Announcing PeacePlayers Global Exchange
Coming to South Africa on July 18! 10 days of basketball, leadership training, and cultural learning for PeacePlayers youth around the world.
May 23, 2024
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All year round, our independent, local sites in Northern Ireland, the Middle East, the United States and South Africa are using basketball to create peaceful, thriving communities, each in their own way. Coming together takes that local impact and multiplies it, broadening our PeacePlayers community, and facilitating the sharing of ideas and experience. We’ll be harnessing that this coming July when 30 young people from PeacePlayers communities in the United States, Northern Ireland and South Africa come together for 10 days of basketball, leadership training, and cultural learning in Durban.
The Global Exchange is a historic opportunity, marking the first time that PeacePlayers South Africa will host other PeacePlayers sites from around the world. Hosting is a prime chance for PeacePlayers SA to showcase their program, communities, history and culture, and to connect their coaches and participants with the wider PeacePlayers movement.
Why connect globally?
So much of what we want for our youth is embedded in youth travel and global connections: resilience, adaptability, effective communication, and the ability to see humanity in others, no matter who they are and where they come from – but most of all: we want futures full of curiosity and choice that stretch the bounds of what seems possible. Often these benefits are reserved for a privileged few who can afford costly airfare and hotel fees. We are making these life-changing experiences accessible to many youth who would ordinarily be priced out of this life-changing experience. This is possible thanks to our dedicated partners, such as FHI 360, a global organization that mobilizes research, resources and relationships so that people everywhere can access the opportunities they need to lead full, healthy lives.
What’s on the roster?
Basketball: Friendship connections grow through coaching, mentorship and play.
Leadership: Players participate in experiential leadership training and skill building.
Cultural Learning: Players learn about different cultures through trips, music, food, etc.
PeacePlayers youth will experience first-hand the sites, tastes, history and languages of the Rainbow Nation. In addition to basketball games and coaching training, youth will practice their skills on the ground, volunteering to lead basketball, peacebuilding and leadership sessions at local schools. Youth will also learn about South Africa’s rich and complex history with trips to historical sites like the Nelson Mandela Capture Site, where anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1962. But we care about the ‘how’ just as much as about the ‘what’ – that’s why we’ve woven lots of team building into the 10-day exchange. Through activities like an obstacle course and kayaking, youth need to work together and communicate to succeed at common challenges. Activities like these are the catalyst for lasting friendships across borders. Last but not least, youth will volunteer and play in PeacePlayers’ South Africa’s City Wide Tournament, an event that brings together hundreds of children from across Durban, rooting for PeacePlayers as a community mainstay.
“Beyond the cultural learning, we're all learning from each other. And not only that, it's helping us with our communication skills and it's helping us communicate with people outside our countries.” - Johnny, a previous global exchange participant from PeacePlayers Detroit
To explore sponsorship opportunities or for more information, contact Noluthando (Thando) Msweli: nmsweli@peaceplayers.org, +27 (0)78-765-2751
