We Play for Peace

Funded by UNAOC through the Youth Solidarity Program (YSF), ‘We Play for Peace’ presents an innovative project centered on leveraging sports as a catalyst for fostering a culture of peace. This initiative aims to bridge divisions among Syrian Sunni and Lebanese Sunni, Shiite, and Christian youth in Northern Bekaa through the training of community coaches. These coaches served as advocates for peer-group peacebuilding, orchestrating engaging activities such as basketball, football, volleyball, and yoga. The project included the training of ten community coaches to become proficient in steering peer-group peacebuilding and communication skills through sport. Over a six-month span, the project involved 100 marginalized youth, integrating sports like volleyball, and yoga with purposeful peacebuilding activities within their peer circles. Additionally, the project included the creation and publishing of a trainers’ handbook showcasing insightful case studies that illustrate the effective utilization of community coaches to promote and sustain peacebuilding efforts.