Play Football Make Peace

Indoor soccer in Isifya, a Druze community in Mt. Carmel region

Peace Dream Kids in Isifya's main school

When we think of the Middle East, we think of the violence and terror which surround the Israel-Palestine situation. The truth is there are tens of wars going on throughout the world right now. We may  think of the current crisis on the Korean peninsular and the nuclear ambitions of North Korea.  There are many border conflicts. Some are simmering grievances waiting to break out into violence, others are continuous, taking the lives of thousands of people every year; neighbours fighting neighbours. In the middle of these crisis areas are people and their families, just like us. Mostly they simply want to get on with their lives and be happy .

Moslems and Jews play football  together in Kufar Manda

Peace Dream Foundation motto is “Play Football, Make Peace,” and PDF looks for practical grass roots football solutions which can be introduced to create alternatives to political and military strategies. Everywhere,  children want to play football, even where the conflicts look irreconcilable. Why not use football to make peace? Everywhere in the world children know the famous international clubs and their players. In the smallest villages we can find Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea supporters! They all dream of being a star. There is a huge opportunity to teach the game and incorporate lessons about cooperation and teamwork. To play a football game, one team needs another team to play against. That is the nature of the sport, it cannot be played alone. PDF sees this as an opportunity to bring diverse youth together to play and to learn about each other. They may come from different religions, from different nationalities, and different cultures, but they all have one language in common: the universal language of football. The kids simply want to play and enjoy, like youth all over the world.

PDF taps into these basic desires of both youth and their parents, and works with local partners and NGOs, asking questions amongst the people of the local communities to find out their needs and interests, and to generate local solutions. This approach is how Peace Dream  came up with the idea for Peace Fields Eleven; football fields in the middle of the conflict areas, safe havens where youth from all sides can come together and play and enjoy football.

The village football field in Sandala, a short distance from the border with Palestine.

Because of the growing relationship with community leaders and civic authorities, PDF organizers could meet with Israeli and Palestinian sports and youth ministers and find out their ideas and solutions for peace. One meeting took place in April 2008 with the Israeli Minister of Sport Mr. Galeb Majadle.

He made the suggestion to do something lasting for Israel and Palestine, to build a football field on the border. This would achieve more than simply talking about peace, this would provide a place where both sides could come together to enjoy the game, to play and to learn to appreciate each other.

At first this was a big inspiration which seemed out of reach, but the idea took hold and within 6 months was the basis for PDF’s Peace Dream Field Eleven initiative. The idea has developed from building one football field on the border between Palestine and Israel to being a model for building football for peace fields in ten other serious conflict areas around the world.

The PDF track record in the Middle East helps to make it a credible and trusted partner. In 2004 PFMP put on a tournament bringing eight under 16 youth teams , both Israeli Jewish and Israeli Arab, to play together. The Israeli Football President recognized it as a much needed model which could be incorporated into the Israeli national football programme. In Gaza, also in 2004, a tournament of 16 teams, representing all of the political factions was welcomed as a success and the Play Football, Make Peace initiative was recognized as a force for good, and for youth development. This is incredibly important in Palestine, where 50% of the population is under 14.

It is this type of grass roots work within the local communities that is needed to build strong confidence and consensus. Without grass roots support from youth, their parents and the civil leaders then it is difficult to imagine building a football field in a conflict area. A post conflict situation must be created, where there is protection and security. This involves shifting the hearts and minds of people toward peace. Because football is a sport for all people, it may also become a good vehicle for peace.

In July 2008 Peace Dream Foundation supported the work of Football for Peace a great programme carried out yearly in Northern Israel. Peace and development work requires cooperation and learning best practices and building good models.

In November 2008, PDF Chairman Dr. Kwak had a meeting with the Israeli Sports and Youth Minister. This was on the heels of a visit to Jordan and Palestine with FIFA President Josef Blatter and AFC President Hammam. It was during that visit that PDF’s vision for Peace Fields Eleven was first introduced to FIFA and AFC. With the Israeli Sports Minister discussions took place to establish the milestones needed to reach the goal of building the first Peace Field. As a first step it was recommended to renovate existing football fields and their facilities. This would establish PDF’s commitment, and help build local confidence in PDF’s ongoing youth development programme.

Parents and civic leaders in Sandala asking questions about the nature of the Peace Dream Football programme. They care about the future, and want to see real change.

Local community leaders want to see that PDF is not simply a “quick fix” operator but is serious about maintaining a multi-year programme to ensure sustainable football development for youth and to help build a lasting peace. Given the sensitivity of the situation PDF has been very careful to bring in local expertise, as programme directors and coaches. The leaders of the Peace Dream programme in Israel and Palestine are both Arab and Jewish. Their good teamwork already models the kind of relationships needed to be successful and expand the programme further.

The North of Israel and the North of Palestine have been identified as the place to begin the Peace Dream programme. There is already a history of local peace education and intercultural projects, and the local Peace Dream Football coordinator Fayad Shalby has a very good network of football coaches in the area and has a passion for youth sports and for the role of football and peace. Beginning in June 2009 there have been a series of tournaments in the region. The programme is named The Holy Land Football Teams’ Championships because “Holy Land” is accepted by both Israelis and Palestinians and the name is recognized by all parties, whether Israeli or Palestinian and so it is already bringing down the walls which separate the people.

There have been 500 youth involved throughout Northern Israel. The children come from Arab, Druze, Christian and Jewish backgrounds. They are playing against each other and loving it. They are very happy to be involved. There has also been a tournament in Palestine for 250 youth. There are not so many opportunities for tournaments in Palestine and the children are delighted. The idea of peace and football is something they quickly embrace.

The June tournament is planting seeds about the ideas behind Peace Dream Football and offers a chance to build awareness throughout the region. It is important for Peace Dream Football to show that this is not a project which stays for a couple of days, talks about peace and then leaves after taking a few photos, never to be seen again. Peace Dream Football is committed to consistency, transparency, listening, and a learning experience which lasts.

The main programme will begin in September. PDF has identified three communities to work with. Afula an Israeli-Jewish town, Sandala an Israeli-Arab village and Jenin a Palestinian town. All lie within 15 kilometres of each other. The Israeli communities and the Palestinian community are however, separated by the border fence.

PDF has three football coaches, one coach for each group of 20 youth from the three communities. They will be trained to improve and develop their football skills to be able to play their best. At the same time the youth will be trained to help build their character, learning to practice values e.g. Respect, Honesty, Responsibility. The football coaches will be helped in this by peace coaches who are skilled communicators who have relationship and cultural awareness skills.

This programme is claled the Way of True Champions and the idea is for children to learn to play to the best of their ability and at the same time keep a care and respect for others, both on their own team and on the opposing team.

After 3 or 4 months of training in football skills, and development of their behaviours and attitudes, the three groups will be come together every 2 weeks to a joint training session. Sandala, the Israeli Arab village will be the meeting point. The Israeli-Arab community can be an excellent bridge between the Israeli Jews and the Palestinians as they share similarities with both the other communities. They are Israeli citizens, but they are Arab and also Moslem. The Sandala group can be a catalyst for peaceful relations on the joint team

The PDF uses The Way of True Champions as its primary teaching tool. This training has the premise that although not everyone can be a football champion, everyone can be a champion in life.

Only very few youth around the world will become professional fotball players, even fewer will become football champions. However, we can all agree that each person is meant to become a “champion in life” - to become a good citizen, excellent in their chosen skills and profession, to be a model husband or wife and to be a great parent .

Football can teach many skills and children and youth can grow and develop and at the same time become people of good character. Children learn to work hard, to practice, to set goals, and they learn how to be excellent at what they do. They also learn how to do this whilst maintaining care and concern for others. This is the hear t of the Way of True Champions programme. Throughout history men and women of character have been peace makers and peace builders. They have been role models for others to follow. It is this character development aspect of Peace Dream’s programme which may have the best peace building results and help create the environment where youth, their parents and the wider community begin to see that even “enemy” peoples can live and play together..

By 2010 there will be a Peace Dream Football Club, this club will have all three groups represented, and from the 60 youth a Peace Dream team will be selected to play exhibition matches in countries like Jordan, and in Europe. This team can be a model to show that change and transformation can take place and that this example can be multiplied throughout Israel and Palestine. It can also be a model for the rest of the world.

PDF can help create a new picture, a new vision of how people live, learn and play together. There will also be a need for better playing facilities, so PDF is committed to help restore and improve existing football fields to give the youth the safe places where they can play. This also gives the opportunity to build a special location, a place where "Peace Dream Teams" can come and practice and play together. This will be both practical as well as a symbolic to show others around the world what is possible.

Success in PDF’s work will make the case to governments, to foundations, to football associations and to football clubs that the work of peace through football is real, and worth supporting. A path to peace through football may bring results where all the conferences and peace talks seem to fail. A vision has emerged in Israel. A vision for a Peace Field, a Peace Stadium, to bring together youth from Palestine and Israel to enjoy football - the world’s game.