Peace Club Aims to Expand

What if you could teach peace through soccer, the world’s most popular sport? Peace Club, an international nonprofit that has led projects in over 30 countries for the past ten years, does just that. Armed with its motto, “Play Football (Soccer), Make Peace,” trainers move into high-conflict regions to instill in coaches and players eleven principles of sportsmanship and citizenry. Peace Club founder, Robin Graham, a Unificationist from Irvington, New York, hopes that when children are taught to respect themselves and respect each other, they will bring their new skills and attitude back home to their communities, where peace can flourish.

Last August, a workshop was held in Jordan to train women coaches in the principles of Peace Club as part of its “Champions in Life” series. Now, Peace Club Champions in Life has expanded to Lebanon, where trainer Walid Abu Shanab hosted a three-day workshop that started on Thursday, March 23. Twenty-five coaches met in Beirut for the kick-off. These coaches will bring what they learn back to their communities, where they serve over 1000 boys and girls from Palestinian camps, from the Syrian refugee population, and from church groups.

In May and August, Peace Club plans to host workshops in both Nepal and Senegal. To learn more and find out how you can get involved or donate visit Peace Club’s Facebook page or donate directly via the button below.