Academics share the Football 4 Peace Philosophy

Physical Education lecturers Dr Gary Stidder, Warren Smart and Simon Green ran a three-day values-based teaching workshop for over 40 Arab and Jewish Israeli sports coaches and teachers.

The event took place at the German Sports University in Cologne, Germany and it shared the Football 4 Peace curriculum and methodology in both a practical and theoretical context.

Football 4 Peace (F4P) is a multi-dimensional research; education and social engagement platform that utilizes sport innovatively to deliver generic and bespoke ‘values-based’ palliative training and coaching programmes designed in and for areas suffering from high levels of cross- community conflict and various forms of political disorder and social disintegration.

The F4P curriculum and associated teaching resources emphasise a holistic approach to the education of trainers and young people through a specific pedagogical model designed to promote emotional well-being, personal development and responsible citizenship. Through the training of individuals in the F4P methodology and curriculums of teaching / coaching values though sport F4P aims to:

• create, strengthen and assist community networks and partnerships
• provide opportunities for social contact across community boundarie
• promote mutual understanding and engender in participants a desire for and commitment to peaceful coexistence
• enhance life skills, sport skills and technical knowledge.

In addition to these key features, the operation of the F4P model offers some of the following residual benefits to the University of Brighton by:

• enhancing the student and staff experience
• contributing to student employability
• providing research opportunities
• contributing to both undergraduate and postgraduate taught curriculums.

Football 4 Peace International now operates in countries such as South Korea, The Gambia, South Africa and both the Republic and Northern Ireland.