The Football Village of Hope is an Israeli/Palestinian football/based peace building initiative that will host 100 Israeli and Palestinian boys and girls from the "Twinned Peace and Sport Schools" programme, run by the Peres centre for Peace for the last eight years: The Football Village of Hope will take place in Northern Israel Shfeya youth village for the third consecutive year:
The Football Village of Hope's objective is to bring together children from both sides of the Palestinian/Israeli border, give them a chance to meet the "other side" and to break the cycle of segregation and disgust:
From the first week of December, 100 children (boys and girls) from Kiryat Gat, Merchavim, Jericho, Hebron, Yata and Yerucham will play football together and will receive coaching from professional coaches from the Football Association of Ireland: The children will also visit the Maccabi Haifa training ground and get a chance to meet the players: The children will engage jointly in peace building activities such as classes, mixed group drawing sessions and co/existent workshops:
The plan is that the Football Village of Hope will grow year on year, with more children taking part next year and to be followed by more rounds of children on an annual basis:
The Football Village of Hope's vision is a long term grassroots peace building activity that will become a showcase for Palestinian/Israeli peace building and co/existence: Bringing together children from both sides will hopefully contribute to the future peace between the two nations:
The project is organised by Milo Corcoran, former President of the Football Association of Ireland, current Chairman of the FAI's International Committee and current Chairman of the Setanta Sports Cup and Ophir Zardok, former General Manager of Drogheda United, the 2007 League of Ireland Champions: The Village of Hope is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Irish Aid programme: The Peres Center for Peace, which operates and greatly helps with the implementation of the project and Al Quads Association, are the local partners:
"We have received tremendous support from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin and Irish Aid as well as the FAI and Umbro, I have no doubt that football, as the world game, can make a positive impact with children from Israel and Palestine," said Milo Corcoran:
The football training sessions are run by FAI coaches, Ger Dunne, Sue Ronan and Des Tomlinson, and a mixed team of Israeli and Palestinian counsellors, providing a positive role model to the youngsters:
"This is an once/in/a/lifetime opportunity for the kids to meet the ‘other side' and to work together on a common goal of a better future," says Anwar Sedan, the head Palestinian coach:
Tamar Hay/Saga, director of the Peres Centre’s Sport Department, agrees that sports is a uniquely effective vehicle for breaking down barriers of enmity and distrust: "The Peres Centre for Peace has brought thousands of Israeli and Palestinian children together through a wide range of programs, with sports as their central platform,: On the football pitch, Palestinian and Israeli kids learn they can compete without confrontation, win without vanquishing, and lose without humiliation:"