Tag Archives: conflict

by | August 24, 2012 · 4:27 pm

From the Archive: PPI-Cyprus Proposes a Basketball Court in the Buffer Zone

Today’s From the Field blog will take a look at a post from PPI-CY’s past, from October 15, 2010. 

The Nicosia Buffer Zone, the proposed location of the PeacePlayers Buffer Zone Basketball Court

Just a 5 minute walk from PeacePlayers – Cyprus’ office in downtown Nicosia lies a 10 foot brick wall covered in barbed wire that cuts through the center of the city. This wall guards the edge of the “green line” or “buffer zone,” a militarized area controlled by the United Nations that runs 110 miles over the full length of the Cyprus. This barren land is a constant reminder of the tragic events that occurred over 35 years ago, which left a country divided into two parts.

But what if this area can be turned from a symbol of conflict, to a symbol of peace?

The blue band across the center of the island is the buffer zone. Click to see the map in more detail.

Cyprus has been a divided island since 1974, after a Greek military coup followed by an invasion by the Turkish Army left the island’s Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot residents separated by the buffer zone. Today, Cyprus remains partitioned by the UN-patrolled buffer zone, with Greek-Cypriots concentrated in the southern part of the island and Turkish-Cypriots in the north. Only in 2003 were even limited crossings allowed between the two communities, and children from both ethnic groups are still subjected to negative propaganda about the other side from their parents, schools and media.

A girls team of Greek- and Turkish-Cypriots at this years PeacePlayers Peace Day Basketball Tournament

We at PeacePlayers – Cyprus use the game of basketball to facilitate positive dialogue and interaction between Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot youth, with the ultimate goal being improved relations between the two communities in Cyprus. There is currently no basketball court located in the buffer zone, which means all basketball games must be located on either side of the green line. This creates a major problem because many kids and parents from both communities cannot or will not cross to the other side.

Building a court in the buffer zone would be a symbol for peace; a safe place where children from two divided communities can come together on neutral ground to play, learn and grow for generations.

We are currently working with many partners to try to make this dream a reality. Nothing like this has been done before in Cyprus, and there are some obstacles in our way. But the impact a Buffer Zone court would be immeasurable. The buffer zone is one of the only areas on the island where Greek and Turkish-Cypriots can meet on equal terms. It is more than “convenient,” it is essential to the impact we ultimately hope to make.

The PeacePlayers Buffer Zone Basketball Court would not only be practical for many kids to use, but a picturesque symbol for hope in the center of conflict, in the divided capital of Cyprus.

P.S. PPI – Cyprus has entered this project into an innovative design competition sponsored by Architecture for Humanity and Game Changers’ “Sports Micro Venture Fund.” Check it out here.

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by | October 15, 2010 · 12:39 pm

PPI-Cyprus Proposes a Basketball Court in the Buffer Zone

The Nicosia Buffer Zone, the proposed location of the PeacePlayers Buffer Zone Basketball Court

Just a 5 minute walk from PeacePlayers – Cyprus’ office in downtown Nicosia lies a 10 foot brick wall covered in barbed wire that cuts through the center of the city. This wall guards the edge of the “green line” or “buffer zone,” a militarized area controlled by the United Nations that runs 110 miles over the full length of the Cyprus. This barren land is a constant reminder of the tragic events that occurred over 35 years ago, which left a country divided into two parts.

But what if this area can be turned from a symbol of conflict, to a symbol of peace?

The blue band across the center of the island is the buffer zone. Click to see the map in more detail.

Cyprus has been a divided island since 1974, after a Greek military coup followed by an invasion by the Turkish Army left the island’s Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot residents separated by the buffer zone. Today, Cyprus remains partitioned by the UN-patrolled buffer zone, with Greek-Cypriots concentrated in the southern part of the island and Turkish-Cypriots in the north. Only in 2003 were even limited crossings allowed between the two communities, and children from both ethnic groups are still subjected to negative propaganda about the other side from their parents, schools and media.

A girls team of Greek- and Turkish-Cypriots at this years PeacePlayers Peace Day Basketball Tournament

We at PeacePlayers – Cyprus use the game of basketball to facilitate positive dialogue and interaction between Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot youth, with the ultimate goal being improved relations between the two communities in Cyprus. There is currently no basketball court located in the buffer zone, which means all basketball games must be located on either side of the green line. This creates a major problem because many kids and parents from both communities cannot or will not cross to the other side.

Building a court in the buffer zone would be a symbol for peace; a safe place where children from two divided communities can come together on neutral ground to play, learn and grow for generations.

We are currently working with many partners to try to make this dream a reality. Nothing like this has been done before in Cyprus, and there are some obstacles in our way. But the impact a Buffer Zone court would be immeasurable. The buffer zone is one of the only areas on the island where Greek and Turkish-Cypriots can meet on equal terms. It is more than “convenient,” it is essential to the impact we ultimately hope to make. 

The PeacePlayers Buffer Zone Basketball Court would not only be practical for many kids to use, but a picturesque symbol for hope in the center of conflict, in the divided capital of Cyprus.

P.S. PPI – Cyprus has entered this project into an innovative design competition sponsored by Architecture for Humanity and Game Changers’ “Sports Micro Venture Fund.” Check it out here.

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by | October 11, 2010 · 12:54 pm

PeacePlayers International Delivers

Subscribe to our newsletter to learn more about what PeacePlayers International is making possible around the world.

We know. You love PeacePlayers International and the work that we do. You’re inspired when you read about our emerging young leaders and devoted coaches. Our success stories, like the new Jerusalem All Stars initiative, get you fired up and ready to spend the day making a difference.

But you’re busy. Especially now that the basketball season’s getting started. You love PeacePlayers International, but you can’t realistically make your way over here to FTF every day, and as a result you might be missing some of the great stories we’ve got about how basketball is making a difference in conflict-afflicted communities.

We know. That’s why we’ve got a regular e-newsletter, released about once each month, that will deliver the best of From the Field right to your inbox.

Click here to join.

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by | June 23, 2010 · 12:17 pm

Thank You, Northern Ireland

Ellen Cosgrove, a PeacePlayers International Fellow in Northern Ireland since 2008, will be ending her time with the program at the end of this month. Below, she looks back at her time in Belfast and thanks everyone who’s been a part of it.

"Coach Ellen," at right in blue, facilitating a community relations discussion.

When I stepped off the plane in February 2008, I really had no idea what the next two and half years would hold. Now looking back at my time in Northern Ireland and with PeacePlayers, the feeling that I find overwhelming is one of gratitude. I feel gratitude for the complicated place that has been my home and the people who have taught me so much in my time here.

Walking the students at Holy Cross Girls to Wheatfield Primary

First off I would like to thank all of my PPI co-workers in Northern Ireland, the other global sites, D.C., and those who are no longer with the organization. Each individual I have worked with has taught me something and I have been very lucky to have their support during my time here. I am fortunate that the people I have worked with have become a family for me away from home and it will be very hard to say goodbye. I also owe a huge thank you to the board members, principals, teachers, community workers and everyone else whom I have had the pleasure to meet, work with and learn from.

Northern Ireland has given me quite a lot to be thankful for – from its fickle weather (that will always make me appreciate sun) to its breathtaking scenery that fills hundreds of my pictures. It’s a country with unique sayings, sometimes brutal humor and a distinctive local cuisine. The craic really has been “ninety” and I will never say no to more than one potato side dish with my dinner. You also can’t beat a place where you are never more than a block away from a “chippy” that can serve you up a delicious cheesy chips and gravy at almost any time of the day or night.

Leading her team to sweet sweet victory at Spring Jam!

Jokes aside, it is the kids of Northern Ireland who I really need to thank the most. The enthusiasm and energy that they bring to all of our programs is the reason I get up in the morning. Their surprising honesty and poignant questions during discussions have challenged me to constantly think on my feet and never stop learning about the culture and conflict here. It is their comments and actions that also give me great hope for the future of NI and the world. Lastly, I would like to thank the kids of NI for teaching me how to have fun with sports again in a way that I have not experienced since I was a kid myself.

This fall I will be attending Brandeis University for a Masters program in Coexistence and Conflict. I look forward to reflecting on my experience and continuing on a similar career path. I may be moving on from PeacePlayers and Northern Ireland but I will never forget my time here and what I have learned. So thank you NI and don’t worry, I will be back!

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by | April 1, 2010 · 1:35 pm

Why Peace?: UNICEF on Children and Conflict

UNICEF: "The most effective way of protecting children’s rights is to prevent conflict and promote peace."

Typically, here on FTF we talk about the whos and the whats of PeacePlayers International – who we’re working with around the world and what we’re doing, together, to improve the lives of young people. But today we’re going to take a different perspective, and step away from the whos and whats to look at the why. Why children? Why conflict? Our readers come from all over the world, so why should you, From-the-Fielders, care about what happens in Belfast or Nicosia or Jerusalem or Durban when there’s so much need right in your own backyard?

We recently came across this study from UNICEF on the impact of conflict on children that makes the absolute necessity of conflict management, resolution and transformation absolutely clear. Some key facts below. (A warning: this is not an April Fool’s Joke. We wish it were, but the reality is all too sobering. Skip to the end to see what we’re doing to change that.)

  • “An emerging body of United Nations reports and research illustrates that changing characteristics of armed conflict have created new threats to children.” Wars are rarely fought between two armies out in a field anymore – their fought in cities, towns and villages – near hospitals, schools and playground. And everyone, whether they want to be or not, is a potential targat and soldier.
  • “Often threats continue even after hostilities cease.” ‘Post-conflict’ and ‘conflict’ are not diametric opposites, but rather closely related points on the same spectrum. ‘Conflicts’ can simmer at a low intensity for years after the establishment of a formal peace, and peace agreements are extremely fragile for at least a decade after their conclusion.
  • “In addition to thousands of children being killed and wounded every year as a direct result of fighting, many more children in conflict contexts die from malnutrition and disease.” The report cites the International Rescue Commitee‘s study of mortality in the Democratic Repulic of the Congo, where a full 86% of death were caused by “indirect consequences of war.” Children, more vulnerable to disease and community upheaval, bore the brunt of the suffering.
  • “Not only is responding to conflict a moral obligation; protection is in the direct security interests of all States.” Wars ‘over there’ aren’t just ‘over there’ anymore; their effects can (and will) be felt all around the world.

But the study doesn’t stop at just painting this admittedly grim picture. “The most effective way of protecting childen’s rights,” explain the authors, “is to prevent conflict and promote peace.”

That’s why we do what we do. Preventing conflict must be a priority to protect the lives of the world’s children, and it must be a priority for everyone, from Belfast to Jerusalem to Skokie, Illinois. PeacePlayers International’s solution?

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