Although we have written many times about the courage and determination of the mixed Arab-Jewish All Stars teams of PPI – Middle East, no words can describe the skill, fitness and finesse displayed in this video of their match versus Rehovot. Check it out below. How many three-pointers and steals can you count?
Are you already missing the PeacePlayers-Cyprus Basketball Summer Camp? Us too! That is why we are showing you a sneak peak of the PPI-CY Summer Camp Newsletter.
And for a little extra, check out another short video from the camp!
PPI recently sat down with Luke David of Automatic Sports to discuss an exciting new video project. Since it was founded, PPI has been lucky enough to have some very talented people capture the power of its programs on film. One of the first (and, coincidentally, a toe-tapping way to start your Monday morning) is this short clip from a very good friend of the program named Christine Ryan:
Another staple of our portfolio is this interview piece, which debuted just recently from the Arbinger Institute, taking a close look at PPI’s peacebuilding philosophy in the Middle East:
We’ve even got a ringer on board. Will Maloney, who worked with PPI as a Fellow and Program Director in Northern Ireland for two years, is working on a semester-long project, capturing the program through the eyes of its participants. This is a sample of what’s to come:
But it’s been a while since we’ve had one single, powerful piece (like the “All in This Together” video above) that explores the many different ways that PPI can help bring a community divided by conflict together through basketball. That’s where Luke and Automatic come in. They’ll be helping us over the course of the next several weeks and months to tell our story in a compelling way, to ultimately give all of you a better idea of what PeacePlayers International means to the communities where we work in one concise package. So thanks from all of us go out to Luke and Automatic for helping bring a new way of looking at PPI to life. Judging from their samples, we’ve got something great in store.
Filed under Global
The Peristerona kids get into lines for a cooperation drill
Back in April we at PeacePlayers – Cyprus blogged about our visit to a new Greek-Cypriot primary school in the village of Peristerona. Now, 3 months later, the video capturing that visit is finally complete. Please take a look at this new community hoping to contribute to a new future for Cyprus.
Peristerona is an interesting village in Cyprus. Approaching it from the road, two unmistakable sights appear: the Greek-Orthodox Church of St. Barnabas and St. Hilarion and the two minarets of an abandoned mosque. Before the events of 1974, Peristerona was a mixed village, a place where Turkish-Cypriots and Greek-Cypriots lived together peacefully and worshipped right next to each other. Today, it is a Greek-Cypriot village, but situated only about 5 km from one of the five checkpoints in in the “buffer zone” that divides Cyprus’ Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot communities.
PPI-CY Managing Director Marina Vasilara and Fellows Adam Hirsch, Rory O’Neil, and Gunnar Hagstrom put on a show for the 5th and 6th graders of Peristerona’s primary school. First, the Greek-speaker of the group (Marina) gave a presentation on PPI-CY’s history, programs, and mission to the group of 50+ kids. Several short videos showed PPI-CY’s practices, twinnings, and events, much to the delight and amusement of the children in attendance.
Fellows Adam and Gunnar put their hands in for a final cheer
After that, it was time to get on the court and show these kids how PPI-CY brings together peace and basketball on the court. Dribbling relays with dancing, blindfolded teambuilding games, and crazy games of sharks and minows were all on the menu for this sunny day on the asphalt – with Rory, Adam, and Gunnar refusing to let these kids simply “go through the motions.” Before long, the screams, cheers, and clapping of the kids could probably be heard from miles away. A good barometer for PeacePlayers to see if a new area could start a PPI-CY program is always the enthusiasm of the kids participating. The sound of their screaming and cheering on this day was…deafening.
After the session, pictures were taken, the players and Fellows exchanged high-fives, and Marina presented free frisbies, hand-bags, and other little goodies from the E.U. to the children to take home. All in all, it was a great day for PPI-CY.
PeacePlayers International has long used YouTube to connect our fans all over the world to our work. Today, we’d like to highlight a new tool we’re using to get you exactly the information you’d like most. Now, we’ll be logging each video posted by our international staff onto a playlist pertaining only to that site. Want to catch up on the latest developments in Belfast? Want to see what’s been happening recently in Cyprus? Need a shot of optimism from the Middle East? Or some inspiration from South Africa? Just pull up the corresponding playlist, and let the videos roll.
In case you missed it, here’s one video put together by PPI Fellow Will Maloney in Northern Ireland. Filmed largely at the program’s annual year-end celebration, Spring Jam, it takes a look back at all the accomplishments of PPI – Northern Ireland’s most recent season and asks participants: “What does PeacePlayers International mean to you?”
Filed under Cyprus, Global, Northern Ireland, South Africa, The Middle East
As PPI – ME begins to wrap up and look back at the 2009 – 2010 programming season, one thing is clear: our kids can ball! PPI – ME youth are united by a love of basketball, which is reflected in the hard work and dedication put into every practice and scrimmage. The 2009 – 2010 PPI – ME Highlight Reel captures this love for the game, and shows off the talents of our young basketball players. Check it out!
Filed under Global, The Middle East
This weekend, PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland hosted its annual Spring Jam tournament for all involved in our Twinning and Community Centre League programmes. With around 150 children in attendance and a healthy base of volunteers eager to help, the event proved to be another success amidst a busy year at PPI-NI.
Check out the video below for an inside look at Spring Jam, as well as some thoughts on what PeacePlayers means to Northern Ireland.
As always, sweet to the beat.
Filed under Global, Northern Ireland
This past week, PPI-NI got into the swing of things with our Community Centre League (CCL). With seven centre’s on board, the ten-week curriculum gives kids a well-rounded dose of basketball, teambuilding, and community relations.
Amidst all the action we got a chance to hear from two participants, Lauren and Justin, to tell us what the CCL was all about. We will catch up with these two once more during the final week of the CCL to see what they got out of their PeacePlayers’ experience.
Filed under Global, Northern Ireland
PeacePlayers International - South Africa is up for a "Best Health" Beyond Sports Award.
The Beyond Sport Awards honor the best in sports-for-good, across “the entire sporting spectrum of health, social inclusion, corporate and social responsibility, and philanthropy.” At the Beyond Sport Summit from September 27-30th, several worthy organizations will be recognized for their efforts.
PeacePlayers International is proud to have two different programs competing for recognition this year. PeacePlayers International – Cyprus has applied for an award in Conflict Resolution and PeacePlayers International – South Africa has applied for the Best Health Award. You can check out the entries of both programs now on the Beyond Sport Awards’ website, complete with video and pictures. Take a look and leave a comment – we want to hear what you think!
Filed under Cyprus, Global, South Africa
Kaelo “Stories of Hope,” a documentary series examining Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in South Africa, recently examined PPI – South Africa and its partnership with Sasol, a local chemical company. The documentary focuses specifically on Sihle Cele, an orphaned resident of the rural areas near Durban who’s turned to PPI – SA to help him grow up healthy and happy. “If you don’t have parents, it shouldn’t be the end of the world to you,” Sihle explains. Watch the video below to learn more about Sihle and PPI-SA.
Filed under Global, South Africa
