10th - 17th April: Lead4Peace Exchange
A small group of Champions4Peace will be participating in a weeklong exchange with PeacePlayers – Northern Ireland site partners and participants from Cyprus and the Middle East. The exchange will be held in the Middle East were mentors and participants
will have the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, experience new cultures, learn about conflict and how those from other areas of the world bridge divides and change perceptions, share their own experiences from Belfast and Northern Ireland - and most importantly - make new friends and have tonnes of fun!
Months of April and May:
PeacePlayers signature Twinning programme is in full swing across Belfast and Northern Ireland. PeacePlayers’ Twinning programme pairs two primary school classes together, one typically controlled and the other maintained. Using the sport of basketball, the programme creates integrated teams, each with their own PeacePlayers coach. The teams learn basketball skills, get to know each other better both on and off the court and discuss topics such as diversity, stereotypes, sectarianism and flags/symbols. Following PeacePlayers mantra that “children that play together, can learn to live together”, the Twinning programme provides primary school students with the opportunity to have fun together, thus bridging the divide, with the hope to eventually change their perceptions. Where possible, schools are paired across an interface to humanise the people living on “the other side”, giving the children an opportunity to mentally ‘take down the wall’ dividing them.
Currently, PeacePlayers is operating Twinnings in east, north, south and west Belfast. Additionally, PeacePlayers has been working in the Council areas of Ards & North Down, Mid & East Antrim and Mid Ulster.
Glenwood P7 Class at Lanark Way interface gate with St. Clare's Primary School
1st June: Summer Jam
This is PeacePlayers - Northern Ireland's signature Spring Term event. It is a celebration of the 12 week Belfast Interface League programme that brings participants from east, north, south and west Belfast together for a day of basketball competition, music, dancing and fun. Throughout the term boys and girls are having fun and bridging divides with others from their own areas of Belfast. Summer Jam takes it to the next level by exposing participants from their respective areas of Belfast to others from the different sides of the City. It's a brilliant day for the kids to put 12 weeks of practice into use, have loads of fun together and meet new people. Summer Jam is a great way to showcase the power of sport in uniting children and young people from different backgrounds. If they can play together as a team, they can learn to live together!
