June 5 - The halfway stage of Amman Camp 2010 was marked by a poignant meeting between two former Olympians, as the sixth Generations For Peace Camp continues to bring together people from wildly different backgrounds in the pursuit of sustainable peace.

 

Donna de Verona (pictured right), a double gold medal-winning Olympic swimmer from the United States and Generations For Peace Advisory Board member, said she felt "inspired" after meeting Arijana Jaha, who was part of the first delegation from a united Bosnia Herzegovina to attend an Olympic Games when she competed in Sydney in 2000.

 

De Verona said, "Since [Tokyo] 1964 when I won my gold medals, I have devoted my life to building bridges through sport.

 

"Yet even now, listening to the experiences of people like Arijana still inspires me to do more.

 

"Generations For Peace brings together these extraordinary people who have experienced sorrow and suffering you and I can barely comprehend. 

 

"What I've learned over the years is that the Olympic Movement can unite people from a variety of backgrounds who want to build a better world."

 

Jaha's route to Amman Camp 2010 has certainly been very different to de Verona's.

 

She said: "Throughout the problems in the Balkans during the 1990s, it was sport that helped to get me and many of my colleagues through.

 

"Even with the war finishing, the political situation continued to be tough, making everyday life very hard for the people of my country."

 

However, the 31 year-old shares the American’s passion for peace and her firm belief that sport can help to heal a community’s wounds.

 

She said: "While the situation is better now in the cities and big towns, it is still very difficult in the rural areas, and this is where I want to take a Generations For Peace programme when I return home.

 

"I want to work with my colleagues here to put something strong into place that can make a real difference to the lives of the young."

 

Jaha's story, and the stories of the other 76 delegates from across Africa, Asia and, for the first time, Europe have left Prince Feisal (pictured) "humbled and profoundly moved".

 

 

The founder of Generations For Peace described himself as "so very proud of the momentous achievements of Amman Camp 2010".

 
He said: "For the very first time we are bringing together delegates from three continents, reaching out to more people than ever before.
 
"What is more, we are beginning to see the first green shoots of the cascade of learning in the field; the sustainability that I promised when we launched in 2007.
 
"For the first time, we are joined by two 'Second Generation Pioneers'.
 
"They are two living examples of our sustainability in action."
 
Mavis Orjimi may be attending her first international camp, but she began her Generations For Peace journey long before arriving in Amman.
 
Along with her fellow attendee Tunde Ayo, Orjimi has already been trained in her home country of Nigeria by Safiya Ibn Garba, who was certified as a Generations For Peace Pioneer at Amman Camp 2008.
 
Orjimi said: "In Nigeria we have 286 ethnic groups and the conflicts differ from region to region.
 
"But they all have the same outcome: death and the destruction of lives and property.
 
"When I met Safiya and learned about the ideal of Generations For Peace I was immediately convinced that this is an organisation that can really make a difference.
 
"Now I am looking forward to launching my own programme to teach other leaders of youth, religious leaders and teachers how sport can help to reach across the conflict divide."
 
Created by Prince Feisal in 2007, the International Olympic Committee member and President of the Jordan Olympic Committee, Generations For Peace has been putting the delegates through a demanding 10-day curriculum combining interactive classroom discussion with practical coaching sessions demonstrating how sport can encourage sustainable co-operation and tolerance.
 
Including this sixth camp, nearly 500 leaders of youth from 39 countries and territories have attended the six Generations For Peace camps and their work after returning home has resulted in 2,500 leaders of youth engaging with 45,000 young people.
 
 
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