PPI’s Israeli and Palestinian youth basketball coaches at the Capitol Reflecting Pool.
PPI-ME International Fellow Heba El-Hendi share stories from some current participants’ about first joining PPI-ME.
As I am writing this, 24 young leaders are in the United States changing perceptions by sharing their narratives and experiences as PPI-ME members. During the next two weeks, the youth will be participating in a cultural exchange funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
As a new member, I’m fascinated by all of the unique experiences each PPI-ME basketball player brings to the table. Learning about all their backgrounds and narratives helps me articulate to others the importance of PPI-ME. People I meet always ask me what brings me to the region. I love being asked this question because it gives me the chance to share the stories of the youth and shed some light on the importance of PPI’s work. Amidst the negativity portrayed by the media and general unknown knowledge, it’s great to inform people of the positive work PeacePlayers does.
I of course, get a plethora of responses after I give the background introduction of PPI-ME. So far, most people want to understand what the reactions are of the surrounding communities when the youth become associated with PPI-ME. The answer to that question varies depending on the different stories and communities of the players. Joining PeacePlayers is not easy for some, but for others it’s nothing out of the norm. There is, of course, a spectrum of reactions from the community when their members join PeacePlayers. Here are some of the responses that resonated with me.
One of our participants hosting a BBQ at her home
For our first highlight, we have an 18-year-old Israeli Jew from Jerusalem who joined PeacePlayers years ago and had experience being out of her comfort zone. She was nervous to interact with the players coming from the Palestinian-Arab side. Her family, too were worried and apprehensive about her joining and participating. Yet, through her commitment with PeacePlayers, she has both impacted her family and her community. Just a few months ago, she and her family hosted a large get together at her home and invited both Palestinians and Jews from PeacePlayers to the gathering. A collective gathering like this in one’s home is something almost unheard of in this region.
Our next story is of a 20-year-old Palestinian from Jerusalem who has been with PeacePlayers for nine years. She had to confront two norms associated with PeacePlayers: playing with Jews and playing sports. In her community, girls’ participation in sports is very uncommon and often received with push back. Now she is one of the front-runners for women playing sports and a certified coach.
Next, we have a participant who joined PeacePlayers four years ago. A 17-year-old Israeli Jew who received a lot of negativity from her classmates. At first, she did not know the best way to respond to the remarks. After being with PeacePlayers for some time, she now feels comfortable addressing the prejudices and questions she receives from her classmates. More of her classmates are now more open to the idea of her being with a coexistence program.
Young leaders sharing their communities’ reactions to them joining PPI
Our last highlight comes from a 19 year old Palestinian from Jerusalem who joined PeacePlayers and also felt the push back from his community and his classmates. His intermediate family supported his decision, but his community made remarks about him playing with Jews. This did not deter him from continuing his participation with PPI. He has been a part of PeacePlayers for nine years now.
This shows all members have their own experiences, yet PeacePlayers embraces all who come from different backgrounds.
