Tag Archives: Fellows

by | September 11, 2012 · 3:00 pm

New PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) Fellow Chris Schumerth Reflects on his PPI Beginnings

American Fellow Chris Schumerth joined the PPI-NI staff in mid-August. Here, he reflects on his first month in Belfast and what brought him there: 

My road to PeacePlayers has been a windy one, but I suppose it started in 2008 when I read an article by Chad Ford. As a former athlete who had dabbled in coaching and a student of political science and international relations, the program seemed a perfect merger of two interests. But because I had only recently committed to a job at that point, I did not apply for the program until 2010.

Before filling out the application, I–like many Americans at the time–had been captivated by the Invictus film and the book that inspired it, John Carlin’s Playing the Enemy. As I interviewed a couple of times with PPI’s South Africa office, I was sure this was exactly what and where I was supposed to be. Except…I wasn’t offered the position. I received the news with great disappointment and ultimately enrolled in graduate school.

Truthfully, I had all but given up on the idea when I received the e-mail requesting an interview with the Northern Ireland site in January of this year. Northern Ireland, of course, has its own versions of the Invictus story. During this second round of application and interview, uprooting my life had become increasingly complex, but when an offer was extended, I simply could not pass up such an opportunity to learn and hopefully contribute some of who I am to a place with its own unique history with both conflict and sport.

I was supposed to arrive for my term with Megan Lynch, but Visa problems postponed my arrival by a week. Now that I am here, a month settled into Belfast, I am relishing the cultural differences like a new currency, different driving norms, and constant use of the word “wee.” Not to mention the huge ego trip that results from–for the first time in a decade–teams from several sports (basketball, American football, baseball) trying to woo me onto their teams.

But I’m still thinking and living out this same question that drew me to the program in the first place: is there a possibility that sport might play a role in the healing of a society that has been ravaged by sectarian violence. That sport can be venue in which difference doesn’t exclude.

I thought about those things, during my first week in Belfast, when I stumbled upon a Northern Ireland-Finland soccer ticket. So I attended and watched the locals earn a 3-3 draw at Windsor Park, a place that has reputably been a place and team for Protestants, but is increasingly becoming more open to Catholics and others, more of a united team for Northern Ireland.

Chris (pictured on the right) participated in a OCN Level one training along with fellow coaches and PPI-NI Junior coaches

I was also thinking about diversity within sport a few days later when I helped coach the basketball sessions at a Game of Three Halves (soccer, Gaelic football, and rugby) Camp, and a group of twenty or so young adults from Eastern Europe crashed our afternoon session. I’m still not sure exactly what happened, and I use the word “crashed” affectionately here, but these young men and women had almost no basketball skill, but they enthusiastically jumped right in and had a blast throwing basketballs at hoops as a part of their visit to Belfast. There is this universal appeal to sport and competition and our ability to channel that appeal is a great responsibility.

New PPI-NI Fellow Chris Schumerth takes in an American college football game in Dublin.

I was still thinking about the ability of sport to bring different people together for good last weekend on a personal trip to Dublin to watch my beloved Notre Dame Fighting Irish take on the Naval Academy in football as a part of the Emerald Isle Classic. The two teams have played each other with great respect every year since 1914. During the second half of the twentieth century, the largely one-sided rivalry continued as an appreciation of Navy’s financial assistance to Notre Dame during World War II. The fans at this year’s game seemed to be a mix of curious locals, tourists, and football fans.

I trust that there is much more to come in the way of work, sport, learning, and observation, and I relish this two-year opportunity to intentionally participate with PPI-NI.

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by | July 30, 2012 · 6:02 pm

The Peace Players International Fellowship

International Fellow (PPI-NI) Meghan Houlihan with Spring Jam 2012 champions the Liberty and team coach Ashling Hughes.

Since 2001, PPI has recruited 75 outstanding post-collegiate scholar-athletes to serve two year terms with its programs. PPI Fellows share their basketball expertise, serve as mentors and role models, and act as neutral facilitators for PPI coaches and participants. Fellows also benefit from an exceptional educational and professional experience abroad and are at the forefront of a worldwide movement to use sport as a vehicle for social change.

After completing their fellowships, PPI alumni have gone on to pursue careers in fields including finance, sports management, social entrepreneurship, and international development. They have attended graduate schools including the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Columbia University Business School, Tuft’s Fletcher School of Diplomacy, and the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. Others have gone on to work for organizations like Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, ELEVATE New Orleans, MEET (Middle East Education Through Technology), and DuPlays (Social Sports in Dubai).

Adam Hirsch (PPI-CY ’12) completed his Fellowship this spring.

As part of his graduate degree, alumnus Harry Morra (NI ’08) is leading a research project at Lehigh University to evaluate the impact Fellows and Program Directors have had on PPI, as well as how Fellows’ international experiences have helped them grow as individuals. With this formal evaluation, PPI hopes to secure ongoing funding for the Fellows program.

Stay tuned for stories from PPI alumni who share how peace-building through sport has affected them professionally and personally.

Read alumnus Adam Hirsch’s reflection on his two and a half years in Cyprus here.

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by | June 1, 2012 · 2:26 pm

A Sustainable Structure in Cyprus: PPI Fellow Adam Hirsch’s Departure in Context

It is always difficult to say goodbye to PPI fellows. Serving two year in PPI’s program sites, they become well known within the communities we work with.

Fellow Adam Hirsch finished his 2-year commitment as a fellow this past week for PeacePlayers – Cyprus.  Of Adam, our Managing Director Marina Vasilara says “PPI-CY is grateful to Adam for being a great coach, art teacher, blogger, communication innovator, and supporter of peace in every way.  We shall miss him every day.”  Adam was here for about two and a half years and his impact was something that I could see in all aspects of the job. At first I was referred to as “the new Adam.”

I remember the first few practices I went to, the kids would stare up at me curisouly. I would point to the middle of my chest and say simply: “new Adam.” They would smile and nod, as if I was a little cooler simply by association. After a while I began to refer to myself as “the new Adam” everywhere I went. I would meet coaches for the first time and explain who I was putting my identity in the context of old fellows, whose names continue to pop up in conversations. Adam’s work on monitroing and evaluation projects, his astuteness as an artist who not only could produce amazing murals in record time but lend to them a social impact as well, and his obvious passion for the work he was doing were all aspects of his personality that were assets PeacePlayer’s came to appreciate and benefit from.

Although it was difficult to say goodbye to Adam,the staff and the knowledge in Cyprus remains.

Now that Adam is no longer working for PeacePlayers the question “what now”  pops into mind. Adam was a excellent trainer, but there are still parts of his tenure that are lost; the differences between a new fellow and an experienced fellow manifest in understanding of society, organizational structure, and a number of other positives that only come with time. Such “brain drain” caused by attrition in international development organizations can often be a large problem.

A pertinent issue in international development organizations is sustainability and the retention of workers and knowledge. For example, organizations in the public health field that operate in developing and third world countries face a common problem of worker turnover and attrition, where, for various reasons, community health workers leave their posts and move on to other jobs.  Groups are often left where they started: in need of workers and a system of sustainable recruitment and retention.

PeacePlayer’s reaction to a similar problem of attrition is an impressive one.

The local partnerships set up between the office in DC and the local staff in each of our four locations neutralize the threats of volunteer departure.

While volunteers come and go, the staff and the knowledge remain. The local staff, including managing directors, coordinators, and coaches, form a group of workers that localize PeacePlayers. Sometimes I sit in my office and stare in amazement as our coaches, coordinators, and managers rattle off impressive lists of twinning locations, practice times, player’s names, and PPI know-how.

This retention of knowledge can also be seen by anyone who observes a PeacePlayers activity.  For example, at our end of the year tournament I was tasked with various duties to make sure the Greek-Cypriot and Turksih-Cypriot participants followed the rules and played the PPI way.  I had a team of local staff helping me with every question I had.  My head was on a swivel and each spin simply made me more and more confused, but each time my head stopped moving someone with a PPI shirt was there to answer my questions.

In conclusion, fellows as important and helpful as Adam Hirsch can be tough to wave goodbye to, but the structure that PPI has set up  retains the local skills and knowledge of the PPI-way.

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by | April 25, 2012 · 1:47 pm

All-Star Sunday in Belfast

PPI-NI's very own Coach Tony emceed the event.

PeacePlayers International first came to Northern Ireland in 2002, and since then, the organization has become well known throughout the different communities across the province. Through the involvement of our American fellows in local basketball clubs, PPI-NI has been able to build strong relationships within the Northern Ireland basketball community.

On Sunday 22nd April, several members of the PPI-NI staff participated in the inaugural All-Star basketball event, which took place in the University of Ulster, Jordanstown.

A golden ball for the All Star!

The event was organized by the Courtside Collective, including local PPI-NI Project Coordinator, Tony McGaharan, who emceed the event. Fellow Meghan Houlihan finished third the in the coed 3-point shoot-out, just missing out for a spot in the finals, and Fellow Rory Leddy O’Neil and local coach Connor McElroy were voted in as All-Stars and represented Belfast in the exhibition game. Local Coordinators Joanne Fitzpatrick and Darryl Petticrew played their role as the entertainment coordinators, running competitions for children during the time-outs and quarter breaks, while Gareth Harper, PPI-NI’s Managing Director, brought his entire family to support the event.

The event was another great example of how sport can bring people together, regardless of background, nationality or religion; a core theme of the PPI mission. The two All-Star teams comprised players from across Northern Ireland and spectators  travelled from as a far a field as County Donegal, Armagh, Newry and L-Derry to watch their favorite players.

Click here to view the BBC Newsline report.

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by | June 3, 2011 · 1:38 pm

PPI-Cyprus Participates in Three NGO Fairs

PPI-CY Managing Director Marina Vasilara, and PPI Fellow Adam Hirsch talk about PeacePlayers at an NGO Fair in Nicosia.

This past month, PPI-Cyprus participated in three NGO Fairs that promoted the work of 39 community organizations. Two of the fairs were organized by ENGAGE, Do Your Part for Peace project and funded by UNDP-ACT. The ENGAGE fairs attracted some 3,000 people under the slogan, “Come and meet some of the NGOs of Cyprus and discover their good work!” These all-day events were celebrations of the work of the island’s busy civil society sector. “The fair was a great way to bring these different organizations together and celebrate the diversity of the work we each do, and gave us a chance to talk about future collaborations,” one NGO representative said.

PPI Fellows set up a basketball hoop for the Limassol fair.

DJs, music, dance, choir and theater groups created a festive atmosphere, while a range of educational and recreational activities, such as balloon creations, face painting, clay sculpture, painting, giant chess games, backgammon,  were offered for the children. PPI-CY was proud to be there and participate in the festivities. We set up a basketball hoop, inviting kids and adults to partake in some mini-basketball and try out their luck against the PPI Fellows in games like “PIG” and Knockout.

The third fair was organized by the Cyprus Youth Board and focused on promoting volunteerism within the European Union. On hand was the Cyprus Minister of Education and Culture, Mr. Andreas Dimitriou, and EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, Mrs. Androulla Vassiliou. Both made time to shake hands with PPI-CY staff and talk about the impact that PeacePlayers is having in Cyprus.

Traditional Cypriot dancers performed at one of the NGO fairs.

PPI-CY gained a lot of publicity from the fairs by handing out hundreds of flyers, talking to parents and community members, and signing up local youth to participate in upcoming events. It is very important for PPI-CY to spread its message throughout Cyprus, and also begin to get influential people supporting its mission so that we can continue to grow and bring new children into the program. These three fairs were great steps towards that goal, and we are looking forward to partaking in similar events in the future.

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by | April 5, 2010 · 1:56 pm

What Is a “PeacePlayers International Fellow”?

Mike, a former Fellow in the Middle East, draws up a play.

Ellen, a current Fellow in Northern Ireland, giving a young PeacePlayer a lift.

“From the Field” is primarily the work of a particular group within PeacePlayers International, the “PeacePlayers International Fellows,” a group of young scholar-athletes that volunteer with PPI all around the world. Most of the time, what you read here is written by a Fellow, and when it isn’t, they’ve usually gone out and done the leg work to recruit an alternate contributor.  But the Fellows’ importance to PPI goes far beyond a few hundred words and some pretty pictures each week – they form a key element in the partnership at the heart of PPI’s methodology.

The primary implementers of programs in all our sites are local coach-mentors drawn from the communities they serve, who report to, and receive ongoing professional training from, a diverse team of local managers, continually cultivating local capacity and expertise. To support these local leaders, PPI recruits and trains the Fellows – outstanding post-collegiate young adults, most often from the United States, who volunteer with PPI programs abroad for two-year terms. The Fellows are in the field to assist and support local staffs – serving as neutral facilitators, adding in-house basketball expertise, bringing an exotic element of excitement and fun, and lending a hand across all functional areas. This unique collaboration between young adults and community leaders abroad underlies all of PPI’s locally tailored, sustainable basketball and peacebuilding programs.

Tim (right), a Fellow in South Africa, with S'bo Vilakazi (center), PPI - SA's Managing Director, and Ryan Douwie (left), PPI - SA's Operations Manager.

Fellows typically come to PPI with a Bachelor’s degree and either a graduate degree or a few years of professional experience. Their background is diverse – right now PPI has Fellows with backgrounds in business, finance, sports, Middle East studies, nonprofit administration and more – but they’re all leaders, professionals, and devoted workers for peace. Previous Fellows have gone on to work for the NBA, the United Nations, and Division I NCAA basketball programs, or attend graduate schools like Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, just to name a few.

So to our current crop of Fellows – Tim, Claire, Ellen, Will, Julie, Rory, Gunnar, and Adam – thank you so much for your work! To our previous Fellows – too numerous to name here – know that your work is appreciated and extended continually by your successors. And if you think you might be a future Fellow, visit our website to learn more.

Teams from North Nicosia and the English School in Cyprus, with their Fellows, Rory (top row, far right), Gunnar (top row, far left), and Adam (bottom row, with basketball).

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by | January 27, 2010 · 6:00 am

Welcome Claire Perry: PPI-SA’s Newest Fellow

Who better to introduce Claire Perry, our newest PeacePlayers International Fellow in South Africa, than herself?  Please read Claire’s entry on her journey through basketball and non-profit work, which culminated last week with a PPI Fellowship.

Claire on the court for Cornell.

Ask any one of my family or friends my goal in life and they will simply answer, “PeacePlayers.”  For what seems like the longest time, I have wanted to be, and worked to be, a PeacePlayers International Fellow, and I finally can say all my unlikely decisions and choices have paid off.  I am now a PPI Fellow for the next two years in Durban, South Africa.  And it feels good!

Basketball was introduced to me at age four by my many siblings (youngest of five) and parents.  Fortunately, after hundreds of hours of shooting and gaming in our backyard, and countless practices and tournaments within the nation (courtesy of my parents and siblings driving and supporting me during these endeavors), I played basketball throughout college at Cornell University.  As an economics and business major, when fellow classmates were searching for finance internships and analyst positions post-graduation, I searched for non-profit positions within the sport-for-social change sector.  PPI initially sparked my interest when my mom found an article in a national newspaper that highlighted PPI’s Northern Ireland program.  What I found most amazing about PPI, and subsequently the following programs I would work for, is how sport was taught as more than a game.  Since reading that article, my goal was to be involved in as many sport-for-social change programs as possible, leading eventually to a position within PPI.

Harlem RBI was my first introduction to this particular sector and my experiences only strengthened my desire to continue working with sport and youth.  RBI’s positive influence within their beautiful community has strengthened the area by teaching a baseball-, life skills-, and literacy-based curriculum to elementary, middle, and high school youth.  The results for RBI participants are clear: those involved in safe, stimulating activities during out-of-school and summer time score higher on tests, attend school more regularly, and matriculate high school on a higher percentage when compared to their classmates not involved in similar programs.

Claire (far right) and the Perry family.

After graduation, I continued my involvement with sports as a volunteer coach for Keene State, a Division III school, while working full time as a business analyst within the wholesale grocery business.  Always at the front of my mind, however, were my experiences at RBI and this constant desire to return to a similar RBI experience.  Next came the unusual decision of leaving a very secure and comfortable job to volunteer with AmeriCorps.  Similar to the RBI curriculum, I taught tennis, literacy, and life skills to Boston, Dorchester, and Roxbury middle school youth with Tenacity, another sport-for-social change non-profit organization.  After a brief time coaching area youth in my hometown after AmeriCorps year, I am now working for PPI.

I have talked and dreamt about PeacePlayers for so long now, of the program’s unmatched ability to bridge racial, religious, and ethnic barriers and teach awareness of HIV/AIDS and differing cultures through the medium of basketball, that to say I am actually working for PPI seems unreal. I used to read through this very blog, wondering what it would be like to be the one writing, to experience the Fellowship instead of just talking about the program. And now here I am, introducing myself as South Africa’s new PPI Fellow. Very surreal, indeed.

I am excited for the next two years as I serve under and with the most welcoming and amazing SA staff, coaches, and players.  I’m no longer hoping and wishing; I’m living my dream.  Thank you PeacePlayers!

P.S. Want to take a simple action to support Claire and PeacePlayers International?  PPI is now eligible for inclusion in the latest edition of CauseWorld, a mobile app that lets you earn “karmas” – badges backed up by donations from Citi and Kraft – for your favorite causes just by visiting your own local hangouts. Vote for PPI to be one of three new Causes included in this round. (You can find us fourth from the bottom of the list on the right.) There’s no registration required and, with just a few seconds of your time, you’ll help Claire and others like her continue working to improve the lives of children in divided communities all over the world!

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by | January 18, 2010 · 3:17 pm

The PPI Fellowship Alumni

Matt Minoff huddling up with some early PPI-ME participants.

Over the years, PPI has been proud to have dozens of outstanding young adults serve as PeacePlayers International Fellows in the field, several of whom you’ve already met right here. However, today’s Fellows, fantastic as they are, build on the legacy of those who’ve come before, our Fellowship alumni.

The only thing greater than the potential the alumni have to keep creating positive change in the world may just their supply of stories. With that in mind, we interviewed Matt Minoff, the former Managing Director of PeacePlayers International – Middle East and COO of Nabbr, an Internet start-up, to learn more about his experiences with PPI and how they influenced his own future.

PPI: Do you have a favorite memory from your time with PPI?

MM: Yes. It was at the end of the first Building Bridges Camp, a weeklong overnight camp we did at the Wingate Institute [in Natanya, Israel]. We had a whole bunch of coaches, and over a 100 Jewish-Israeli and Arab-Israeli kids there. It took probably six months to plan. And it was amazing. At the end, a kid hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to win the championship game. I remember seeing that team run onto the court – Israeli kids, Arab kids, it didn’t matter. I remember seeing them all jumping around together and going, “Whoa. This is really working.”

Read the full interview here.

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by | December 18, 2009 · 11:03 pm

PPI Says Goodbye to Michael Vaughan-Cherubin

Michael Vaughan-Cherubin, a PeacePlayers International Fellow in the Middle East since 2006, ended his time with the organization last month. Below, Karen Doubilet, PPI’s Managing Director in Israel and the West Bank, explains what Mike meant to the organization.

The month is October, and the year is 2006: I (the 5 ½ feet tall new Managing Director, resembling a miniature) is greeted by three towering American basketball players, who were serving as full-time Fellows in the Middle East program. I should have been intimidated, maybe even frightened, but a bubbly exuberant giant named Michael Vaughan-Cherubin immediately assuaged my fears. At 6 foot 5 inches tall, he was hardly intimidating. I was immediately impressed by his charisma, intelligence, leadership, and, most of all, by his extraordinary ability to make you smile.

Mike works with a team from Beit Shemesh in the 2007 Jerusalem Girls' League

Immediately, Michael stood out as an initiator. The Jerusalem Peace League and Leadership Development programs are among the initiatives to his credit. However, what cannot be summed up on paper or in words are the relationships that Mike has built in the communities where we work: from children, coaches, teachers, principals, to the cashier at the local grocery store, Mike surely made an impression on everyone he interacted with. A team of PPI girls even threatened to quit when they heard that Michael was leaving. That won’t be happening, but even the thought speaks volumes.

Mike coaching a team of girls (who hopefully won't be quitting..)

Michael lived, ate, slept, and breathed PPI – ME for more than three years. He has been an inseparable part of the face and the soul of the organization. He always put PPI first — and I know that it was exhausting, but I also know that it reaped the greatest of rewards. Because of this, Michael can move on knowing that he made an indelible impression on thousands of children, coaches and their communities in the Middle East.

We wish Michael the best of luck in his future endeavours, and are certain he will be successful in whatever path he chooses. However, wherever he is in the world and wherever life takes him, Michael Vaughan-Cherubin will always be a PeacePlayer!

-Karen Doubilet, PPI – ME Managing Director

Everyone at PPI would like to echo Karen’s thoughts, and thank Mike for his inspiring service to our organization. Good luck, Mike!

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