| Ultimate peace in the Middle East | ||||||
| By Diana Worman | ||||||
Speaking of peace in relation to Palestine and Israel seems almost incongruous. But if you put aside politics and look at the many grassroots activities taking place there you can find a multiplicity of initiatives in which divided communities co-operate peacefully. One of these projects is taking place in Tel Aviv this week. Palestinian and Israeli children from disadvantaged communities will come together and compete in integrated teams learning the relatively new sport of Ultimate Frisbee. Nothing other than sport and having fun is on the agenda. Over one week, Al Jazeera will be profiling the work of the non-profit organisation Ultimate Peace, who are co-hosting this project. We'll find out if sporting initiatives such as these really can make a difference to the lives of the children who live under the shadow of perpetual conflict and disadvantage. Ultimate Peace Ultimate Peace is a collective of elite players and coaches of Ultimate Frisbee (or Ultimate as it is more commonly known) who aim to travel to disadvantaged and conflict-driven areas giving children the opportunity to learn one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. The week-long initiative is taking place within the structure of an existing sports programme run by the Peres Centre for Peace, a non-profit and non-governmental organisation aimed at promoting peace and reconciliation among divided youth communities in Israel and Palestine. The children meet every three weeks to participate in joint Palestinian-Israeli sporting and social activities, competing in integrated teams comprising of similar-aged children from Jewish and Palestinian villages. This week, Ultimate Peace is introducing an entirely new sport to these children – one played with a flying disc, or as it is more commonly known, a frisbee. The coaches will spend a day with around 140 children, split into twelve teams, introducing them to all the tricks, throws and catching of Ultimate. Later in the week, the coaches will travel back to the villages with the youth teachers. Reaching out Dr David Barkan is one of the co-founders of Ultimate Peace. Barkan works as a consultant and facilitator to organisations within the field of civil rights, healthcare and domestic violence in his native San Francisco, but he is also a long-time Ultimate player who has been coaching the sport for years. Three years ago, Barkan travelled to Israel to coach Ultimate. Whilst the experience was rewarding, Barkan felt that something was missing, as he did not have the opportunity – or access - to teach Palestinian kids and provide them with the same opportunity to learn a new sport. And so, Ultimate Peace was born. The initiative, Barkan says, has two dimensions. Firstly, it deals with disadvantaged communities – bringing a new sport to areas where there may be a lack of funding or available teachers. Secondly, it aims to go to places where there is a cultural or social divide between kids. Barkan is realistic about the aims of Ultimate Peace, and of visiting complex communities as an outsider with ideas of peace and reconciliation. "Our position is that we don’t want to talk about politics, that's a road that is not productive", he told Al Jazeera. "I want peace, but I am not a politician, the only thing I can do is teach Ultimate and help kids understand one another". So why Ultimate?
Ultimate is a fast-paced combination of running, jumping and athleticism, played on a grass field roughly equivalent to a football field. Players advance the disc by passing it to one another, with one point scored each time it is caught in the end zone. The sport is ideal for children. It's low-cost, non-contact and teaches hand-eye coordination skills unique from other sports. Players are expected to arbitrate their own refereeing decisions in the heat of competition. If an infringement occurs – such as a foul, pick, or a travel, then it is up to the players to self-regulate. This ties in with the stated aims of Ultimate Peace – mutual respect, friendship, non-violence, integrity and fun. Learning to be competitive but not at the expense of your opponent. Coaching staff Two of the coaches at the event in Tel Aviv are no strangers to coaching youth Ultimate. Miranda Roth and Moses Rifkin are two high school teachers from the West Coast who are also elite players from two of the top US teams. Roth is an eighth grade science teacher based in Seattle. Twice winner of the national championships and gold medallist with Team USA at the World Games, she is recipient of the most prestigious college MVP award – the Callahan Award. Roth believes Ultimate in particular is an ideal sport for young people. "Ultimate is self-officiated. It's governed by Spirit of the Game which includes a knowledge of the rules, a correct implementation of the rules and a trust in opponents not to abuse the rules," she said. "The trust and sportsmanship that this builds in concert with self-officiating is a uniquely amazing part of ultimate that we hope to really contribute to the kids and their communities". Focus on fun And Ultimate certainly appears to be a sport that can help promote the principles of conflict resolution and fair play. Rifkin is realistic about the week. "Yes, I hope that there is a more lasting effect – that by playing sports, and especially Ultimate, with one another, we plant a small seed of collaboration and commonality in these youths. "But I'm humble enough to know that this is beyond my control; all we can do is give it a shot and do all that we can to create a great experience for the kids." A busy week lies ahead for the Ultimate Peace crew and Al Jazeera will report back as the children get to grips with learning a brand new sport. You can read more about the work of Ultimate Peace at http://www.ultimatepeace.org/ |
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