The Harlem Globetrotters present a donation of 25,000Krones (3,300euro) to PeacePlayers-Cyprus!

The Harlem Globetrotters present a donation of 25,000 Krones to PeacePlayers-Cyprus!

It never hurts to dream big, right? That’s what the community of Nesodden were thinking when they contacted the world famous Harlem Globetrotters, requesting a visit to their quiet community in Norway. In Nesodden, the game of basketball was already breaking down barriers as PeacePlayers-Cyprus’  basketball team of Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot boys were playing for the Hasna Cup, the first time ever that children from the divided island had the chance to compete together in an international competition.

Look out below!

It was our kids’ dream to play with the Globetrotters

But when a response came from the Globetrotters, the coaches’ and the community’s dream became reality.  The Globetrotters agreed to fly five of their players all the way to Nesodden for a community wide show (little did we know that the entire show was to going to be dedicated to the youth of PeacePlayers).

Friday evening came and people from all over the village showed up for the event. Goril, our teams’ amazing local host, said, “I think the experience was incredibly special.”  If seeing and playing alongside the Harlem Globetrotters wasn’t surreal enough for our PeacePlayers’ team, the real surprise came at the end of the evening. As the Globetrotters’ show came to an end, they called our boys to the court, this time to present a check for 25,000 Krones (about 3,300 euro)!  The surprise donation was raised through tickets sales and a bake sale that was hosted during the game.

What an unbelievable and unexpected gift from our new friends in Nesodden.  They will forever be a part of PeacePlayers-Cyprus and we look forward to the day that we can welcome them to our home here on the island of Cyprus.

A globetrotter

Orhan, from PeacePlayers-Cyprus, tests his defense against Fatima “TNT” Maddox

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by | May 10, 2013 · 3:44 pm

Happy Mother’s Day from PeacePlayers!

PeacePlayer Dimitris Charalambous and his mother Cleopatra

Cleopatra Charalambous and her son, Dimitris, outside of Larnaca, Cyprus

If it weren’t for the love, support and encouragement of our mom’s we wouldn’t be the people we are today. That is why this week, in honor of Mother’s Day, we wanted to get to know one of our amazing PPI moms, Cleopatra Charalambous,  mother of one of our very special young leaders, Dimitris.

PeacePlayer Dimitris Charalambous and his mother Cleopatra

Dimitris and his mother Cleopatra in their home in Larnaca

Cleopatra was raised in London but returned to Cyprus over 20 years ago.  A mother of four, and working full-time at UCLAN University in Pyla, Cyprus, Cleopatra is quite a busy woman.  She is the epitome of hard working, loving moms worldwide who balance their professionalism with the invaluable task of raising and shaping their children into the young leaders they dream for them to become.

Having been raised in the multi-cultural atmosphere that is London, Cleopatra  developed an understanding of the importance of respecting other cultures and seeing people as people.  Even while raising her children in the quiet community of Larnaca, Cleopatra has managed to pass along these important  values to her children.

Dimitris (left) getting ready to play with his bi-communal team at the Hasna Cup in Norway

Dimitris (left) getting ready to play with his bi-communal team at the Hasna Cup in Norway

Six months ago Cleopatra’s 16 year old son Dimitris joined PeacePlayers and has already become a standout participant. After demonstrating leadership on and off the court, Dimitris was chosen to attend our Leadership Development Camp in Kantara  and travled to Norway with the PeacePlayers bi-communal boys’ team to compete in the Hansa Cup.

“PeacePlayers has been such a great opportunity for Dimitris, it is only too bad that he found out about the organization so late.  He doesn’t want to detach from the organization so when he finishes playing he wants to become a PeacePlayers leader.”

Dimitris with his new friend Tunc at the LDP camp in Kantara

Dimitris (left) with his new friend, Tunc, at the LDP camp in Kantara

Cleopatra has been very supportive of her son’s interest in PeacePlayers, and is thankful for the opportunity for Dimitris to develop new friendships with young people from all over Cyprus. When we asked Dimitris if his mom was nervous about going to the LDP camp in Kantara he said, “I don’t think so. She thinks it is great for me to have friends that are Turkish-Cypriots and I would spend more time with them.”

Cleopatra is the kind of encouraging parent that we as an organization are grateful for. When asked what she would like to see from PeacePlayers in the future, she responded, “I would love to see more children in Cyprus have the opportunity to be a part of PeacePlayers.  The organisation is an excellent tool for promoting good relations between our Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot communities, and the kids that are involved are getting a lot out of it.”

On behalf of the entire PPI family around the world, we are wishing every mom a Happy Mother’s Day!

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by | May 3, 2013 · 2:50 pm

We Were CYPRIOTS – A Coach’s Journey With PeacePlayers

Michalis (right) with his team of Cypriots after the final match at the Hasna Cup in Bergen, Norway

Michalis (far right) with the PeacePlayers – Cyprus team after the final match at the Hansa Cup

This week’s blog is written by Coach Michalis Seraphim of PPI – Cyprus’ Kiti boys and girls teams.  Michalis, along with PPI coaches Bahar Mevlit, Thanasis Souflias and Sevki Pirlanta, recently traveled to Norway with a PeacePlayers bi-communal boys basketball team to compete for the prestigious Hansa Cup.  PeacePlayers would like to thank the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Jotun Group and Nordic Choice Hotels, who all contributed to having Cyprus’ first integrated basketball team compete in international competition. 

The boys arrive in Norway, greeted by one of the trips sponsors: The Jotun Group, who gave them each a team jacket

The boys arrive in Norway, greeted by one of the trips sponsors: The Jotun Group, who gave them each a team jacket

May 23rd was the day we had all been waiting for and it had finally arrived. Just 7 weeks after forming Cyprus’ first ever bi-communal boys’  basketball team, our group of 12 teenage boys and 4 coaches headed to the airport to begin our journey in Norway. After a 5-hour flight from Paphos, we arrived in Oslo where we met with representatives from the Jotun Group – one of our sponsors for the trip – were given new jackets, and ferried to the city of Nesodden to meet our host families who were members of the Nesodden Basketball Team. The warmth that we felt from the Nesodden team immediately lifted off any reluctance from our boys, demonstrating how sports can overcome social barriers like language, nationality and culture (in our case electronic video consoles helped too!).

Hanging with the Harlem Globetrotters!

Hanging with the Harlem Globetrotters!

In Nesodden we visited a local high school where our boys gave a presentation to 2 different classes on the history of Cyprus, PeacePlayers and how we are using basketball to bridge divides in conflict areas. Most exciting event, however, was watching and participating in a show with The Harlem Globetrotters (more stories about that in next week’s blog).

We also had the chance to spend two days in Oslo where we visited the Holmenkollen Ski Jump and Museum, the Nobel Peace Center, the Red Cross Central Office, the Peace Research Institute of Oslo (PRIO), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and State Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Gry Larsen. These experiences increased our understanding of Norway’s firm dedication and legacy in promoting peace worldwide. Regarding Cyprus, it is my personal opinion that PRIO’s Cyprus Center should get more recognition as it has published a variety of scientific research on the Cyprus conflict.

THE GAME

Coach Thanasis directs and encourages the team during a time-out

Coach Thanasis directs and encourages the team during a time-out

We arrived in Bergen early Saturday, April 27th with only a few hours of sleep. The sense that the tournament was bigger than we had thought was causing a little stress for everybody. The Hansa Cup is the most prestigious tournament in Norway, attracting the majority of Norwegian clubs to compete. We didn’t fully realize the magnitude of the tournament until we spoke with other coaches and players. Just being there was a milestone for our organization – for the first time a competitive team, comprised of both Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots, was going to compete in an official international tournament.

These factors brought a tremendous amount of passion to our team. We won our first game handily. The fear of the unknown made our boys struggle for every ball, fight for every possession, they just spilled their guts out! After our first game the coaches could see in our team’s eyes that any social barriers that may have remained had disappeared. They were ONE team, they were boys who love the game, they were CYPRIOTS, and although our opponents in the second game were stronger, we won it too.

The trip covered in local media from both communities

The trip was covered by local media in both Cypriot communities

That night the boys slept well and awoke Sunday ready to play. Even though we had only really had a few practices together, there was the feeling that we had been together as a team for many months, partially due to our time spent together at the LDP camp in Kantara, and  the 3 days in Nesodden. With this spirit inside of us we proceeded to the knock-out stage of the tournament, advancing all the way to the finals. After a hard fought match, we finished second and were awarded the silver medal. But this was much more than winning or losing: this was a group  that started as a mixed group of boys from different communities and finished up as one team.

This was an experience that gave positive emotions to everybody. I hope PeacePlayers participates again, and I hope to see Nesodden young players at our summer camps in Cyprus. Finally, I hope that other players, boys and girls, and other coaches, have the opportunity for such an experience because I believe that this journey was the essence of what PeacePlayers is all about.

P.S. What I described above would not be possible if we coaches did not lead by example. For most of us, it was the first time that we were in a coaching staff of 4, not to mention leading a mixed group, and I believe that each of us played a specific role that was crucial to our success.

P.P.S. Special credit needs to be given to my friend and fellow coach, Sevki Pirlanta, for being PPI’s photographer and capturing so many wonderful memories we will cherish forever. To see all the pictures from our journey, like our Facebook Page!

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by | April 26, 2013 · 1:46 pm

PeacePlayers Leadership Development Retreat at Kantara Camp!

PeacePlayers-Cyprus team bike ride to the Kantara Castle built in the 10th century

PeacePlayers-Cyprus team bike ride to the Kantara Castle built in the 10th century

“Play for peace, respect each other” answered one of our PeacePlayers Leadership Development participants when we asked her what PPI-Cyprus means to her. This past weekend 31 PeacePlayers boys and girls between the ages of 15 to 17, spent 3 days and 2 nights at our semi-annual leadership retreat. Friday afternoon the buses picked up the kids and brought them to the checkpoint in Nicosia, but this time was different than all of our previous weekend retreats. Instead of the Turkish Cypriot youth crossing through the checkpoints into the south, it was the young Greek Cypriots turn to now cross to their friends’ side in the north for a long weekend. While to an outsider this may seem like just another weekend camp, to those of us within the PeacePlayers-Cyprus family we understand the depths of meaning behind this moment. The staff and the board at PPI-CY has been making an effort to balance out the number of events that we hold in the two communities and give our players the opportunities to feel comfortable visiting the rest of their island.

PPI-Cy LDP participants go bug catching in the forest as part of the weekend's environmental education sessions

PPI-CY LDP participants go bug catching in the forest as part of the weekend’s environmental education sessions

Kantara camp is nestled in the mountains that stretch out towards the Karpaz Peninsula on the northeastern stretches of the island. Three outdoor basketball courts surrounded by small bunkhouses in the forested mountain range made for an ideal setting for our weekend retreat. Respect was the buzz word for the weekend as we explored the essences of respecting one another, respecting ourselves and respecting the environment. Nick Symmons, from The Cyprus Environmental Studies Centre led sessions in the classroom and in the forest focusing on bio-diversity and environmental awareness.

The retreat also served as a bonding, teambuilding weekend for our PeacePlayers boys team who left Tuesday for their week long trip to Norway to play in the Hansa Cup. They arrived Tuesday evening in Oslo and took a ferry up to Nessodden where they are currently living with host families, visiting the local high school and playing friendly matches with the local team, who happen to also be their host brothers. Check out the video that aired on national TV in Norway: http://nrksuper.no/super/supernytt/2013/04/25/spiller-for-fred/

Please follow along on our Facebook page for daily updates from the team!

PPI-Cyprus boys team plays a friendly scrimmage match with their host brothers from the Nesodden boys team in Norway

PPI-Cyprus boys team plays a friendly scrimmage match with their host brothers from the Nesodden boys team in Norway

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by | April 19, 2013 · 2:44 pm

PeacePlayers-Cyprus boys prepare for their tournament in Norway

PeacePlayers team working hard and having fun preparing for their trip to Norway!

PeacePlayers team working hard and having fun preparing for their trip to Norway!

In just 4 days our first ever competitive bi communal basketball team composed of 6 Greek-Cypriot and 6 Turkish-Cypriot boys will be boarding a plane en route to Norway.  An opportunity of a lifetime!

The upcoming tournament that will take place in Bergen, Norway is the focus and the excitement of every team member.  However, the experience begins long before the tip-off at the tournament, especially for these boys.  Many of the team members had met one another through PeacePlayers events and the previous summer camp, but few of them have ever been teammates with one another, let alone teammates with their peers from the opposite community.  Taking these facts into consideration, one begins to understand the essence of the preparation stage for a team like PeacePlayers.  They have many hurdles to overcome to become one unit, to support each other and to play together as a team in every way.

Coach Thanasis leads the boys in their huddle

Coach Thanasis leads the boys in their huddle

While bonding on the court is important, the bond created off the court between the teammates will be just as essential. This weekend the boys have the opportunity to focus on developing this bond both on and off the court.  The team will depart today along with 20 young leaders from our PeacePlayers teams from across the island to Kantara Camp.  The Leadership Retreat will consist of two full days of team-building and leadership development activities as well as intensive team workouts. One of the four coaches that will be traveling to Norway with the team, Michalis Seraphim, said, “this weekend will be a real catalyst for our boys to bond on and off the court.  For them this is just the beginning, the start of an opportunity, one in which they will build relationships and common memories that will last a lifetime.”

Let the adventure begin!

Please follow along on our PeacePlayers-Cyprus Facebook page for updates from the team during their time in Norway.

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by | April 12, 2013 · 2:39 pm

World School Basketball Championships in Cyprus!

World School Basketball Championships! Hosted in Cyprus

World School Basketball Championships! Hosted in Cyprus

This week we catch up with PeacePlayers-Cyprus’ Stephanie Nicolas as she shares her experiences as a volunteer for The World School Basketball Championships, hosted this past week in Cyprus.

Describe what the World School Basketball Championships are:

The World School Basketball Championships are organized by the International School Sport Federation (ISF) and the ministry of education in each participating country. ISF organizes international competitions in different sporting disciplines and encourages contests between school students with a view to promote better mutual understanding. It seeks close collaboration with the school authorities of member countries, with the international sporting federations concerned, and with international organizations having similar aims.

The World School Basketball Championship, held this past week, hosted teams from 28 different countries from across the world. The teams came together to compete in the game of basketball and create friendships with youth from across the world.

The organizing body of The World School Basketball Championships, the ISF, finds its values in its commitment to the school and its pedagogical framework. Promoting the understanding between the young people of today who will be the leaders of tomorrow. Each ISF organized project highlights cultural and social connections between the participants.

How and why did you become a volunteer? 

I read somewhere that the World School Basketball Championships were going to take place in Cyprus from March 28th – April 4th  in Ayia Napa and I asked my PE teacher from school, who I still keep in touch with, to get me involved in this event, and that’s how everything started. I wanted to volunteer in this event for several reasons, one being that it involves basketball, a sport I love.  Also, I wanted to see the different levels of basketball from schools across the world and of course to make new friendships and learn about different cultures.

Share briefly your own experiences as a Volunteer:

It was an amazing experience, I watched around 2-3 basketball games a day and learned a lot about the organizational aspects of such a large scale event and what it takes to make it successful. Working with different countries and getting to know their culture was something different and great at the same time, and during the cultural event that was hosted, we learned more about the kids schools and culture. The cultural shows that stood out to the most to me were a traditional dance from the team from India and a black light show put on by the team from Germany.

What was the highlight of the week for you?

Everything was amazing during that week, the level of basketball was fantastic, something that we are missing a lot here in Cyprus and I saw the opportunities that other countries offer to their athletes. The finals were great! The girls final was between a school from Turkey and a school from Serbia, and the boys final between a school from Turkey and a school from Slovenia. The girls had an easy final game, but the boys final was like watching a mini NBA final happening. At the end,  both Turkish schools won and they showed a great level of basketball during the finals and of course during the entire week of the event.

Stef's team from Denmark whom she volunteered with throughout the entire week

Stef’s team from Denmark whom she volunteered with throughout the entire week

However, I cannot forget the team I was with the entire week, the lovely Denmark. The teams were fantastic, both boys and girls teams came from the same school (EVN – Efterskolen in Nyborg) and had a great level of basketball. The kids were fantastic and showed a great attitude during their stay in Cyprus and from what I saw they enjoyed it a lot. I would also like to mention their coaches, Geof, Karen, Bob, Keld and their head of delegation, Karin. They were great and I had a fantastic time with them and getting to know them, hopefully I will be able to see them soon.

What connection do you see between the World School Basketball Championships and PeacePlayers?

ISF and PeacePlayers have the same goals as organizations. They aim, through sport, to educate children and promote mutual understanding. In addition, both organizations bring children together from across the globe and create opportunities for them to learn about different cultures, countries, and of course improve their knowledge of the sport they love.

Why was this experience valuable for you personally and professionally in your work with PPI?  

This experience was fantastic. I gained a lot of knowledge on how to make an event like this one successful and promote education through sport. Professionally, it created a lot of future connections with different countries across the globe that can help PeacePlayers and the participants of PPI to develop as an organization and individually. Furthering the connection with some of the schools that took part in this event will be fantastic for the future of PeacePlayers.

The boys and girls teams from Turkey celebrate center court after their World Championship victories

The boys and girls teams from Turkey celebrate center court after their World Championship victories

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by | April 5, 2013 · 1:37 pm

From Cyprus to Norway: PPI Crosses New Borders Together

Ambassador Larsen joins PeacePlayers for the Press Conference announcing the upcoming trip to Norway

Ambassador Larsen joins PeacePlayers for the Press Conference announcing the upcoming trip to Norway

PeacePlayers-Cyprus is excited to announce they will be sending the first ever bi-communal boys basketball team to compete internationally in the upcoming Hansa Cup in Norway.  The opportunity is generously supported through collaboration of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affiars, the EEA grants and Norwegian companies: The Jotun Group and The Norwegian Choice Hotels.  The trip will fund the participation of 6 Greek-Cypriot and 6 Turkish-Cypriot PeacePlayers to join forces and compete as one at the Norwegian youth basketball tournament to be held in Bergen, Norway.  The boys will spend 7 days in Norway from April 23rd through April 30th.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our youth” says coach Orhun Mevlit.  The players will not only be playing basketball with one another, but they will also have the opportunity for significant cultural exchange as the boys will be staying with host families, visiting local schools, meeting with representatives from the Norwegian Minstry of Foreign Affairs in Oslo and visiting the Peace Research Institute of Oslo(PRIO).

Ambassador Sjur Larsen, the dynamic Norwegian Ambassador to Greece and Cyprus, initiated the idea.  Ambassador Larsen learned about PeacePlayers this past year and instantly was drawn to our mission of using sport as a tool to promote peace and build friendships across a divided island.  This past October when the Norwegian National Football team arrived in Cyprus for a friendly match the Ambassador assembled a crew to join PeacePlayers on the court for a scrimmage and to learn more about our program (check out the blog from this event: Norway National team teams with PPI).  From that time forward the relationship has continued to grow and Ambassador Larsen has worked to seek an opportunity to further connect our communities.

Aral shares with the press what this opportunity means to him

PeacePlayers Participant, Aral, shares with the press what this opportunity means to him

Currently the team of 12 is working hard, practicing 2-3 times a week in preparation for their upcoming trip to Norway.  PeacePlayers and Ambassador Larsen hosted a Press Conference yesterday at The Home for Cooperation inviting members of press from across the island.  Two of the players, Aral Aziz and Savvas Argyrou, represented the team at the press conference.  When each were asked what this trip means to them, Aral responded, “This is a great opportunity not only to play basketball, but to make new friends” and Savvas stated, “this is a great chance to learn about the Norwegian culture and to play basketball with my Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot friends.”  While many of the boys had met each other before becoming teammates, they now share a common vision stepping on the court as one team representing a united Cyprus.

Continue to follow our blog for updates on the team as the young men build their connections on and off the court through this tremendous opportunity.

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by | March 29, 2013 · 4:23 pm

Cyprus Plays On!

PeacePlayers participants and families unite together for a barbecue a nice distraction away from the current Economic Woes that have hit the country

PeacePlayers participants and families unite together for a barbecue a nice distraction away from the current Economic Woes that have hit the country

This week, International Fellow Ashley Johnson provides an update on the financial situation in Cyprus and how PPI – Cyprus is playing on 

A creative new way to practice their crossovers with holla-hoops

A creative new way to practice their crossovers with holla-hoops

The story of Cyprus’ financial collapse seems to be headlining the news across the world over the last two weeks.  I have had friends from as far away as Afghanistan and Africa email me to ask my perspective from the ground in Cyprus.  One cannot seem to escape the constant newsfeed and information flow.  Every single individual in Cyprus’ life has been forever imprinted with the events of the past two weeks.  As I write this blog entry the banks re-open their doors, today is Thursday March 26th and the banks have been officially closed since Friday March 15th.  This past Monday night, the 25th of March, on the eve of the EU and IMF enforced deadline, Cyprus came to an agreement with the EU and IMF on a 10 billion euro bailout deal.  However, in order to qualify for the deal Cyprus will have to raise 5.8 billion euros.  Significant capital control measures have been established placing strict restrictions on the outflow of cash.

While Cyprus as a whole remains engulfed in the banking reform, PeacePlayers-Cyprus plays on.  We knew Saturday morning March 16th would be a unique day in the history of PPI-CY, we didn’t realize it would also be a unique day in the history of the country. The same morning that it was announced that President Anastasiades had signed the original bailout plan (to be rejected days later on March 18th), PPI-CY hosted its first ever “twinning” combined with a parent’s barbecue.   Nearly 90 participants and families from both sides attended.

Gorkem steals the show during the picnic with a rendition of Gangem style on the picnic tables

Gorkem steals the show during the picnic with a rendition of Gangem style on the picnic tables

The gravity of the new announcement had not yet hit the public and the mood was quite jovial.  The participants, who are all members of our Leadership Development Program, greeted their friends from the other community and parents cheered from the sides as the kids played with one another on mixed teams.  Following the games, The United Nations Civil Affairs team announced that the troops stationed in Cyprus had raised funds to purchase new basketballs for our program.   Afterwards the participants and their families joined the PeacePlayers’ coaches, staff and board members for a large family style potluck and barbecue.  The event was a huge success and was a great step forward for PPI-CY as we seek to increase the parental engagement and support of our program.  With the fantastic turnout and excitement of the PeacePlayers’ “twinning” and barbecue we know at least one event that took place on this day will be forever embedded in a positive light in peoples’ minds.

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by | March 22, 2013 · 2:26 pm

A Pivotal Moment in the History of Cyprus

The Bank of Cyprus, whose doors remain closed during this week's collapse

The Bank of Cyprus, whose doors remain closed during this week’s collapse

This week, International Fellow Ashley Johnson shares her  personal experiences as Cyprus experiences a financial crisis

Outside my quiet, seemingly deserted bank, I walked up to the ATM machine.  With my last 20 euros being spent to refill my car with petrol I needed desperately to refill my wallet.   Just after entering my card the machine popped it right back out, no dispersing of any cash, just handing back the debit card that seems more worthless than ever.

Two blocks away from the UN Buffer Zone, where the PeacePlayers–Cyprus’ office is located, sits the Cyprus Parliament.  Outside a few hundred protestors gather, rather calmly at this point, yet filled with frustration and anxiety as they await on this Thursday evening a vote by the government on yet another proposed bailout plan.

A sign found amongst the protestors outside of Parliament this week

A sign found amongst the protestors outside of Parliament this week

Flashback to just a week ago: it was another sunny Friday afternoon on our Mediterranean island and Cypriots were preparing for the 3 day weekend of Clean Monday(the first day of lent in the Greek Orthodox ) and the infamous Carnival celebration in Limassol.   This same Friday afternoon, decision makers from the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades were locked in talks discussing a proposed bailout agreement.  This, just weeks after Anastasiades entered his first term as President of the Republic of Cyprus.  In the early hours of Saturday morning a bailout agreement had been made.  It was announced that an unprecedented tax would be levied on all depositors in Cyprus.  A few days later this bailout plan was rejected by Parliament in a vote Tuesday evening in the capital of Nicosia.

Flash forward to today, another sunny Friday, another day with an empty wallet, at least until I find a cash machine still stocked.  With banks still closed until this coming Tuesday, Cyprus has been given an ultimatum of finding and agreeing upon a deal before the banks reopen.  So here we await, once again, resting in the uncertainty looming around us.

This past week’s sentiments were best echoed in an email I received from the President of our board at PeacePlayers-Cyprus, “you are experiencing, my dear Ashley, a very pivotal moment in Cypriot, European and world history.”

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by | March 15, 2013 · 5:41 pm

Join PPI – Cyprus in their journey through The Middle East!

PeacePlayers - Cyprus family unites with PeacePlayers - Middle East in their recent journey to Israel

PeacePlayers – Cyprus family unites with PeacePlayers – Middle East in their recent journey to Israel

Nearing the completion of our exciting new PeacePlayers’ animations, supported by the Knowledge and Innovation Fund, Stephanie Nicolas and Ashley Johnson of PeacePlayers – Cyprus were presented with the tremendous opportunity to travel to Israel for a Practitioner’s Exchange trip.  This past week, the girls spent 6 days visiting different social media, peace building and youth development NGOs in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem to share the videos and receive feedback from well-versed practitioners in the field.

The organizations included:

-Peace Factory, creators of the widely followed social media campaign; Israel Loves Iran

-Kids4Peace Jerusalem, an NGO offering inter-faith and inter-cultural education to Israeli and Palestinian youth

-Windows – Channels for Communication, an NGO that promotes understanding and reconciliation between communities through youth journalism and media related educational programs.

-and PeacePlayers – Middle East!

This week we catch up with the girls to gain a bit of insight into their escapades in Israel:

What are some of the key messages you take from your meetings with the NGOs in Israel?

Sharing our videos with the creators of the Israel Loves Iran initiative

Sharing our videos with the creators of the Israel Loves Iran initiative

While in Israel, we met with several passionate, successful, ingenuitive organizations with very differing approaches to peace building.  The differing approaches and perspectives offered by each organization provided us tremendous feedback both positive and critical in regards to our animation project.  The suggestions will guide us in the refinement of our product and creation of the corresponding training modules that will accompany the videos.  After showing the videos to these various audiences, including 5 different focus groups with PeacePlayers Middle East participants, coaches and staff, we can confidently say that we have an outstanding engaging product transferrable across various cultures and perspectives.

 

Tell us about your time with PPI – ME, what is one thing that you would like to implement from the program in the Middle East here in Cyprus?

Our time with PPI – ME was so incredibly valuable.  The moment we arrived in Israel we felt welcomed into family, our PeacePlayers’ family.  The shared passion for our common mission of uniting youth from divided communities through the game of basketball was evident the moment we stepped foot on the court with their program.  One of the things that really marked both Stef and myself from PPI – ME programming was the coaching and leadership skills of the experienced older PPI participants.  Several of their LDPers (leadership development program participants) were taking on the role of leading twinnings and mentoring the younger youth.  We were so impressed with their passion for the game of basketball and their passion for sharing the mission of PeacePlayers with other youth.  We would love to develop some of our young leaders’ coaching skills just as PPI-ME has, and turn our current participants into the future coaches of PPI-CY.

During your time in Israel, did you have any opportunity to explore the country?

View from the Old City of Jerusalem

View from the Old City of Jerusalem

Our meetings and time spent at the retreat with PeacePlayers did not permit too much time for exploration, however we took full advantage of the small amount of free time we had.  Jerusalem is the most historically rich city that either of us has ever visited.  While in Jerusalem we had the opportunity to tour the 4 quarters of The Old City.  We also visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, purported to be the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection.  The visit was an experience that will last with us for a lifetime.

Any message you would like to share with the PPI – ME family? 

Thanks so much to the PPI – ME family for making us feel such a part of their team from the moment we met.  We have so much to exchange with one another and we are forever grateful for the experiences we had visiting their program.  We only hope to host a few of them in the near future so we can share the same hospitality once they are in Cyprus!

 

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