25 February 2021 – Amman, Jordan: Generations For Peace has announced a new partnership with the US Embassy Amman in an effort to create conditions for peace and resilience in local Jordanian communities.

With the generous support of the US Embassy Amman, Generations For Peace will implement a new “Sport For PVE” Programme in Jordan, which aims to empower youth and communities to take an active role in addressing threats to peace and build social cohesion across a diverse group of youth to foster peace and resilience to violence and conflict.

The programme will train, mentor, and support 45 volunteer youth leaders to lead sport-based activities for the prevention of violent extremism (PVE), engaging 270 youth living in nine Jordanian communities to address the conditions and root causes that are often exploited for the purposes of recruitment and radicalisation. Community exchanges and sport tournaments will be used in order to ensure cohesion amongst volunteers and participants from different parts of Jordan in addition to highlighting how sport can be used as a tool to prevent violence and violent extremism. Local youth leaders will also have the opportunity to partake in an international exchange with youth leading Generations For Peace’s violence prevention programmes in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The anticipated reach of these activities totals over 17,000, which includes youth in both Jordan and the Unites States of America.

Dr. Susan Szmania, Community Engagement Officer at the US Embassy Amman, commented, “We look forward to our partnership with Generations For Peace to support youth engagement programmes through sport. As President Biden recently said, America is eager to work with international partners to address shared challenges like the prevention of violent extremism.  We know that high quality sport programmes offer girls and boys the opportunity to learn new skills, boost their confidence, and foster resilience in their local communities.”

Dr Mohanned Arabiat, President of Generations For Peace, commented, “Our approach at Generations For Peace to preventing violent extremism is rooted in the understanding that violent extremism may be a global phenomenon, but its driving forces are local. The optimal response is one that is multi-faceted, community-driven, led by local actors, shaped by local priorities and sustained over time. Reducing vulnerability requires comprehensive, preventative actions at individual and community levels that provide positive alternatives for citizens, especially youth, to find positive agency and meaning within a positive peer group, and to feel empowered and trusted to practice civic engagement and demonstrate leadership in their communities. We are honoured to partner with the US Embassy Amman to further our efforts both in Jordan and in the United States of America.”