PeacePlayers bringing kids from different settings together in the Middle East

By Danny Ourian

As PeacePlayers International – Middle East wraps up its season with a host of final events, super twinnings and single identity practices; we are able to reflect on an aspect of our program that is sometimes overlooked. Our work in the West Bank – a single identity program that does not involve interacting with children from the other side (i.e., Israelis) – is a powerful example of what PeacePlayers is able to accomplish over and above the work it does in bridging divides. 

Of all the program areas that we work with, our programs in the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Tulkarm are two of the most vital and inspiring. The programs in these areas, sometimes referred to as “BasketPal,” recently had some great events that highlighted the strength of the work we do in these areas. PeacePlayers partners with UNRWA (United

Nations Relief Works Agency) in bringing these programs to fruition.  

In Ramallah, we had a set of Game Days – funded by the United States Consulate of Jerusalem – that helped bring together children from refugee camps, the inner city and rural villages. They were boys and girls who received a chance to compete against one another in a positive basketball environment.

While basketball is not the most popular sport in Palestine (soccer, or football as it is called here, is first), its appeal is growing rapidly. We are a big part of that growth, as we have worked with 250 youths and seven coaches this season. Our Ramallah program, which is just over a year old, has had an excellent start and will be a major part of our continued impact in the Middle East.  

In the Palestinian city of Tulkarm, PeacePlayers has done an incredible job of building a program that encourages youths to engage in athletics while teaching them life skills. The program has also brought in 21 coaches and trained them in basketball coaching and life skills development. The staff responded with an enthusiasm and pride in their work.

American fellow Program Director Pamela Kelly has done an amazing job of working with the local coaches to develop their ability to run a practice, prepare and coach in games and how to referee. We recently had an end-of-the-year Game Day in Tulkarm, featuring the full gamut of the program’s participants, with a girls’ tournament in the morning followed by an afternoon of boys’ games.

As program directors, we refereed games and added energy. This success was clearly a sign of the progress and ability of the local coaching staff. They really get into it – yelling instructions, hustling up and down the sidelines and imploring their players on every possession. There was a DJ playing some Arab music and a closing ceremony recognizing the participants.  

While we do not twin the children in the West Bank with Israeli children (checkpoints and bureaucracy make this exceedingly difficult and potentially harmful), our work in the Palestinian West Bank is an outlet for youth who have far fewer opportunities than virtually anyone else in our program.

Sneakers are worn out (and sometimes there are no sneakers at all). PeacePlayers gives them an opportunity to learn the game of basketball, have fun, stay away from trouble, and through it all, learn some life values inherent in the game. The sustainability of the program in these areas is a tribute to the local staff we work with. It is truly a blessing to be able to work with the kids and coaches in these areas.  OC

PeacePlayers gives them an opportunity to learn the game of basketball, have fun, stay away from trouble, and through it all, learn some life values inherent in the game.

Danny Ourian lives and works in the Middle East as a program director for PeacePlayers International. He has coached basketball for kids of all ages, ranging from youth summer camps to an assistant coach with the John Jay College of Criminal Justice men’s basketball team in New York City. He has also worked in the marketing and management departments of the Harlem Wizards and an American Basketball Association expansion team.

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