MARCH 1 - GENERATIONS FOR PEACE, the global initiative launched two years ago by Prince Feisal Al Hussein, today opened its first camp outside Jordan.

 

At the historic launch to open Generations For Peace Abu Dhabi Camp 09, Prince Feisal welcomed the sixty-nine delegates from 10 countries who will be taking part in the 10-day programme.

 

It brings together leaders of youth from divided communities and trains them to use sport to unite the young.

 

Prince Feisal announced a significant partnership agreement with Samsung Electronics and who provide equipment and support for Generations For Peace during 2009, further highlighting the growing reputation and importance of the Camp.

 

The National Basketball Association (NBA) will also be supporting Peace Camp 09 by providing coaching and curriculum support. NBA All-Star Rolando Blackman and Olympic gold medalist Jennifer Azzi will be on-site lending top-class basketball instruction to the Camp delegates.

 

Prince Feisal said: “We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our great humanitarian, founding partner, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan for his invitation to hold our third camp, in Abu Dhabi.

 

"As a result of our previous two camps, nearly 150 graduates have returned to 16 countries to cascade their new knowledge and skills to thousands of young people.

 

"We are looking forward to these numbers accelerating further and into new territories after this first camp of 2009 and have HH Sheikh Hamdan for making this possible.”

 

In addition, Al Jazira Club Abu Dhabi UAE, a sports club, of which HH Sheikh Hamdan is honorary chairman, is providing sports facilities and equipment, coaches and two of their top players, Brazilian Joao Fernando Nelo and Ivorian Ibrahim Diaky.

 

English League One team Brighton and Hove Albion is also providing coaching and programme support.

 

The International Softball Federation (ISF) is returning to provide coaching and equipment as well as significant support for the Generations For Peace Pioneer Programme.

 

Already Generations For Peace has held two hugely successful international camps in Amman, and Abu Dhabi will mark the first time that the intensive 10-day programme has been held outside of Jordan.

 

The 69 delegates will enjoy interactive classroom sessions combined with practical sports covering rules and skills in four sports: Basketball, Football, Softball and Volleyball.

 

The curriculum stresses peace building; focusing on the need to build tolerance and understanding so that youth from communities in conflict can find common grounds rather than be divided by differences.

 

In addition to Nigeria, Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon who have taken part before, delegates from India, Yemen, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Somalia as well as the host country will also participate for the first time.

 

The cascade programme has resulted in growing numbers of Generations For Peace programmes being instigated in the countries to where graduates have returned to after their training for the Generations For Peace Pioneer Certification Programme.

 

The Certification Programme is delivered during Camps by leading international peace education experts and sport coaches.

 

The training programme is composed of an Introductory module providing orientation to the certification programme and the use of sport for peace, and four key modules which focus on the roles Peace Pioneers will undertake within their communities: peace building; instructing children, training of the trainers, advocacy for Generations For Peace and partners to the local communities.

 

They will also receive sport training, rules and teaching skills in four sports: basketball, football, softball and volleyball.

 

Generations For Peace Pioneers are expected to train at least 20 trainers every year; work with at least 100-200 children annually; be an advocate for peace and to promote Generations For Peace; and to support other Peace Pioneers.

 

As well as the Laureus Sport For Good Foundation and the International Paralympic Committee, numerous International Federations also support the camp by providing coaches.

 

In previous camps, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF), International Table Tennis Federations (ITTF) as well as national Olympic and Paralymic committees have supported the programme.