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'Generations for Peace is making a difference'
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As the delegates marveled at the breathtaking splendor of Petra, one of the world’s Seven Wonders, two former Generations For Peace camp participants have returned to show the global initiative is making a difference in communities that need it most.

Safiya Ibn Garba and Partsan Mukukula have returned to the fifth international camp for Generations For Peace, founded by HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, to work as assistant coaches but it is their advice and mentoring away from the sports fields which has proved invaluable to the 80 delegates from 13 countries.

Safiya has returned to assist with the softball coaching, a sport she has successfully introduced, amongst others, in her native Nigeria to more than 4,000 participants, mostly women, through her Generations For Peace projects.

“I returned from Camp 08 with the tools and the know how to start implementing Generations For Peace projects within my own community and have since trained more than 150 coaches, advocates and partners who have in turn interacted with thousands of children. It has been such a valuable experience to me,” she said.

Meanwhile, 36 year-old Mukukula has returned with his new skills to Zimbabwe where he works as a basketball coach with the Hoops for Hope initiative.

“I was just like these leaders of youth we have here in Amman this week,” he said. “I was invited to attend the camp in June but I was curious and unsure what to expect; but it opened my eyes to new methods and peace building techniques which I have been able to introduce to my everyday work in Zimbabwe. Now I have been able to incorporate peace building into our basketball programme which is making a big difference to more than 7,000 children every week.”

Generations For Peace is the brainchild of HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein who has attended the sessions to listen to the delegates’ experiences first hand. Since its launch in 2007, the initiative has welcomed 31 countries from three continents and is set to become even more global in 2010 with three further camps planned and more countries to send delegates.

To date, up to 40,000 children have enjoyed Generations For Peace initiatives created by delegates who have returned home to teach more leaders of youth on how to use sport to bridge divides within their communities.

Prior to the current camp, Generations For Peace has held four hugely successful international camps; three in Amman, Jordan and earlier this year in Abu Dhabi, UAE, held under the patronage of Founding Partner HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

This latest camp also marks the continuation of the initiative’s relationship with Samsung Electronics as the Official Partner while the International Softball Federation has supported Generations For Peace at each of its Camps to date as a Programme Partner.

British football team Brighton & Hove Albion sent one of its coaches to run the football programme while Camp 09 Official Suppliers include Danao Juice, SAMA Mineral Water, Fly Sportswear and Mr Chips provided by M. Haddad & Sons Co.

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