"Play Sports Make Peace" at Peace Dream Foundation/Sports for Peace/Inst of Technological Development – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Dec. 22, 2008

Based on the success of the Sports for Peace Director John Gehring's seminar on "Sports for a Better Life" Peace Dream Foundation's David Stewart was invited to briefly introduce the Way of Champions to about half a dozen Kuala Lumpurians involved in football on the evening prior to the International Sports for Peace Seminar. The format followed the model used in Singapore and provided a useful introduction to the Way of Champions.

Then, on December 22, John Gehring and David Stewart both participated in the Sports for Peace International Seminar, "Building Bridges through the International Language of Sport," which was co-sponsored by the Peace Dream Foundation & the Institute of Education Development of the Universiti Teknologi Mara of Malaysia (UTM), which has a student population of over 100,000 spread over 15 campuses throughout Malaysia. There were about 50 academics, coaches and others involved in sports in attendance.

The keynote address was given by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of UTM, Prof Dr. Mohammed Kamal Hj. Harun, focusing on the potential that sport has to provide opportunities for nations, races or groups in conflict to relate when all else has failed. Other speakers developed this theme with particular reference to Malaysia and Singapore. It was noted that in colonial times possibly only during its breaks for lunch and tea in cricket matches did the colonizers and colonized sit as equals & eat together.

David Stewart examined the limitations of sport as a vehicle for peace-building in situations of conflict and the need to examine the common assumption that "sport is good for you and makes you a better person". He then affirmed that sport can be beneficial for character development when principles and values are very intentionally & carefully promoted through sports training. John Gehring developed this theme by introducing Sports for Peace's "Sports for a Better Life" program and the IPSF 2010 in a wonderful multi-media presentation.

 by David Stewart

Peace Dream Foundation