Generations for Peace Camp Gains Momentum

(ATR) Generations For Peace’s eighth peace building camp, and second in Sochi, entered its second week on Monday in the coastal resort on Russia’s Black Sea.

Numbering 53, the carefully selected delegates from the Russia Federation, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia and Georgia are participating at the ten-day camp, which offers intensive training in the use of sport for peace and development. It is their first step toward achieving what is known as the Peace Pioneer Certification.

Established in 2007 by Prince Feisal Al-Hussein of Jordan, who is president of the National Olympic Committee and current IOC member, Generations For Peace is a peace building initiative focused on training talented youth leaders how to use the power of sport to instill tolerance, understanding and responsible citizenship in regions of conflict.

Generations For Peace CEO Mark Clark spoke to Around the Rings in Sochi regarding the vision of Prince Feisal and implementing their specific aims and objectives through the camp in Sochi and moving forward toward 2014.

"I think as a role model and as a leader for us he is also able somehow to engage personally with everyone he meets," said Clark. " He inspires the delegates."

"He’s expressed that for him its about his personal sense of responsibility and also the positioning of Jordan as a peace building nation following in the footsteps of his own father, and in partnership with his brother the King."

Since 2007, Generations for Peace delegates and Pioneers have worked with over 62,000 children and trained 4,300 leaders of youth from 47 countries and territories.

"Peace building is about regular repeated activities and we’re trying to do quite a difficult thing," said Clark. "We’re trying to change people’s attitudes and behavior by providing our delegates with a set of skills, a set of games and activities that they can facilitate to promote those changes."

The ten-day camp, began on October 10 and concludes this Wednesday. Clark said he looks forward to their continued partnership and mutual goals.

"It’s exciting for us and a great opportunity to be partners with an Olympic host city," said Clark, who has previously worked with youth and sport in post-conflict Iraq in 2003.

"From Sochi’s perspective, I think any Olympic city has a huge challenge and many obstacles to overcome but there is a sense of excitement around any Olympic Games and its not only abut the high performance sport, but about complete transformation of a city and spreading the energy and impact beyond the city to the region, nation and the world."

A Day at the Camp

Monday’s morning session at the camp, which is being held at the Karavella RUS Resort in Sochi, began with a discussion about peace building hosted by Olivier Faure, an expert in conflict resolution and hostage negotiations.

The session continuedwith a discussion about advocacy and partnerships led by strategic international communications expert Jon Tibbs.

Throughout both interactive sessions, delegates were frequently encouraged to stand up and give ideas and suggestions, answer questions or discuss personal experiences from their native countries.

In the afternoon, Olga Trufanova, who serves as Head of Youth Programs for Sochi 2014, spoke about the spirit of the Sochi 2014 Volunteer Program. Of the 53 delegates, 34 of whom are Russian, 27 are also volunteers for the 2014 Games.

"In our country’s history, volunteering wasn’t fun, it was an obligation," said Trufanova, while addressing the delegates. "Now the major challenge is to bring the spirit back to the 25,000 trained volunteers for the Games."

"It was a major challenge for the organizing committee, but the President of our OC, Dmitry Chernyshenko says it’s like a disease; Olympic shots as he calls it. The new generation is very different and these people will leave a great legacy," she added.

"Our goal is to train our volunteers so well that they will present our country on the maximum level and people will say these Russian volunteers are so cool, so great."

In the late afternoon, the delegates moved from Congress Hall to the volleyball courts with coaches and facilitators teaching peace building drills, followed by skills and techniques. The emphasis at the camp, which also includes softball, soccer and basketball, is not about competing as score is never kept, but "playing" with delegates striving for "small victories."

Serbian Delegate Offers Her Thoughts

Branislava Bakalovic, 25, is one of seven representatives of Serbia attending the camp in Sochi.

"With all the lectures and sport activities, it’s very, very useful," she said about her experiences at Generations For Peace. "I’ve never worked on a project before that brings peace and sport together and I hope when I return to my country, our group will start a project to do the same in Serbia."

Prior to the specialized camp, she has participated in the Belgrade International Model United Nations and also is currently working with an organization called Balkan and Middle East Cooperation. She advised that Generations For Peace is planning to open a satellite office in Serbia.

"It’s certainly a very good experience, learning many new things from this camp only here," she said. "In Serbia, where we will continue, there will be many other things to learn as I love to work with young people, students, and children. I think the training here is the best that I can get."

Written by Brian Pinelli .

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