Kids Playing for Peace at the Samberg Bar Mitzvah Tournament

Two incredible PeacePlayers Sixth Men, 12 year old Max Samberg and his 14 year old brother Zack, along with their family and friends, enjoyed a day of basketball last month to support PPI.  In honor of their Bar Mitzvahs, they hosted an awesome basketball tournament at the Carver Center in Port Chester, just outside of New York.  For an hour and a half children ran around the court making buckets, having fun, all while supporting children just like them learn to play the game they love.

Together, they set up a Fundraising Page on FirstGiving, and  raised over $2,000 dollars to help  children in Israel and the West Bank  play basketball for peace. During the event, Max said, “PeacePlayers is a great organization!  I’m happy that we surpassed our goal and am thankful for everyone who came out and supported us.” Zack added that “It was great to see how many kids turned out for such a good cause.  I’m excited to see where the money we raised is going when we see PeacePlayers in action in Israel over the summer.”

Check out this great video of Zack speaking to the group before the event:

Players pose after a boisterous game

The following story is by PeacePlayers International supporter and Sixth Woman, Laura Light. 

On Thursday March 14th, the 5th grade boys and girls in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY competed in a charity basketball tournament to raise money for their new favorite cause – PeacePlayers International.  Prior to the event, the kids researched and brainstormed the best way to give back to the world through basketball, a beloved sport in this small rivertown community.  They decided that supporting PeacePlayers (in its effort to use basketball to inspire, educate, and resolve conflict) would do just that!

The kids (all of whom play in either the rec or CYO leagues in Hastings) displayed great sportsmanship and had lots of fun from beginning to end.  The game was reffed by a local celebrity, Steve Tuber, the head of the rec league in town.  To even out the score, it was decided that each boy’s basket would count as 1 point and each girl’s basket as 2 points.  The boys – clearly NOT-the-crowd-favorites despite their amazing skills and new white t-shirts designed just for the event – took an early lead, and after the first half, were winning by 6 points.  But after a hard-fought second half (and a lot of wildly enthusiastic cheering from the crowd and the bench), the girls came back and won by 1 point (22-21), when a last-second attempt didn’t fall for the boys team.  In between each quarter in keeping with the light-hearted, community-minded spirit of the event, the kids participated in various entertaining games including a free-throw shooting contest, a relay race, and a behind-the-back shot.  And after the game, the players all celebrated together with pizza.

Without a doubt, this will become an annual event in the Hastings-on-Hudson community, and we look forward to supporting PeacePlayers for years to come!

If you are interested in becoming a PeacePlayers Sixth Man or Woman, visit the “Get Involved” page of our website.

Michael Ott (left) Volunteered with PeacePlayers in the Middle East and Cyprus

In 2012 Michael Ott spent 2 weeks volunteering at PeacePlayers sites in the Middle East and Cyprus. Currently Michael is doing financial planning and investor relations for a small, public oil and gas company in Denver, CO. Below Michael shares his experiences spending time overseas and how it effected him. 

How I heard about PPI:

I heard about PPI through a family friend, and PPI Board Member, RC Buford, during a conversation right before I graduated college in May 2008. I was talking with him about all the international traveling and scouting he does for his organization, the San Antonio Spurs, as the General Manager. That conversation ended up veering off towards a discussion about PeacePlayers, one of his true passions outside of work. He told me about program, where they had operations up and running, and how much he enjoys watching the program grow and the relationships he has developed with the kids, fellows, and coaches.

Why I wanted to volunteer:

Michael teaching a girl to spin the ball on her finger at PPI – Middle East

After having that conversation with RC in 2008, I went to work for the next 4 years in Dallas, TX, spending part of that time with a hedge fund and the rest with a consulting firm. Once I started to think about going back to school for an MBA, I started to consider all the ways I could differentiate myself from the other candidates. My mentors advised that top schools look for candidates with international exposure in some form and they look for candidates who truly extend themselves to make a difference in every aspect of their life (job, volunteer work, and other experiences outside of work like athletics, organizational leadership, community leadership, etc.). PeacePlayers was the first thing I thought about when I heard that advice. PeacePlayers was the ideal opportunity to gain international exposure, experience and learn about current and historical geopolitical environments, and do it all while working within the framework of my favorite sport.

My experience:

The experience is hard to describe within a couple sentences, but, to be short, it was incredible and much more than I expected. Fortunately, I was able to visit the Middle East and Cyprus locations for one week each during my trip.

My first week with PPI-Middle East I was thrown into the mix early and often. I visited with about 8 different boys and girls teams that ranged in age from 11 to 15 years old around Jerusalem, Ramallah (West Bank), and Beit Shemesh. I helped coach them through dribbling drills, shooting drills, and inter-squad scrimmages. At the end of my time with PPI-ME, I was able to join some of the Jerusalem teams on a trip to Tel-Aviv to give a program update and play basketball with local representatives of the US Embassy and US Aid which provide funding for PPI-ME.

My second week was spent with PPI-Cyprus which is based out of Nicosia. I joined the PPI fellows as they made their trips around the island to visit with coaches, work with the teams, and coordinate with local leaders to make sure teams had a place to practice within each community. I remember visiting with about 8 boys and girls teams that ranged in age from 6 years old to 15 years old around Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Iskele and Kyrenia. For a lot of the kids, basketball was a very new sport, so we spent a lot of time going over the fundamentals of basketball (dribbling, shooting, passing, etc) to help them develop a good foundation to take into each of their twinnings with other teams around Cyprus.

How it affected me:

Michael enjoying a Cypriot style picnic with PPI coaches and their families

Two things I remember best from my trip was the language barrier and attitudes of all the local people I interacted with. Before I left on the trip, I figured the most difficult part would be overcoming the language barrier. Socially, this was true, but when it came to experience of teaching basketball, it was actually a benefit (or at least felt like one). It isn’t always easy to explain the sport of basketball; it is one of those sports where a lot of what is learned is acquired through spectating. Not being able to speak the language helped make teaching things more deliberate. Everyone has to make good eye contact and focus on what is being communicated. I found that I could even make jokes and be goofy with the kids without being able to speak to each other. Second, the attitudes of people I interacted with varied so much that I had to remind myself about what I should talk about with certain people. Some people completely oppose the goals that PPI has set out to accomplish within their country and community. I recall even being laughed at when I told someone why I was in Cyprus. I realized soon after I got there how difficult and massive this undertaking is by PPI, because many in the community did not support the idea of bringing the two sides/cultures, after years of conflict, together. I remember asking one of the PPI-Cyprus fellows, “Do you ever get a little overwhelmed by the resistance you face and little amount of time you have within this role?” The fellow made an analogy to turning a speed boat versus turning a cruise liner. There would be no quick fixes for the problems PPI has set out to solve, but progress is progress, and seeing the enthusiasm and excitement from the coaches and kids within each program makes you quickly forget how big the problems actually are. PeacePlayers is doing amazing work and it didn’t take much time with each program to understand that. In a world of internet and social media, where news, ideas, and introductions happen faster than we can measure, I think PeacePlayers’ efforts will play a huge role in bringing these cultures together as the kids grow up. They have a pretty simple motto that says a lot, “If you can play together, you can live together.”

The La Jolla High School Irish Club

The following blog was written by Dylan Walsh of La Jolla, California. Dylan is the current president of the La Jolla High School Irish Club:

The La Jolla High School Irish Club was established in 2005 when my oldest cousin, Jack Peterson, decided to form the first ever “Irish Club” on campus. The Irish Club quickly became the largest club at our school and has retained its popularity and interest ever since. Jack’s younger brothers, Bo, Will, and Michael Peterson succeeded him as presidents of the club for the next several years as they continued to spread the rich Irish culture throughout the community. The Irish Club is extremely involved in the community through volunteer projects and other social events. We have made trips to Ireland as a club to visit many of the historic and significant sites that we talk about over the year, but nothing compares to seeing these magnificent areas of Ireland first-hand.

The La Jolla High School Irish Club has raised $8,000 for PPI-NI through car washes and t-shirt sales

When Will was president several years ago, he heard about PeacePlayers International and the positive impact that they have made throughout the world as a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing children from communities in conflict together through basketball. Ever since, the Irish Club has dedicated its time and resources to supporting PeacePlayers in Northern Ireland on a financial level as well as spreading their cause on a local and global scale. Through car washes, t-shirt sales, and other large events, the Irish Club is proud to announce that we have raised nearly $8,000 for PeacePlayers over these past several years. We have seen the amazing strides that PeacePlayers has made and the recognition that they have received for their inspirational acts of peace and prosperity.

It has been my true honor to help spread the PeacePlayers name as they continue to shine as a beam of light throughout the world. On behalf of my officers and our several hundred Irish Club members, we would like to personally congratulate you on all of your sensational success. God Bless and thank you for continuing to appreciate our unwavering support!

Check out the La Jolla High School Irish Club’s 2012-2013 ‘Promo’ video!

PPI has built a proven model for bridging divides and developing leaders, using the game of basketball to foster mutual respect and understanding among children in divided communities. Our coaches and mentors work year round to unite, educate and inspire young people to create a more peaceful world. PPI’s success to date can be attributed to the building of trusting relationships within the communities we serve and from our numerous supporters around the world. In order to deepen and scale our impact, we must continue to raise awareness for our cause by spreading our message of peace.

Improving these communities is a team effort and it takes everyone to make a difference. There are numerous ways you can help make a difference and every little bit helps. Check out PeacePlayers website for more details on our program, and check out wristbands.net and start creating custom wristbands or t- shirts today.

From wristbands.net: These promotional items offer multiple purposes starting by giving more exposure and awareness to the issue at hand. With people wearing your t-shirt or wristband it will allow your message to be seen by the public, and they are also great for fundraisers. Remember it takes everybody to impact the world. How will you help us make a difference? 

PeacePlayers Twinning in the UN Buffer Zone

I was “Ms. Wilhelm” for my two years of teaching.  It took some getting used to, but eventually I got comfortable with the title.  But this past weekend, I wasn’t  “Ms. Wilhelm” or even “Megan.”  I had a strange new moniker: “Ms. Coach.”  This unexpected title wasn’t bestowed upon me by a group of mathletes or mock U.N. debaters (which would probably suit my personality a little better), but instead was shouted loudly and often by a team of mini basketball players.

Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot children begin by playing fun games to break the ice

I woke up early on Saturday morning to head to the U.N. Buffer Zone where I would be volunteering for the day with Cyprus’ PeacePlayers International program.  PeacePlayers International year-round programs are established in Cyprus, South Africa, Israel and the West Bank, and Northern Ireland—all regions dealing with conflict between divided communities. So, with the exception of the actual basketball part, the PeacePlayers International mission is directly aligned with my Fulbright research in contact between young people as a means of diminishing prejudice and promoting tolerance on this divided island I’ve grown so found of in the past few months.

The Cyprus PeacePlayers International program is led by a group of enthusiastic, kind, and motivated people, and is based in the U.N. Buffer Zone.  When I arrived on Saturday morning, I saw a large group of kids vying for the attention of these leaders who clearly have taken the time to establish positive relationships and connect with all of them. After a couple of introductions, the crowd headed to Ledra Palace (the hotel-turned-barracks in the U.N. Buffer Zone that I described in one of my earlier posts).  The guard opened the gate for us, and as we walked through the building I felt a fair amount of cognitive dissonance seeing U.N. soldiers surrounded by sweeping arches and other architectural hints of what was once the most lavish hotel in Cyprus.  There is a fenced-in basketball court behind Ledra Palace that the PeacePlayers International program uses every month when the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot basketball teams come together to play.  Once again, it was strange to see such a familiar setting lined with curls of barbed wire, but this is the reality of being in the U.N. Buffer Zone, and becomes somewhat less disconcerting with time.

Cheering my team on to victory–my true coaching talent!

As real as they may be, these physical indicators of the conflict in Cyprus quickly faded into the background, outshone by the energy, joy, and smiles of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot kids and their families, gathered here together to make new friends and play basketball.  The excitement was quite infectious, and I thoroughly enjoyed spending the rest of the day with my unearned title of “Ms. Coach” to two teams of boys and girls.

I don’t think I did much in improving the dribbling skills or foul shot percentages of my players, but I cheered them on during their games or teambuilding activities and tried to make sure everyone felt included and appreciated.  Honestly, though, I think the kids themselves were the true leaders when it came to building friendships and working together.  Most of them only spoke one language—Greek or Turkish—but they did their best to throw in some English and lots of high fives to get their point across to the other players on their team.  I also have to give them a lot of credit for being so forgiving of my own language deficiencies and basketball shortcomings.

The girls at the net and ready to score some points!

So yeah, maybe a few times I accidently had seven of my players on the court at once, and maybe I can’t spin a basketball on my finger, but at the end of the day, PeacePlayers International is less about the actual basketball, and more about instilling the value of teamwork, developing friendships, and creating opportunities to bring people together.  I’ve spent the last three months reading about what it takes for contact to bring about lasting positive changes, and the PeacePlayers International program in Cyprus seems to have managed to incorporate what many researchers consider the four essential conditions of a positive contact environment: equal group status, common goals, institutional/authority support, and cooperation.

I couldn’t be more impressed with what the PeacePlayers International program is trying to accomplish in Cyprus and in other divided communities around the world, and I have faith in the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot kids who participate—faith that they will someday play a role in bringing the people of Cyprus together and will work toward creating a more peaceful island because of the lessons they learned on the basketball court with their fellow Cypriots. I can’t wait to volunteer again soon!

Check out Megan’s blog here: Brightly Colored Wings

All attendees of the 2nd Annual Parent Child Peace Players Golf Tournament

Two years ago Reed Lipman celebrated his Bar Mitzvah and chose PeacePlayers International as his charity to support. He and his family even visited the program in Israel. This past week the Lipmans hosted the 2nd Annual Parent-Child Golf Tournament supporting PeacePlayers International.  Reed and his friends and their families came together to support and learn more about PPI and it work using basketball to bring children together in divided communities around the world. To date, through Reed’s Mitzvah project in 2010 and the two golf PPI golf tournaments (2011 and 2012), Reed has raised over $22,000 for Peace Players International in the Middle East. Reed is currently in 9th grade at Riverdale Country School in Bronx, NY. Check out these wonderful pictures from last week’s golf tournament:

Reed Lipman (14 years old and organizer) with his two sisters Samara (12 years old) and Paige (10 years old)

Sander and Simon Levy

Jake Nathanson, Reed Lipman, Harrison Eisberg and Beth Lipman

Alan and Jason Roden – Steven and Matthew Fink

David, Sam, Jake and Eric Federman (grandfather, father and two sons)

Michael and Miles Boxer – Neil and Jake Roth

Paige and Samara Lipman

RJ Goldberg’s Mitzvah Tournament raised over $5,000 to support PPI! Thank you, RJ!

Raise awareness for PPI at a special celebration or birthday party. Many students in the US and Canada have chosen to support PPI for their bar and bat mitzvahs, asking family and friends to donate to the organization in honor of their special day. Read more about the work of some of these amazing young leaders here and here.

Think about working with PPI on a service-learning project for your school or community center. Read more about how 6th graders at Alice Deal Middle School used Give Back Day to start a dialogue about global citizenship.

Put together a basketball game or tournament. Donnie and Vance Walter, brothers from Gonzaga College High School, have organized two annual three-on-three tournaments to benefit PeacePlayers International.

Going in for a lay-up at the Gonzaga High School Tournament

Enjoy a cause-motivated night in or out. In the past, supporters have hosted successful raffles, house parties and pub nights to benefit PPI.

Discover grassroots activism and social media. Razoo.com lets you set up a simple, fun webpage to support your favorite nonprofits, including PeacePlayers International, and find the tools to recruit your friends and family as fellow activists. We have also partnered with Do Something, a nonprofit organization with a large network of resources for young activists.

Spread the word. ”Like” PeacePlayers International on Facebook, or follow PPI on Twitter!

Visit our website for more info about different ways to help out as a teen, college student, teacher, coach, club leader, or adult volunteer, and see how you can contribute here. We are so grateful to the many friends of PPI for making our programs possible! With your assist, we can all strive to develop leaders for peace all around the world.

The Patriots – A U-11 boys basketball team from Alexandria, Virginia have combined their passion for basketball with a desire to give back.

A group of sixth grade boys in Alexandria, Virginia have a passion, and that passion is basketball, along with another, to share the sport they love with other children. It’s not surprising then that this U11 basketball team at the Fort Hunt Youth Athletic Association, so aptly named The Patriots, made a donation to PeacePlayers International.

Joel, the point guard for The Patriots had this to say about his team’s donation:

“We hope our team donation to PeacePlayers International helps kids around the world learn to love basketball like we do. We’ve learned good sportsmanship, teamwork, and how to help each other.”

The inspiring enthusiasm for basketball and the cooperative skills learned through playing,  truly represents what PeacePlayers International is all about. We thank The Patriots for their contribution and for their passion, a passion that can now be shared with the PeacePlayers children and their communities around the world.

If you or your team would like to donate to PPI, please contact Hannah Sloss at hsloss@peaceplayersintl.org.

Friends and family gathered for Jon’s tournament in February.

Many students in the US have chosen to support PeacePlayers International (PPI) for their bar and bat mitzvahs, asking family and friends to donate to the organization in honor of their special day. This winter spring, Jon Silvers of Higland Park, IL organized and executed his own successful mitzvah projects supporting PPI.

Jon raised more than $6,000 for PPI!

Jon Silvers is a 7th grader at Solomon Schechter Day School in Northbrook, Illinois. Walking in the footsteps of past mitzvah supporters, Jon set up his own Razoo page to fundraise for PPI. In honor of his Bar Mitzvah this April, he decided to that in lieu of gifts he would like his friends and family to consider making a donation to his Razoo page. Jon has done a fantastic job, exceeding his and $6,000 goal! The total amount will then go to our Middle East site which looks to develop leaders from both the Arab and Jewish communities who participate in our programs.

Thank you to Jon for his wonderful fundraiser! We look forward to passing on the torch to our next round of mitzvah projects this Summer and Fall!

If you would like to start your own mitzvah project supporting PPI, please contact Hannah Sloss at hsloss@peaceplayersintl.org or at 2202 408 5111