👀💭 What assumptions do we make based on how someone looks? That question was front and center during our recent virtual workshop, “Combatting Stereotypes,” part of PeacePlayers’ Enhancing Global Connections program with The Stevens Initiative🌍 Together with our amazing partners from Institute for Sport and Social Justice, we: 👓 Unpacked the power of first impressions 🧠 Explored implicit bias ✊ Brainstormed how to smash stereotypes in our schools, teams, and communities 💬 Real talk. Real change. Because seeing people as people starts with the conversations we’re willing to have. 💡 What’s one way you challenge stereotypes in your everyday life? PeacePlayers' Enhancing Global Connections is funded by the Stevens Initiative, which is housed at the Aspen Institute and is supported by the Bezos Family Foundation. #PeacePlayers #CombattingStereotypes #YouthVoice #SeePeopleAsPeople #GlobalConnections #SocialJustice #SportsForChange #Leadership #StevensInitiative (fb)

It's officially 2 months to Friendship Games! There's a lot of good stuff planned for this year's Friendship Games (held in partnership with the Detroit Pistons), kicking off in Detroit on July 27. But why exactly are we so excited that dozens of PeacePlayers from Northern Ireland, the Middle East, South Africa and across the U.S. are coming together for a week of basketball, cultural learning and leadership? Because it's literally life changing. But don't take it from us - take it from Anthony, Sanelisiwe, and Sienna, three youth leaders from PeacePlayers South Africa who took part in the 2024 Global Exchange in Durban. At first, Sanelisiwe was nervous: “I used to be scared to start conversations,” she admitted. But as the days passed, she gained confidence: “By the end, I was the one bringing people together. I ended up leading in moments I never expected.” One of Sanelisiwe’s favorite moments was when each group shared their home country’s traditions: “We taught each other our slang, talked about food, and laughed at how different we all were,” she said, “But... we all connect in the same ways.” At the Nelson Mandela Museum, Anthony saw how visitors responded to apartheid: “They were shocked… It made me realize how important it is to keep telling these stories.” Sienna had a similar moment when refurbishing and painting a court at a rural school: “The kids were so excited, even though it was such a small thing. It reminded me to appreciate what we have.” By the end of the exchange, Sanelisiwe came into her own as a leader, Anthony gained a deeper appreciation for history, and Sienna knew: “We didn’t just share an experience - we became family.” Read their full story here: https://hubs.la/Q03pmZvS0 For more on the Friendship Games, visit https://hubs.la/Q03pm-Ws0 (fb)