“As an alumna of PeacePlayers’ GlobalFellowship program (Northern Ireland2015-2017), I couldn’t be prouder of thetrajectory of the organization, and to bein a position to take learnings from myfellowship at PeacePlayers NorthernIreland to inform our work in the UnitedStates.And just as those learnings from myfellowship helped influence how I see mywork with PeacePlayers U.S., our work inthe US in turn has challenged PeacePlayersas a global organization to center equity inour peacebuilding work. The nuances ofthe U.S context has nudged us to considerstructural inequities that underpin conflictand affect life outcomes of many youngpeople both here in the U.S. and globally.”SALLY NNAMANIAlumna of Global Fellowship Program (Northern Ireland)and currently Director of Programs and Partnershipsat PeacePlayers United States“On a personal Level, PeacePlayers hasmeant a lot in my life. After high school,I didn’t really have anything to do. I wasbored, and unemployment was highin Wentworth, where I lived. I joined agang and started dealing drugs. One dayin 2006, when PeacePlayers came to mycommunity to do coaching clinics, I joinedthem just to see what it was all about. Iloved the way PeacePlayers treated thechildren and also the basketball got mehooked. I learned that there’s more outthere than dealing drugs. I then became acoach — other kids started looking to meas a father figure. I grew a bond with thechildren and staff, and as much as I wasteaching the children life skills, it wasalso teaching me about life.”SHELDON FRANCISPeacePlayers South Africa program alumnusand former coach“Growing up, I told a lot of people thatI was an athlete, that I actually playedserious basketball as part of the nationalIsraeli team [a PeacePlayers All-StarTeam]. But many people wouldn’t actuallylisten to me or take me seriously. And itwould make me angry, because commentslike these make you understand howmuch people underestimate female sportsin general, but also me being a Palestinianathlete, trying to thrive in that world.But once I realized the honor and respectthat all of our coaches gave us and theseriousness that they treated us with,we started understanding that no matterwhat other people think, respect startsfrom within.”MALAK A.Palestinian alumna of the PeacePlayers Middle EastLeadership Development Program and All-Stars teamsREAD THE FULL ADDRESS AT PEACEPLAYERS.ORG/OUR-STORIES05
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