In a small, impoverished township in South Africa, Ajani and his friends have earned a brand-new, federation-size soccer ball.
This text afforded us the opportunity to talk about:
- Bullying - how do we identify with the various characters? What are good responses for dealing with bullying? Do you back down? Do you assert your value? How?
- How is working for peace like being a part of a soccer team? Can we do it alone?
- We also talked about the historical development of soccer as well as its current social and political importance.
- Did you know that soccer has been around for thousands of years? During the Middle Ages, kings tried to ban it because they wanted their men to go to war instead of playing games. The punishment for playing soccer was death! Soccer, something that carves out a sense of teamwork and shared purpose is a threat to those who want us to see each other as opponents.
- This idea of soccer as a means to achieving peace is still very strong in today's world. Students read a number of extension articles. We explored several charitable organizations stationed in some of the most impoverished, violent and hopeless of contexts. Organizations like Soccer for Peace use soccer as a way to teach young people the value of working together peacefully. When we work together with a common goal and don't violently interact with those who stand in our way, we make the world a better, happier place.
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Connections:
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/povertyreduction/successstories/playing_soccer_forpeaceincolombia.html
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