Crossborder Peace And Sports Programme For Youth Warriors
This project's parent organization is Seeds Of Peace Africa (Sopa) International
It operates in Kenya
It uses Football (Soccer), Athletics, Volleyball
Entered the Sport for Conflict Resolution Award
More about Crossborder Peace And Sports Programme For Youth Warriors
Since the area that the peace and sports programme operates in is one that has been marred with violence for a long period of time, the peace and sports programme uses sports and specifically football to reflect the principles of war.
The “Aim, Shoot and Score” initiative is used to explain to the warriors how similar playing football is to taking a persons life, but choosing football over cattle raiding is much more safer since in playing football, relationships are built with the enemy community, their energies ware used positively and by scoring, the scorer would be regarded a hero rather than being regarded a hero by taking a life. Sports have proven to build team spirit, character and discipline.
The focus on team performance reflects well the traditional system of age groups and sense of community in the African societies. Sports is also used to develop economic alternatives which allowed the youth warriors to sustain themselves and to enter into family life and create families of their own. Sports have become an alternative for cattle raiding and armed violence.