Play for Peace Beginnings
Play for Peace was founded by Michael Terrien and Craig Dobkin, two veteran experiential educators in the corporate and therapeutic sectors. A serious accident led them to redirect their skills toward the crucially important cause of world peace.
CORPORATE CAREERS
From the mid-‘80s to ‘90s, Michael Terrien and Craig Dobkin were at the forefront of experiential education, today widely employed by corporations to align corporate cultures, develop teams, and build leadership within the ranks. They taught their unique approach at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. They also consulted for a diverse array of clients including Abbott Laboratories, Accenture, Allstate Insurance, the American Bar Association, Baxter Healthcare, Ernst and Young, and Marriott.
TURNING POINT
In 1995, as Craig and Michael were setting up a challenge course for a corporate client, their lives were changed dramatically in a moment’s time. Craig’s feet slipped off the edge of a cliff, and he fell and landed on the rocks far below. Craig’s spine was severely injured and his legs became paralyzed.
This shattering experience compelled the men to examine the meaning of their lives. Soon after, Michael was invited to facilitate a retreat for survivors and victim’s families of the Oklahoma City bombing incident with his friend and colleague Faith Evans. While doing this work, Faith had a dream of a red ball bouncing in Bosnia and then to Jerusalem. When she awoke, she called Michael to ask, “What is the highest purpose of play?” The answer was self-evident.
BIRTH OF PLAY FOR PEACE
Working with Craig Dobkin, Michael Terrien transported his model of cultural change from the corporate realm to a very different place: communities polarized by racial, ethnic, or religious conflicts. Through Play for Peace, play is the catalyst for reconciliation between societies and groups with a history of violence.
In 1996, Michael and Craig launched Play for Peace initiatives in Chicago and the Middle East under the aegis of the Association for Experiential Education. Confirmed by the success of the early projects, Play for Peace incorporated as a non-profit in 1999. After years of promoting Play for Peace with his special charisma, in 2001 Craig Dobkin left to pursue other ventures. Michael Terrien continues to serve as president of the vital, innovative, expanding peace initiative that is Play for Peace.