Pro basketball player Brian Sigafoos uses sports to bridge divides in the Holy Land
Bio
Meaning of Warrior
Improving relations between ME and West.
Activities in the ME
Inspirations and surprises
Funny experiences
Key Obstacles
What should Americans know about Is-Pal?
Why should they care?
Getting connected
Bio
After graduating in 2003 from Harvard University, Brian combined a passion for travel with a professional basketball career that took him to Portugal, Denmark, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia. Prior to joining PeacePlayers International, Brian coached basketball internationally, peer-mentored disadvantaged kids in Boston, and taught social entrepreneurship to urban teens in Philadelphia. In 2006, Brian joined PeacePlayers International’s (PPI) new Middle East program, and lived in Ramallah and Jerusalem for two years, working in PPI’s two main programs: “BasketPal” and “Twinning”.
As the director of “Twinnings”, Brian brought together Arab and Jewish youth living as neighbors in Israel and Jerusalem who would not otherwise meet or interact. Brian also directed PeacePlayers’ largest program in the region, BasketPal, through which he formed 17 Palestinian boys’ and girls’ basketball teams in the conservative Islamic city of Tulkarm, and trained others as basketball coaches, life-skills mentors, or community leaders.
What does a Warrior for Peace mean to you?
Being a Warrior for Peace means committing yourself to something greater than yourself and rising to meet the challenges along the way. A warrior for peace is focused, determined and humble.
How did you improve the relationship between the Middle East and West in your own way?
Despite my attempts, at 6’10″ I did not easily blend into the West Bank. Especially when exploring the streets of Ramallah, or seeking out the best hummus spot in Tulkarm, a conservative city near Jenin. Probably the biggest effect I had was being visible in the areas I worked, walking with local friends around their towns, eating at refugee camp restaurants, and shopping in corner markets. Wherever I went people had questions for me about where I was from, why I was there, and what I thought about this or that. I would engage people and ask as many questions as I could in return. Initial questions turned into familiarity and friendships.
What activities were you involved in?
In the Middle East, PeacePlayers International (PPI) operates 2 distinct programs, the “Twinning Program” in Israel, which brings together Arab and Jewish Israeli communities, and “BasketPal” in the West Bank, which works exclusively with Palestinians. Since 2006, I worked in both programs and focused on local sustainability. The programs share common values. They teach youth discipline through structured athletic activity and develop a sense of “family”, as in “basketball as a brotherhood” (or “sisterhood” certainly!). PPI’s American Program Directors and skilled local coaches and managers seek to recognize and promote young talent. This begins in leadership roles within a team (eg. rotating team captain) and continues in intensive training programs for young coaches and community leaders.
What inspired you to get involved?
During a month-long visit to Lebanon in 2003, I fell in love with the Middle East. I was determined to someday return and learn Arabic while soaking up as much of the culture as possible. PeacePlayers International (PPI) provided the perfect opportunity for me to use my established skill set–basketball is a sport I’ve played and coached for 20+ years–in a new way. I was invigorated by the possibilities of using sport to connect people, and particularly to share the sport that had given me so much with children and passionate young coaches who are the rising leaders of their communities.
What surprised you during your experience?
When I first arrived in the West Bank, during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War, I was reluctant to say I was an American. I quickly learned that hiding my nationality was unnecessary. Half of the Palestinians I met had a relative or knew someone living in the States. Many were very curious and asked me probing questions, most commonly, “Do you love Bush?” But nearly everyone seemed to grasp the difference between American foreign policy and an American working with youth in a grass-roots organization.
I had heard great things about Arab hospitality, but the reality greatly surpasses the notion. My favorite memories are of visits to Palestinian friends’ homes, which usually lasted many hours. The least wealthy ones welcomed me, and my friends, with delicious dinner platters, coffee, then fruits or cake, and often argileh (waterpipe).
On the Israeli side, I was glad to be surprised by the goodness of a few young soldiers at checkpoints. My American passport guaranteed relatively easy passage to areas that both Palestinians and Israelis could not enter. Many soldiers asked if I knew that I was heading where “the Arabs lived” and warned that the area ahead was “dangerous.” Over two years I experienced a wide variety of interactions. Overall, the individual soldiers did not choose to be stationed in “hostile” areas at checkpoints. Their fear is understandable, but their mistreating of Palestinians certainly is not. However, several soldiers were enthusiastic and offered encouragement for my work. They saw in it hope for a time when things would be different. A few loved basketball and wished they could be involved or come join me and the kids at a practice.
Tell us of an especially interesting or funny experience you had…
During my first year with PPI, a local coach and I went into the schools in the Al-Esawiah neighborhood of East Jerusalem to recruit for a new girls basketball team. We visited 7 overcrowded classrooms of 5th and 6th grade girls and invited them to come try basketball later in the week. Because of budget limitations the team could only reasonably have 15-18 girls. Before practice began there were 25 girls waiting patiently. Most had never played a sport before or touched a basketball. We put them into lines and started them with dribbling drills. More and more girls streamed onto the court and into the lines. Soon there were 50 girls and eventually 80, all clamoring for their chance to dribble, shoot, and be part of the action. That day remains for me one of the most exciting and terrifying–we had only 4 balls, 2 baskets and 2 coaches for 80 girls!
What were some of the key obstacles you faced in your experience?
Israeli checkpoints always brought with them a level of uncertainty and occasionally danger. It was difficult to arrive for meetings and trainings on time because the wait times and restrictions changed frequently. I was stuck two times, for 4 and 7 hours, in my car because of checkpoint closures. I witnessed an Israeli guard get shot in the stomach by a Palestinian attacker who had two other times killed Israelis at the same checkpoint and gotten away by car. Late at night, a teenage beggar broke into my car as I was idling and tried to run into the refugee camp with my bag of electronics, which was thankfully too heavy for him to get very far with.
What is one of the most important things you wished Americans knew about the Israel-Palestinian conflict?
The majority of Palestinians and Israelis want the same thing: safety for their families, opportunities for economic success, and a better future. Both sides have extremists who are fixed ideologically, often citing religion. They have a greater influence in shaping events and the news than they should. But there is hope and a chance for progress from the majority, who need to be encouraged and supported in the face of these radicals. Promoting and connecting the efforts of the moderate majorities on both sides is the best way forward.
Why should Americans care about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict spills over throughout the Middle East, and leads to a lot of anger directed against the United States. Generally speaking, Palestinians understand the difference between Americans and American policy because of their historical familial ties to the US. Other parts of the Middle East have fewer ties and less understanding. In my travels, I noticed a jarring preoccupation in the Arab media with what happened in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Solving the conflict would eliminate a distraction used by other governments and the Arab media, allowing them to refocus attention on their own pressing domestic issues: education, the environment, rising extremism, lack of services, poverty, and economic growth.
How can Americans get more connected, learn more, and promote peace?
To learn more, I recommend filling your iPhone/iPod/mp3 player with audiobooks, podcasts, and lectures. Particularly: video podcasts from Frontline/World (PBS), Mosaic Intelligence Report (Link TV), Fareed Zakaria’s GPS (CNN), audio podcasts from The Economist, Middle East Institute, PRI’s “The World”, and New York Times’ “World View”. Also for a great overview of the history of the region, I recommend the audio download of lectures from The Teaching Company course, “United States and the Middle East: 1914 to 9/11″.
I have witnessed the power of sport to bridge divides and connect people. Music, theatre, and the arts all have this potential and can be excellent as well. I would encourage everyone to examine their own interests and passions. Find something you do well or are passionate about. Then do research and send some e-mails to see how you could bring your skill or interest to an organization or place where it is needed. There are good NGO’s working throughout the Middle East that connect people through many different means. The best way to learn more and promote peace is on-the-ground person to person contact. Start small and focused and if you are on to something good, it will grow and you can make a difference!
