PeacePlayers Announces First Leadership Academy Cohort

ANnouncing a Game-changing global initiative for peaceplayers alumni

For two years we have been putting our all into a new global initiative that will take our alumni, and PeacePlayers as a whole, to the next level. We are excited – and extremely proud – to announce The Leadership Academy, founded in honor of Martha Buford.

 

For the past 20 years, PeacePlayers has reached thousands of youth around the world. Now is the time to deepen our investment in these young leaders as they go out into the world as PeacePlayers alumni. Through The Leadership Academy, set to launch in September of 2022, we will invest in our alumni’s futures: their interests, their skills – their careers. And they will emerge with the skills and opportunities to make real and lasting changes for greater peace and equity where they work and where they live.

The Academy's Offerings

Access to Scholarships and Tuition Assistance

Global Network of Resources and Connections

Internships & Fellowships at PeacePlayers & Partner Organizations

Mentorships

Specialized Certification Programs and Skills Training

Opportunities to Stay Connected with Fellow Alumni

Major Milestones

Leadership Academy Milestones Mobile
Leadership Academy Milestones

Meet the Global Cohort

Andrew

Andrew Mcbriarty

7 years with PeacePlayers Northern Ireland
Age 19

What Andrew hopes to accomplish through his Leadership Academy involvement: 

 

In the next few years I hope to become a better community advocate in bridging divides through PeacePlayers and basketball. I hope to then take these lessons and apply them in a PeacePlayers fellowship!

Bashar

Bashar Maharmeh

12 years with PeacePlayers Middle East
Age 19

What Bashar hopes to accomplish through his Leadership Academy involvement: 

 

In the next 5 years, I plan to graduate with my masters in architecture from Spain. I hope to use my architecture degree to design welcoming and inclusive spaces.

Beth

Beth Clark

10 years with
PeacePlayers Northern Ireland
Age 19

What Beth hopes to accomplish through his Leadership Academy involvement: 

 

The opportunity to not only be a part of the Leadership Academy, but also help design it  has been a privilege. I look forward to the connections and networks I’ll obtain through the academy to help not only further my professional career and create opportunities, but to gain personal relationships too. I am excited to see what I can achieve through the Leadership Academy.

Brady

Brady Rutherford

3 years with
PeacePlayers South Africa
Age 19

What Braydon hopes to accomplish through his Leadership Academy involvement: 

 

Beginning with my fellowship in Northern Ireland, I intend to travel internationally to meet and learn from great leaders and use these experiences to cultivate and develop a new-era leadership and community-driven organisation for youth in South Africa, with hopes of this project expanding globally.

Dimitra

Demetra Drakou

4 years with
PeacePlayers Cyprus
Age 19

What Demetra hopes to accomplish through her Leadership Academy involvement:

 

I want to become more knowledgeable about child human rights so that I can help my country and other divided communities heal their traumas.

Hadas

Hadas Prawer

7 years with
PeacePlayers Middle East
Age 25

What Hadas hopes to accomplish through her Leadership Academy involvement:

 

Leadership Academy will help me in evolving my career journey in sport social responsibility. I’m hoping to keep connecting my love of sports and community change as a profession.

Javonn

Javonn Islar

5 years with
PeacePlayers United States
Age 20

What Javonn hopes to accomplish through his Leadership Academy involvement:

I hope to grow my social media platform and use it to bring awareness to the gang and gun violence in my community.

Jinan

Jinan Maharmeh

14 years with PeacePlayers Middle East
Age 21

What Jinan hopes to accomplish through her Leadership Academy involvement:

The Leadership Academy has helped me unlock an opportunity I otherwise wouldn’t have, studying at a top university. I hope to use my law and psychology degree to improving human rights here at home.

Khyri Leadership Academy

Khyri Sims

1 year with
PeacePlayers Baltimore
Age 19

What Khyri hopes to accomplish through his Leadership Academy involvement:

 

The thing I’m most excited to experience this year through the Leadership Academy is being a part of something bigger than myself. I’m looking forward to linking up with the other members from around the globe, hearing their voices and their issues and the problems they face. I hope  we can find ways to empower each other and our communities.

Martina

MARTINA SHIRICHENA

9 years with
PeacePlayers South Africa
Age 19

What Martina hopes to accomplish through her Leadership Academy involvement:

With Leadership Academy support, I hope to begin my university career with the ultimate goal of starting my own construction company.

Nathan

Nathan Del Fava

3 years with
PeacePlayers South Africa
Age 19

What Nathan hopes to accomplish through his Leadership Academy involvement:

I hope to expand my Coding and Programming workshop across more schools to help improve computer literacy in South Africa. The Leadership Academy will help me with local connections and to improve my program design.

Olwami

Olwami Zungu

4 years with
PeacePlayers South Africa
Age 17

What Olwami hopes to accomplish through his Leadership Academy involvement:

I want to grow my nonprofit so that more youth in my community have access to shoes and proper footwear so they can play the sports they love.

Pearse

Pearse Smith

3 years with
PeacePlayers Northern Ireland
Age 21

What Pearse hopes to accomplish through his Leadership Academy involvement:

I hope to connect peace education experts in the field and get guidance in pursing a PhD in conflict studies. I’d also like to continue my peace building work by becoming an PeacePlayer International fellow.

Sireen

Sireen Maharmeh

12 years with
PeacePlayers Middle East
Age 18

What Sireen hopes to accomplish through her Leadership Academy involvement:

 

In the next few years I want to get a college education and play college basketball. I want to show young girls in my community that women can play basketball competitively. I hope to help girls and women in my community chase their basketball goals.

Sizwe

Sizwe Blose

4 years with
PeacePlayers South Africa
Age 22

What Sizwe hopes to accomplish through his Leadership Academy involvement:

 

After graduating this spring, I want to get an internship experience at a large consulting firm. I hope to at the same time grow my personal consulting business, and give back to my community in Durban by helping youth in my community secure basketball academic scholarships to high school and college.

Tulin

TÜLIN PERI ABATAY

5 years with
PeacePlayers Cyprus
Age 18

What Tülin hopes to accomplish through her Leadership Academy involvement:

In the next few years I hope to graduate with my International Relations degree and gain hands-on experience at the EU parliament. I would also love to continue working in conflict resolution by being an international fellow for PeacePlayers.

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