As part of the 16-day joint campaign “Together Against Violence”, Palestine: Sports for Life in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Sharek Youth Forum, funded by the Belgium Government, in cooperation with the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs, Ministry of Education, UNRWA and the Palestinian Football Association implemented an Educational Sports Day at Faisal Husseini International Stadium /Al Ram on the 10^th of Dec. 2019.
The Sports for Gender Equality day is part of the Youth Empowerment and Protection Project through Gender Interventions in Jerusalem implemented through the 16-days joint activity was launched by Ms. Kaat DeNijs -Head of mission of the Consulate General of Belgium, Ms. Kristine Blokhus- UNFPA Representative in Palestine, Mr. Fadi Hidmi - Minister of Jerusalem, Mr. Muawia Amar -Chief Field Education Program - UNRWA, Mr. Mohammad Hawash - General Director Of Counseling and Special Education MOE, Mr. Abdelhakeem Jamous - Director of Students Activities - MOE, Ms. Aya Musleh - Palestinian Football Federation, Mr. Bashar Rawajbeh, Ms. Tamara Awartani - Palestine: Sports for Life.
Followed by 5 sports and life skills stations focusing on different gender equality topics targeting 120 girls and boys  ages 11 to 14 from four Jerusalem District schools: Shufat Refugee Camp Boys, Qalandia Refugee Camp Girls, Qalandia Refugee Camp Boys, AlQuds Islamiyeh AlRam. The children rotated between the stations, playing sports having fun on a grass field in an international stadium, making new friends, connecting the life skill and topic in the game to their day to day life, allowing them to discuss issues together and proposing ideas of action from their end as they are the leaders of tomorrow. 

                                                                                       

The first activity was a family sports recreational day in QCenter which included several educational sports activities developed by Palestine Sports for Life to fit the scope of the event. The team of PS4L, which includes experts and trainers, conducted the activities through different stations and games zones that targeted all members of the family. The events started at 1:00 pm and lasted until 5:30 pm. More than 500 participants, including children and their parents, as well as young women and men participated in the sports day. 

Our two European volunteers delivered PS4L model of English through sports in the playground and classroom education for boys and girls at alAmari Refugee camp. The model attracts youth to enjoy learning a new language through sports. The volunteers gave three sessions a week per school for two months. A blog on their experience will be shared soon.
Stay tuned for more information and opportunities for youth in the upcoming period expanding on our current module. 

On Saturday, 23^rd November 2019 GIZ Regional Programme Sport for Development (S4D) Jordan/Iraq officially handed over a series of training manuals to the Ministry of Education and the Jordanian sport federations which marks a milestone in the successful German-Jordanian collaboration to accelerate teachers’ and coaches’ qualification in Jordan. The manuals were developed jointly by German and local sport and social experts to the most up-to-date sport academical standards providing an important tool for coaches and teachers to transfer life and sportive skills to children and youth through sport. The German Ambassador to Jordan, H.E. Birgitta Siefker-Eberle and representatives from the Ministry of Education, the Jordan Olympic Committee, the Jordan Paralympic Committee and the Jordanian Handball, Football, Basketball and Flying Disc federations attended the formal handover of the ‘Sport for Development’ training manuals, of which we are proud of PS4L experts, Tamara Awartani and Sameh Masri, who were part of developing the basketball manual that was handed over to the Jordanian Basketball Federation. In addition to that guests from Germany such as the Olympic gold medallist Britta Heinemann, the German Football Association (DFB) Vice President Dr. Rainer Koch as well as representatives from the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) participated in the event which took place at the Jordan Paralympic Committee Sport Complex in Sports City, Amman. 
On behalf of the BMZ, the GIZ Regional Programme S4D supports local organisations to introduce sport programmes in host communities and refugee/IDP camps in Jordan and Iraq. The aim is to increase access to sport activities for boys and girls and to foster the development of their personalities through sport. To achieve these goals in Jordan GIZ S4D has developed together with its political partner the Ministry of Education as well as civil society and sport organizations like the Association Development Football Programme (AFDP), the Jordan Olympic Committee and the local Handball, Football, Basketball and Flying Disc federations a comprehensive approach specifically designed to promote social competencies, teach values and allow a peaceful coexistence. German institutions like the DOSB and the DFB supported the development and implementation process with experts and knowledge directly in the field.
Since 2016, more than 700 teachers, coaches and social workers have been trained in the usage of the S4D approach and more than 80,000 children and youth from all parts of the population benefit from the fun, participatory and carefully facilitated sport activities in Jordan.
BMZ funds and promotes social cohesion between refugees, internally displaced persons and locals in the region. The initiative aims to tackle the root causes of displacement, stabilise host regions and support refugees. Sport programs can help to mitigate conflicts, support peaceful coexistence and therefore contribute to easing of the tense situation on local level.
 

As a continuation of the Youth Empowerment and Protection Project through Gender Interventions in Jerusalem in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Sharek Youth Forum, funded by the Belgium Government, in cooperation with the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs, Ministry of Education and UNRWA, the trained sports teachers and social workers by PS4L in the approach of using sports for Gender Equality are implementing sessions in their schools.
PS4L visited the schools to observe and support the teachers and social workers in the implementation of a new approach, and together reflecting on the importance of using sports as a tool to integrate and develop life skills while connecting with gender and human rights topics in an inclusive environment. The students showed interest, communicated and reflected on the exercise and life situations.
Well done to the teachers, social workers and students.
 

PS4L Director was hosted by Raya FM and Ramallah Radio to reflect on PS4L's approach in Sports for Development and one of its model of Sports for Gender Equality, highlighting the event within the 16-day joint campaign “Together Against Violence”

Click on the links to hear them out