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 A former PeacePlayers International advisor reflects on how the game helped make a difference in the arenas he taught – and how it helped him grow
By Danny Ourian
My time in the Middle East with PeacePlayers International (PPI) came to a close last June. When I came back to the United States, people wanted to hear about my experience. Words such as “amazing,” “rewarding” and “unbelievable” were used, but can’t come close to describing the experience properly. Words are limited in their ability to describe. Stories help. Images help. But how do you describe the look on the face of a child who starts to “get it?” A child whose face says, “What I thought before is wrong;” a perception changing right in front of your eyes. How do you describe a newfound understanding in the eyes of a 14 year old, drenched in sweat, after a basketball game he never thought he would play?
The end of the twinning season this past year was extremely positive. The Jerusalem Peace League conducted its Final Four, all our teams came together for end of year twinnings, and everyone received certificates signifying the successful completion of another PeacePlayers season. Finishing on a high note is very important going into the summer, when most of PPI’s core programs – which work in conjunction with the school calendar year – take a temporary break.
We want children to be excited about what they have been a part of – and look forward to – returning for the start of next season. Participant retention is vital, as continuity of PPI’s message and core values must consistently be reinforced as the kids get older. In the Middle East, we have done a great job of not only recruiting new children, but also retaining the participants that are in the midst of our program, ages 9-16 years old.
Leaving the program was bittersweet for me, personally. After making so many great relationships, it was sad to go. The truth is that as much as I was able to give players and coaches I worked with for two years, I got so much more in return. That was a selling point for me initially going to work with PeacePlayers – work that is rewarding on a deeper level – and the reality is that I really did come away with a sense of experience, culture, understanding, as well as pride in doing something positive for the communities in which I worked.
All through the game of basketball, the game I love, I was surrounded by wonderful people, made life-long friendships and enjoyed the physical act of what I was doing. Many people go to an office and sit at a desk all day where they loathe their existence and are bored, miserable or worse. I had the opportunity to meet people in different areas and greet them on a basketball court, my favorite “office” of all. What a blessing.
Throughout my time, I often considered the impact that we were making as an organization, and I constantly found it in the “little things” on the court, and off it. An Arab and a Jew sitting together between league games sharing music on their MP3 players. Another would-be odd couple taking photos with each other and cracking jokes. On the court, it’s sharing the ball willingly, helping each other off the ground when someone goes down (on either team), and indiscriminate high fives all around. Off the court it’s all the trappings of regular kids having fun in regular ways, in what some may consider an irregular setting.
But that is the point. That is why PPI is so successful: Kids are kids, and they want to have a good time. They don’t want to think about politics and make enemies, they want to run around and have fun in a place that is positive. They want to use their imagination. They want to play basketball. We want to provide them with that positive, “out of the box” setting where their walls can be brought down, and – as we know – a basketball court is among the best ways to do that.
I’ve never had better experiences with basketball than I had with PPI-ME. I hope everyone who reads this article learns more about the organization and does some small part in helping it succeed. Anyone who loves basketball and wants to see positive change in the world should support it – from a $25 donation to a fundraiser at your school or another function. I can tell you firsthand it’s an organization that does tremendous work that works. I may have moved on to the next phase of my basketball career, but I will ALWAYS be a PeacePlayer.
“If it is played with great teamwork, the sum of the parts is greater than the individual. It’s a great forum for building trust. A lot of the game happens with things you can’t see. Communication and trust with teammates is the key. It seems to me that the same can be said of peacemaking.”
About the Author
After spending two years working as a Program Director with PeacePlayers International in the Middle East, Danny Ourian returned to New York to work as a private Basketball Skills Development coach and a Clinic and Event Staff member with the New York Knicks. He can be reached via email at
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