Reflections from the December 2025 Play for Peace Council

As 2025 came to a close, the Play for Peace Council gathered for its final meeting of the year—bringing together stories of joy and grief, crisis response and creativity, reflection and renewal.

This was not just a meeting about plans and structures.
It was a moment to remember where we come from, honor who we’ve lost, and intentionally shape what comes next.

Beginning with the Body: “I Hold the Ball”

We opened the Council space with a simple, playful greeting activity learned from Nakiran in Kachi:

“I hold the ball.”
“I bounce the ball.”
“I put it here.”
“I pass the ball.”
“I cross the ball.”

Through rhythm, voice, and coordinated movement, Council members entered the space not as representatives or roles, but as bodies in relationship. The activity reminded us of a core Play for Peace truth: connection comes before content.

Before strategy, there is trust. Before planning, there is presence.

Honoring Craig: A Legacy That Lives in Practice

A central and tender part of the meeting was a memorial tribute to Craig, Play for Peace co-founder, mentor, and teacher, who passed away this year.

Through a shared video, Craig’s voice and philosophy returned to us:

• His insistence that identity is never defined by limitation: “I am not that wheelchair.”

• His description of experiential education as “traditional education with a little bit of soul.”

• His belief that when people feel cared for, attendance improves, engagement deepens, and life becomes more wonderful.

• His confidence that in just ten minutes, a group of strangers could learn to love one another—if the conditions were right.

Craig did not just teach Play for Peace.
He embodied it.

His legacy continues not only in memory, but in every circle, game, reflection, and moment of care practiced around the world.

2025 from the Ground: Regional Reflections

Council members shared stories from their regions—stories shaped by resilience, adaptation, and deep commitment to children and communities.

• Sri Lanka faced a catastrophic cyclone, with over 100,000 children displaced and hundreds of lives lost. Even as internet and communication systems collapsed, play became a tool for psychological support, grounding, and collective strength in shelters.

• Vietnam focused on mentoring student teachers to navigate unexpected classroom realities, using Play for Peace values to meet uncertainty with confidence and care.

• India (Bihar & Kolkata) saw both renewal and expansion—new facilitation centers opening, youth leadership growing, and long-standing teams reconnecting with schools and communities.

• Middle school assessment work integrated experiential learning into national creative arts and sports evaluations, bringing play into formal education systems.

• Afghanistan continued to quietly inspire the global community, reaching nearly 6,000 volunteers, teachers, and children—translating games across languages while navigating serious safety constraints that limit public sharing.

Across all regions, one theme was clear:
Play for Peace shows up—especially when conditions are hardest.

Looking Forward: The 2026 Council Roadmap

The Council also introduced a refreshed structure for 2026, designed to make service simpler, more inclusive, and more sustainable.

Key shifts include:

• Reapplication for all Council members to keep the space dynamic and accessible

• A 24-month maximum term, ensuring leadership renewal

• A six-month trial period for new members

• A new Task Bank on the portal, allowing members to choose concrete, meaningful contributions

• Ten active Council seats, supported by stipends

• The formation of a Council Alumni Circle, honoring past members as mentors and guides

• Learning woven into meetings through guest speakers and shared methodologies, such as authentic relating circles

The intention is not to do more—but to do what matters, together, with care.

A New Rhythm of Storytelling

Beginning February 2026, Play for Peace will launch a new Council email newsletter, co-created with Council members and alumni. This space will carry stories from the field, reflections from leaders, and updates from across the global community.

As part of this transition, some current Council members will step into Council Alumni roles—not as an ending, but as an expansion of how leadership and wisdom flow through the organization.

Carrying the Ball Forward

As the meeting closed, gratitude filled the space—for the 30th anniversary year, for traditions transformed, and for the steady presence of a global community that continues to learn how to care for one another across distance and difference.

The work ahead is not small. But neither is the collective strength that carries it.

We move into 2026 holding the ball together— passing it, crossing it, trusting it will return—
and continuing to make life more wonderful for people, through play.