Friday, April 17, 2009

Ultimate for Peace in Kenya

This coming August, Ultimate will be brought to 100 youth in Nairobi, Kenya for the first time! 



Last November as I travelled throughout Africa (always bringing my disc with me…) I played Ultimate in many countries teaching how to play and of course Spirit of the Game.  The comment that stuck in my mind from one person in Rwanda was:  “imagine if Africans, especially African leaders, could learn to call their own fouls and accept the call.”

World Youth Alliance Africa is hosting a conference in Nairobi, Kenya from Tuesday 4th to Saturday 8th August 2009 on the theme ‘Peace: Our Responsibility for Integral Development’. As part of the conference an Ultimate Workshop will be offered.

What better way to promote peace than through Ultimate and Spirit of the Game? Youth from throughout Kenya and Africa will learn about promoting the dignity of every person as the basis for peace, and hence development. They will also take home with them Ultimate and, through playing, make Spirit of the Game part of their local culture and mindset.

The Decade of Dignity and Development, WYA 1999-2009 is a celebration of ten years promoting the dignity of the person in development. The DDD celebrations are intended to unite young people, leaders in the public sector and best practices around the world to give them a global center stage.

I am looking to bring 100 discs with me to our Africa Region. I am also looking for donations to provide each of the participants with a jersey. Donations are tax deductible. WYA is a 501©3 registered nonprofit.

"The integrity of Ultimate depends on each player's responsibility to uphold the Spirit of the Game, and this responsibility should remain paramount."

Ultimate relies upon a spirit of sportsmanship that places the responsibility for fair play on the player. Highly competitive play is encouraged, but never at the expense of mutual respect among competitors, adherence to the agreed upon rules, or the basic joy of play.”