Contributor : Katrin Huenemorder

Despite a recent setback, Play for Peace in the Netherlands is thriving once again, bringing hope and peace to children and youth at the Ter Apel refugee camp.

This week, Play for Peace is celebrating World Interfaith Harmony Week to promote peace and harmony between people regardless of faith or belief system. Learn more about this important week and how we will be celebrating with our clubs worldwide. 

As the founder and a mentor of the Youth for Change Galilee Club in Israel, Sa’eed Diabat is an important part of the Play for Peace community. He also has an important story to tell. 

Thanks to Mazhar and Zafar Sheriff we have incredible photos from the Fall 5K Run/Walk fundraiser on September 29, 2018. Check out the full photo album to see what happened at this unforgettable event. 

Play for Peace clubs around the world celebrated our 20th birthday with fun parties and special birthday cakes. These happy and festive cakes were tributes to our efforts to create friendships across divides over the past 20 years.

Since laughter and having fun is, in a way, the core business of Play for Peace, we formed a very natural partnership with the first-ever global collaborative fundraising challenge in the world—the ROFL (Rolling On the Floor Laughing) challenge.

While Costa Rica is famous for its beautiful beaches and nature, it is not without conflict. Many flee there from Nicaragua only to face racism, exploitation, and more. One of these areas is La Carpio, where Play for Peace recently opened a club and is working hard to unite the community. 

In part three of this three-part series, Play for Peace regional coordinator Katrin Hünemörder visits our club at a refugee camp in Musselkanaal, Netherlands. Although recently closed, the camp was an integration success story. Meet some of the refugees who've been impacted by Play for Peace and learn how they are now impacting others.

The sixth annual Play for Peace Fall 5K Run/Walk was special in every way. Drawing more than 300 attendees to the Bartlett Nature Center on September 29, the event raised more than $40,000 and was Play for Peace’s most successful fundraising event to date.

In part two of this three-part series, Play for Peace regional coordinator Katrin Hünemörder visits our club at a refugee camp in Musselkanaal, Netherlands. Although recently closed, the camp was an integration success story. Part two shows the compassion and leadership of the youth and staff at the camp.

In part one of a three-part series, Play for Peace regional coordinator Katrin Hünemörder visits our club at a refugee camp in Musselkanaal, Netherlands. Although recently closed, the camp was an integration success story. Part one introduces children, parents, and families of Musselkanaal experiencing Play for Peace.

When Play for Peace's development officer visited our club at a refugee camp in Musselkanaal, Holland, she met with a very special mentor named Roel. Not only has he supported Play for Peace and brought it to the camp, but he’s done it with laughter and compassion that is contagious. 

It’s always an eye-opening experience to visit with our clubs in the field. Last month, Play for Peace development officer Katrin Hünemörder spent some time with our club in Costa Rica, in the community of La Carpio—the biggest slum in Costa Rica.

Amid ongoing violence and conflict between Israel and Palestine, Play for Peace mentor Sa'eed Diabat is working toward peace. Organizing a special two-day interfaith training among Muslim, Christian, and Druze leaders, his group worked to ignite cooperation and create friendship despite their differences.