Continuously, in different environments and among different cultures, Play For Peace volunteers aim to give support to those who need it. Focuses are different, and at the moment one of the most concerning is the one that touches lives of people who are displaced far from their homes. Some lost loved ones; some lost dreams and hopes. PFP trainers and volunteers are giving their great effort in order to support and reinforce their feeling of safety, and moreover, to pass along and establish the message that peace is possible. Today, we share the story of our trainers Swati and Agyat, who just finished a 10 day session working with youth and children in Skaramangas refugee camp in Athens, Greece. They provided nearly 20 Practice Peace sessions, and each session included 10 young people and 2 adults, covering between 50 and 60 activities. The young people who were trained by Swati and Agyat, also conducted two practice peace sessions themselves with a trainer’s support. For these sessions, about 20 children were present in each of them. The types of activities were very different, from Ice Breaking to Problem Solving and Initiatives - from games that 5 year olds can play to games that 60+ can also play. Some of the activities would invite people to sing and dance, and other activities encouraged sharing and discovering each other deeply. There were also activities that required deep listening, making critical decisions, collaborating, taking risks, connecting with each other, and respecting diversity. Swati and Agyat had great support from Matt Alesevich, who was the driving force and did everything possible to create consistency and networking. He connected the trainers with the British Council School for recruiting youth and Hope School for getting children for the two practice peace session. Overall, six volunteers from the U.S., Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Norway helped Swati and Agyat to successfully manage all PFP activities. One of the volunteers eventually became the Skaramangas Play for Peace club mentor and continues to be active today.
“For us, it was a great learning experience on how to work with youth in a camp. We had to let go of our need to have structure and operate from complete flexibility - Be inclusive for every new person who decided to join in for whatever time they feel comfortable with. A couple of youth who were reluctant at the start became regular toward the end. For us, the focus of sessions was to provide engagement, care, get the youth to have a positive outlook.”
Refugee participants were from different countries - Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan - and before they started coming to sessions they didn't know each other. Their stories are unique, and their dreams are as real as anyone else's. They just had to put dreams on pause because of the situation that led them to the camp. But they still find space for cherishing each other, and together with volunteers and trainers, they are smiling and welcoming new day. One of these inspiring stories from Skaramangas camp, where PFP games recognize their driving force and motivation of our trainers, is Azhar’s story. Azhar is 18-year-old girl from Syria who said she would not even step out of her caravan, as her family didn't appreciate it and that she would rather spend her time teaching her younger siblings. Now she is one of the regular participants of PFP sessions and she even helps with translating, as she understands English as well as Arabic and Kurdish. Azhar dreams to be a rich person so that she can help poor and needy. You can follow along on the club's journey by visiting and liking its Facebook page. [gallery size="medium" ids="8710,8711,8713,8714,8715,8717,8718,8719,8720,8712,8716"]
