The emotional and economic cost of violence is too high to ignore.  Yearly deaths from violence average 1.6 million a year, not including injuries, psychological trauma and property destruction. From bullying in schools to religious, racial or cultural divisions motivating terrorism and war, violence often arises from fear.  Fear of the other, hatred of someone different.  At Play for Peace we teach children, youth and communities that there is another way.  Differences and conflict is part of human reality but hatred, violence and fear don't have to be.

Play for Peace makes the world a better place by training youth leaders as peace-builders and role-models for the children and adults in their community.  As a global learning network, we connect our volunteers and their mentors to skills training and to each other. 

The impact of Play for Peace manifests itself in very different ways depending on the local needs, challenges and resources.  
  • For our child participants:
    -Decreased aggression and use of discriminatory comments in the classroom and playground as well as recruitment to gangs

  • -Lower elementary school dropout rate (particularly for girls in developing countries) and increased life-skills such as effective communication
For our youth participants:
-Higher graduation and college acceptance rates for our at-risk youth leaders as well as Youth leaders choosing careers for social good such as social work and education and continuing volunteer leadership of positive change well into adulthood

-Deep life-long cross-cultural friendships and understanding

For our participating communities:
-Overall tension and violence reduction especially during flares of conflict

-Increased community involvement and local youth leadership focused on volunteer community improvement


Read Announcements of our recent actions, events and successes.