 Kicking for Peace
At the end of January, FAR organised a two-week football tournament for the youth of el Geneina in West Darfur. Involving eight teams, only three of which were well established, coaches trained boys between ten and fourteen years old not only in football skills but also in peaceful ways of interacting. Three of the teams came from residents of the Riyadh IDP camp, on the outskirts of el Geneina town where FAR has been working. Initially, when approached by FAR to participate, the boys were not particularly positive about taking part. A fear of failing in front of those who may hold negative views about Riyadh IDPs was the key emotional obstacle that needed to be overcome in order to participate in the confidence-building and community-building activities. However, once the trainers were introduced to the boys and with persistent lobbying by the extremely enthusiastic FAR staff, the young people agreed. And they were glad they did. One team surprised themselves as well as the well-established town clubs by making it to the final!
A football tournament may sound very easy to organise,
 but with relationships between IDPs, nomads, and residents of el Geneina at breaking point in the past, this tournament would have been unconceivable a year ago. Judy Wolf, FAR’s (Monitoring and Evaluation manager)said " As we listened to the closing speeches from local government and community leaders, I realised that what we were witnessing was not an end but rather a beginning of something new; new friendships and a clear desire from the communities of el Geneina to improve their societal relationships.” The conduct and lessons learnt on the football field will hopefully be transferred to daily life. After all, the older boys who play football now will soon be leading their communities and participating more in the public sphere.
Taking these lessons forward, FAR has just begun construction on two more peace centres in West Darfur. One will be in the heart of el Geneina town and the other will be situated in the Riyadh IDP camp. The centres will offer the same peacebuilding, educational and sports opportunities as the other FAR peace centres although the programmes and peacebuilding work will also be tailored to
address the issues, hardships, and within the more urban environment. above: the choir sings at the closing ceremony
As the teams paraded around the pitch in the closing ceremony, the optimism of the players and their coaches felt infectious. For many the chance to play gives a small sense of control and influence in a life which has seen immense chaos and tragedy. Positively contributing in sport will, FAR believes, encourage more positive and peaceful contributions to society.
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