"There is so much to learn here and so much work to do. We've been fortunate at this point to have such great support from the community in the Middle East." - Play for Peace Co-Founder Craig Dobkin

In the Fall of 2014, Play for Peace Executive Director Sarah Gough traveled to Israel and Palestine with our co-founder, Craig Dobkin. Together, they conducted a 10-day training tour in the region, and built on a foundation that had been created for Play for Peace many years before. Today, we're taking a look back at Sarah's and Craig's trip to the region from a couple of years ago, because it will provide wonderful perspective on the stories we'll be sharing about how our work continues to evolve there. Here are some of Sarah's reflections on their special training tour:

Thirsty for Change in the Middle East

 A close friend's illness prompted Play for Peace co-founder Craig Dobkin to plan a trip to Israel to see her one last time and visit Play for Peace in the region. Unfortunately, fate intervened and she passed away before he could arrive. However, the wheels had already been set in motion for the 2014 Middle East Play for Peace Training Tour. Having to wait for the war to end in Gaza for the safety of all of the participants, Craig and I flew to Tel Aviv this September to begin the Tour. A local committee of Play for Peace members including Aura, Sharli, Oren, Samer and Judith organized workshops all over the region to introduce Play for Peace to new organizations and to reconnect with many people who had participated in Play for Peace in the past.

Committee Chair and Trainer Samer Mouallem said, "There's a need to promote Play for Peace in the region right now.  I also needed to be re-energized, refresh my memory and tools as well as needing to be able to count on more trained counselors to work with me." According to Craig: "there is so much to learn here and so much work to do. We've been fortunate at this point to have such great support from the community in the Middle East." Before leaving I was concerned about the timing of our visit as tensions are high and so many people say they have lost hope in ever finding a peaceful solution to the conflict, but what we found when we arrived was just the opposite. Words like "thirsty" and "hungry" were used over and over to describe the need for programs like Play for Peace by those who work with children and youth in this conflicted region. I also remember how exhausted so many people said they were throughout our travels, but amazingly when I look through our photos all I see is laughter and energy.

The timing was right, the people were amazing and I am inspired by the grit and perseverance of the number of caring, compassionate people, both Jews and Arabs who are working so hard to create more peaceful communities for their children.