GENERATIONS FOR PEACE GETS TO WORK IN SRI LANKA

Amman, Jordan, 5 June 2010: Generations For Peace, the HRH Prince Feisal Al-Hussein-led organisation which uses sport in conflict resolution, is making its mark in post-war Sri Lanka, according to delegates from the island attending the sixth international camp in Amman.

Since the Tamil bid for an independent state was quashed by the Sri Lankan army last year, determined attempts have been made to bring both the Tamil and the majority Singhalese population together, and sport appears to be succeeding where some initiatives have fallen short.

Sanjitha Satyamurthy, 35, has been involved with the Communities for Peace organisation for three years and has already witnessed what power sport has in helping young people forget their differences by reaching out to each other across the decades of division.

“People have been craving for peace and there needs to be a lot of dedication and commitment to sustain it,” she said. “Unfortunately there is the language barrier which has been hard to bridge when bringing children from both the north and the south together, but sport has really helped to overcome this.

“We have a camp facility in the centre of Sri Lanka which we bring kids to from all sides of the conflict and while we sense the tension and reluctance at the start, after three days of getting to know each other through sporting activity, they leave with new friends and often want to stay!”

Despite working in the field of sport and conflict resolution, Sanjitha said that Generations For Peace is arming her with new skills which can be implemented back in her country. Following in the footsteps of Sri Lankan delegates that have attended previous Generations For Peace camps.

“We would like to start a train-the-trainer programme so we can get more leaders of youth involved who, in turn, can start activities and projects within their own communities,” she said. “Children are the best advocates for change as they are the future generation so it is important that with the war over, we make an immediate impact to encourage change for good.”

Generations For Peace is the brainchild of HRH Prince Feisal, International Olympic Committee Member and President of the Jordan Olympic Committee, and has enjoyed an incredible three years since its inception. Its unique 10-day peace building curriculum teaches leaders of youth how sport can bring divided communities together to encourage understanding and tolerance in order to achieve a sustainable peace.

To date, nearly 500 leaders of youth from 39 countries and territories have attended the six Generations For Peace camps and their work after returning home has resulted in 2,500 leaders of youth engaging with 45,000 young people.

Generations For Peace enjoys incredible support, none more so than from its Founding Partner Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a renowned humanitarian from the Abu Dhabi Ruling Family. The sixth international Camp will mark the continuation of Samsung as the Official Regional Partner with the camp’s official suppliers being Sama Mineral Water, Sama Juice and Mudieb Haddad & Sons Co.