Play Football Make Peace

The program for Jordan is delivered in two stages.

Stage 1:  The educational and training stage
Stage 2:  The tournament, forum and festival stage
Stage 1 involves the exploration of the principles and values of The Way of Champions with 40 coaches identified through an invitation process in March. Over 170 football coaches were invited to introductory workshops in March. In those workshops project coordinator Mr. Walid Abu Shanab and his team explained The Way of Champions principles and values.

Since 2004 Play Football Make Peace has been introducing the ideas of peace through football. Not just in theory, but in practice, working in war torn countries, in communities with a history of violence. Where there is peace there may still issues of economic and social difficulty. Most of the countries that PFMP has worked in are developing and emerging countries, but no matter the social or economic circumstances, one thing remains common: the value of a good coach. Coaches can make all the difference. PFMP has identified coaches as the key in youth development in football, mentally and physically. The Way of Champions program encourages coaches to add their own individual creativity when introducing the principles and values to their youth players. It became important to learn from coaches and invite coaches to bring their wealth of experience and help form the training program in The Way of Champions. The Jordanian coaches have stepped up to do that. This is a program which PFMP will roll out in Western Asia amongst other Arabic speaking nations, but it will also be rolled out around the world. PFMP is proud that Jordan football coaches will have played a most important part in this process. It is evidence of the dedication to peace and goodwill which Jordan can bring to the world.

Play Football Make Peace is promoting peace and international understanding by working to change and transform the culture of football beginning with youth.  PFMP works directly at the grass-roots level to teach essential values and life skills including self confidence, trust, teamwork, communication, inclusion, discipline, respect and fair play. FIFA has said: “Make the game better…. and you will be fostering a better world.”

 
PFMP Jordan coordinator
Walid Abu Shanab introduces 
The Way of Champions  
PFMP aims to make the game better. Through football, PFMP teaches young players the values of good sportsmanship and fair play on and off the field. These values can be the foundation for peace; and youth are encouraged to bring those values into their communities and to practice them in all their activities. This can also have an impact upon social and economic development. Social stability requires strong economies, but it also requires a commitment to building bridges amongst cultures, building connections, and creating new conversations. There is a need for real change, and a paradigm shift toward a commitment to personal development. Ethics and values need to be at the center of that change. PFMP’s vision is to shape and inspire a new football generation who will then take responsibility through their social contribution.

There is a need for real change, and a paradigm shift toward a commitment to personal development. Ethics and values need to be at the center of that change. PFMP’s vision is to shape and inspire a new football generation who will then take responsibility through their social contribution.

The 40 coaches have been involved in workshops throughout April, May and June. They work on the meaning and application of The Way of Champions values: Respect, Responsibility, Fair Play, Sportsmanship, Teamwork, Commitment, Self Control, Honesty, Leadership, and Giving Back. There are four groups, and each group discusses every value and takes note of everyone’s definition, the way that the value is recognized and how it is applied by the players. The group representative then presents the results of their group discussion to all the participants who then discuss the content of every group until they reach agreement upon a common understanding of each value.

 
Coaches during a Workshop in March 
The coaches, ten per group, work with a youth team from four volunteer schools and clubs in Amman. They guide a skills training program and also run through the values. Practice matches are played each week when the values are incorporated into the play on the pitch. Coaches and players alike are asked to demonstrate the values in action. Feedback from the youth teams also indicates that The Way of Champions program and values are well received.

The coaches have indicated the importance of The Way of Champions program for developing coaches, improving their performance and widening their horizons. The open and positive dialogue allows a good exchange of ideas and experiences. This supports the coaches to contribute more in developing the level of their players, and therefore, the football itself can develop.

 
The Stage 2 of the program will be very valuable. All the learning through the coaches program will be assessed and written up in July. This will become a document for use in future PFMP The Way of Champions programs throughout the world. The outcomes will also be made available to university sports departments in the UK, Germany and Canada. These are key institutions with which PFMP staff have built relationships and are active in the UN Sports for Development and Peace initiative. E.g. University of Toronto, University of Brighton, University of Loughborough, Stirling University, SUNY Cortland, and Brunel University.

The information will also be made public on the sports for peace web site http://www.sportanddev.org/en/index.htm  the site support by the Swiss Agency for Development. This will place Jordan firmly on the map as a key country which is firmly involved in the sports for peace movement.

In August there will be a forum and festival (PFMP is now planning cooperation with the Jordanian Football Association and their August program). The forum will open up The Way of Champions principles and values to other NGOs, to sports associations and to government ministries for youth and sport. Businesses are also invited to enter the dialogue. The forum is a chance for all partners to get engaged, e empowered and add to the emerging conversation about issues of peace and sports, development and sports, and ethics in sports

This fits within the larger strategic partnership which is being created between the Peace Dream Foundation, and the Asian Football Confederation. The World Association of NGOs and PFMP are partners with the Peace Dream Foundation. Mr. Mohamed Bin Hammam, President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has already been briefed about the PFMP program and its progress in Jordan.

A jordanian coach leading a group session
 
Additionally the Peace Dream brochure has been translated into Arabic, and Jordan is becoming a model of the social responsibility of football for AFC and in particular in Western Asia. Mr. Al-Hadid, V.P. of the JFA has mentioned that he can help coordinate social responsibility efforts in Western Asia.

This is an exciting time for Jordan and for Western Asia. This is a region which is most often seen as a trouble spot, a place of violence, and an area to be avoided. PFMP has seen beneath the surface, has made the investment and trusted that the Jordanian love for football and for peace can transcend all differences. The Way of Champions teams in Jordan, the coordinators, the coaches, and the JFA have all stepped up to show their true heart. A model for the world football culture is emerging. Sometimes the greatest good comes from the most unlikely of places. It is not surprising to remember that this region has been the origin of three of the world’s major religions. It may seem a barren land, but there are rivers of life under the surface. That life is now seen in a new culture for football.