Seattle United recently was invited to participate in a Sports for Impact Exchange Program in Israel. The program, funded by the U.S. State Department, and coordinated by World Learning (Washington, D.C.) and World Affairs Council (Seattle), provided local Seattle non-profit sports organizations the opportunity to travel to Israel to engage with Israeli-based sports non-profits to share ideas about how sports can be a catalyst for social impact and change.
The U.S. delegation was stationed in Tel Aviv from March 30 to April 7. We met with the US Embassy’s Public Affairs Officer, Mr. Terry Davidson, who provided us with background and context on Israel in general, but also how society there grapples with the divide that often exists between Jewish and Arab communities. There is belief (and hope) among many in both of these communities that sports can be a powerful tool for bringing these communities together. Similarly, women face barriers and discrimination in the Israeli sports arena, and it is felt that there is great opportunity for inclusion and advancement for women there to both participate and lead in sports.
The goals of the program were to provide participants with tools, knowledge, and skills to help them address issues of discrimination and allow for the positive impact of sports to play a greater role in unifying communities, and empowering men and women as leaders both on and off the field.
Trip highlights included:
• Exchanging ideas with college students at Wingate Institute for Physical Education and Sports as to how sports can bridge cultures and reduce violence.
• Meeting the mayor of Baqa el-Gharbiya, a largely Arab-Israeli community, to discuss his challenges of funding sports as a means to reducing youth violence within his community.
• Watching a training session of a pro soccer team whose roster is comprised of Jews and Arabs, then hearing from the players themselves explain how they see themselves as the exception to the norm in Israel in terms of Jewish-Arab relations.
• Getting to scrimmage with an all-girl (predominantly Muslim) soccer team, many of whom wore a hijab (some with adidas branding, no less).
• Meeting with the Deputy Mayor and the Sports Department Director of the city of Nazareth, both of whom shared with us their firm belief in the power of sports to transcend both race and religion.
• Conference at the Shimon Peres Center for Peace & Innovation with our group and the Israeli one that visited Seattle United in February to brainstorm their idea for an annual convention in Israel that would focus on utilizing sports for social change. This was followed by a social hour and dinner reception hosted by the U.S. Embassy.
• A visit to Kabul to meet Mahmoud Hebi, co-founder of Hoops for Peace, a non-profit dedicated to providing a safe place for children of all backgrounds to come together through sport. An amazing and passionate young man with a killer cross-over.
• Meeting with the Board of Directors of Betar Nordia Jerusalem, a non-profit, fan-owned professional soccer club that split-off from premier division Betar Jerusalem, who tolerated racist supporters amongst its fans. The leadership of Betar Nordia are committed to inclusion at all levels of their club, and are dedicated to combatting racism and violence in sport.
Seattle United is honored to have been selected to participate in this delegation, and we are grateful to the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Israel, World Learning, and the Seattle office of the World Affairs Council for facilitating such an important cross-cultural event.
Special thanks to Dana Hoyes, World Learning Program Associate, and Rachel Paris-Lambert, Director, International Visitor Program, World Affairs Council, for their incredible planning, coordination, and execution of this powerful and most remarkable opportunity.
Kevin Long
Executive Director
Seattle United FC
