The Marshall Legacy Institute, in collaboration with Anera, are currently in the second of eight rounds of the Peace Through Sport program. Peace Through Sport, an eight-week program, is designed to virtually connect youth in Lebanon and the U.S. to promote social cohesion, foster civic engagement and enhance life skills through the lens of sport.
More than 150 youth have been the protagonists of social change in their own communities, but they have also been a source of inspiration and learning for everyone. Recently, students were asked to reflect on some quotes about conflict, and Samar Al Zein, a 15-year-old Lebanese girl, surprised us with a truthful and inspiring interpretation:
¨Everyone believes that strength is in those who can throw a punch, those who can win a tough fight, those who know how to wield a sword and shoot accurately with a gun. But that’s not entirely true; anger, hate, spite they come by very easily, a friend can become an enemy in a blink of an eye. True strength lies in the heart of those who can love, those who can trust, those who can forgive. A person who can grant forgiveness is thousand times stronger than that who holds a grudge his whole life; he carries the greatest power in his heart like no one else can."
Peace Through Sport has been enlightening not just for our young participants, but for every one of us involved. We hope you can relate as well. For more information or to learn how you can become involved in the Peace Through Sport program, please visit www.marshall-legacy.org. Peace Through Sport is generously funded by the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon.
