A Story of Play, Healing and Community Reawakening

The Play for Peace journey in India began decades ago in South India, with some of its earliest roots in Hyderabad, Telangana. From the beginning, stories from this region carried a distinctive energy—stories of trust-building, cooperation, and healing through living and breathing Play for Peace (PFP) values.

Hyderabad was once home to a vibrant and active Play for Peace Club, led with heart and commitment by Haseeb Jafferi and Diyanat Ali. Like many community spaces around the world, the club slowed during the later phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet even in quieter times, Play for Peace never disappeared. It continued to live through committed practitioners who carried its values into classrooms, communities, and everyday life.

One such torchbearer is Anser Javeed, a Certified Play for Peace Trainer and passionate ambassador. His journey with Play for Peace began as a teenager discovering the power of play with peers. Today, that journey has come full circle—bringing play back to Hyderabad with renewed purpose.

A Spark Rekindled

On November 22nd and 23rd, 2025, a powerful milestone unfolded in Hyderabad. A Play for Peace Leadership Workshop was facilitated by master trainers Swati Bhatt and Agyatmitr, together with Anser Javeed, with a clear intention: to re-ignite the Hyderabad Play for Peace Club through renewed energy, deeper practice, and emerging youth leadership.

The workshop gathered a diverse group of participants—educators, corporate trainers, social workers, youth, and children—many encountering Play for Peace for the very first time. What they shared was curiosity, openness, and a readiness to explore new ways of connecting.

From Awkward Beginnings to Collective Belonging

Reflections by Dr. Haseeb Jafferi

“What began as a seemingly mundane Saturday transformed into something deeply special,” shared Dr. Haseeb Jafferi, reflecting on the two-day journey.

Hosted at Lighthouse Mallepally, a vibrant new community and learning hub, the workshop began with unfamiliar faces, tentative smiles, and quiet apprehension. A simple game of rock–paper–scissors quickly shifted the atmosphere. Laughter rippled through the room. Walls softened. Through playful, card-based icebreakers, names were exchanged, stories surfaced, and by tea time, strangers began to feel a sense of safety and belonging.

By the end of Day One, participants had explored far more than games. They engaged deeply with inclusion, cooperation, the PIES model, and the principle of Challenge by Choice—not just as concepts, but as lived experiences that shaped a genuinely safe and supportive space.

Day Two opened with stories of Play for Peace’s global and local impact. Facilitators Swati, Agyat, and Anser brought infectious energy to every activity, reinforcing that experiential learning and intentional play lie at the heart of transformation.

The workshop closed with a reflection inspired by Play for Peace founders Craig Dobkin and Michael Terrien:

What is the pinnacle of play? Play for Peace.

Participants carried home more than 22 new games, along with practical insights and a renewed sense of purpose—to weave cooperative, non-competitive play into their workspaces and communities.

As Dr. Haseeb beautifully summarized:

In the Play for Peace community, the opposite of play is not work—it is sadness.

Learning Through Safety and Observation

Reflections by Pragati Sharma

For Pragati Sharma, who joined as a Play for Peace volunteer, the workshop offered two pathways of learning—participating in play and observing facilitation.

“Being in their simple zone showed me how Play for Peace facilitation creates magic,” she shared.

What stood out most was the sense of safety:

Swati, Agyat, and Anser didn’t do anything special to make us feel safe—yet we all felt safe.

Within that safety, Pragati experienced a moment of personal clarity:

The complexity of the world meets the simplicity of life.

These reflections strengthened her confidence in using play as a tool for Social Emotional Learning (SEL), particularly in her work with children and adolescents.

Looking Ahead: Re-building the Hyderabad Play for Peace Club

Reflections by Omkarnath Mummadisetty

Omkarnath Mummadisetty, co-facilitative leader and Founder of Digital Equity, shared his perspective on what made the workshop unique:

It was powerful to experience Play for Peace presented purely as a methodology for community building.

Often, he noted, Play for Peace is integrated into other thematic frameworks. Here, it stood on its own—creative, grounded, and hopeful.

This inspires me to take this community journey forward.

A Living Journey Continues

This workshop marked not an ending, but a renewed beginning. With youth leadership, seasoned facilitators, and a growing community of practitioners, Hyderabad’s Play for Peace journey is alive once again—rooted in play, guided by values, and committed to building safer, more connected communities.

✨ The journey continues—one game, one circle, one community at a time. ✨