Why we work. India and Pakistan are the protagonists of one of the severest conflicts in younger history. The conflict is effective till today and consequently inhibits the development of neighbourly relations. The divided Punjab has been and is till today a central scene of the conflict.

Our Goals.
Sports-For-Development-and-Peace (S4DP) is one of the most - if not the most - impactful and scalable developmental tool in the areas of youth development and reconciliation. To address the complex situation as outlined above, some of the worlds most experienced and capable NGOs in the field of S4DP have formed a unique partnership to pioneer a peace and development programme in the Punjab called “Kick for Tolerance.”

The core goals of the programme are:
- Create mutual respect and tolerance across cultures, borders and religions
- Increase resilience of youth and young adults against any form of radicalization
- Increase education levels, impart holistic life skills and create livelihood opportunities
for young generations
- Increase safety in the region through positive and effective impulses from the societal
base
- Strengthen gender equality
- Initiate bilateral institutional partnerships and collaboration

The Programme.
Addressing the conflict from the societal base, the programme will
follow a child centred approach working in collaboration with schools from deprived
communities in the border region. It will take girls and boys from both sides from the age of 10 years onwards on a journey through their childhood. Qualified Youth Mentors from the same communities will deliver a sports based, experiential curriculum which will impart values and strengthen social competencies. Stepwise and cautiously the children, their families, schools and communities from both sides will connect and interact. Cross-border youth teams and networks will evolve. The participants will become the main originator of their programme content. They start using new media channels to communicate, start to address relevant issues and to manage and present projects they work on. Holistic life skills based on a robust value foundation are formed, along with the development of career perspectives. On exiting the programme in the age of 16-18 the meanwhile young adults will form a confident, informed and well connected generation that is able to make effective choices. This new generation of young Punjabis will have overcome national or cultural marginalization and will have lived reconciliation. As they grow and as the scalable programme will continuously enlarge its reach, they will be able to rebuild society towards a peaceful coexistence and cooperation in the region.

A three year pilot starting in 2015 with 50 young participants from each side will provide first tangible results on outcome levels. Sufficient seed funds are required to start.