Curriculum

All of PPI’s programs include an element of formal peace and leadership education, anchored by an innovative basketball-based curriculum developed in partnership with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and the Arbinger Institute, a global center for the study of interpersonal conflict. The curriculum uses a combination of fun, on-court activities and guided discussion to teach young people a way of thinking about conflict and their role in society. It emphasizes “out of the box” thinking – a way of interacting with those around us that honors both others' humanity and our own responsibility for change.

For example, in one drill coaches will instruct players not to pass to one of their teammates, who is not informed of the coaches’ direction until after the drill is over. When the excluded player finally does get the ball, almost invariably he or she will act selfishly as well, not passing to teammates and hurting the team in the process. After explaining what they asked the team to do, PPI's trained coaches use this experience to facilitate a discussion about anti-social behavior and how we often reciprocate the very actions we resent in others. By giving young people a language to describe personal and communal conflict, this curriculum helps them extend the lessons they learn within PPI to their lives far beyond the court.

Watch participants in PPI - Northern Ireland's Cross-Community League take part in activities from PPI's curriculum.

In each of our locations, the way this curriculum is implemented is tailored to local needs, in a collaborative process with local stakeholders. For example, in South Africa, PPI's curriculum focuses largely on making healthy life choices and HIV/AIDS prevention, and in Northern Ireland, it directly engages contentious issues, challenging young people to grapple with the complexties of growing up in a post-conflict society.

Learn More About:

Our Methodology

Programming in South Africa

Programming in Northern Ireland

Programming in the Middle East

Programming in Cyprus