THE RELEVANCE OF BB4P PEACE ZONES AND PEACE CLUBS

1. As of now, there are not enough Peace Zones or Peace Clubs established in the 5 Targeted States, Cities, LGA or Communities that have been affected by ‘violent conflict’ to sustain a Community based Peace Initiative.
2. Peace Zones are Community based ‘safe places’ where the Communities gather daily to enjoy Basketball and Peace making activities.
3. Peace Zones are used as ‘sites’ to identify Youth for more ‘training’ by USAID/IFESH/CALM & BB4P
4. Peace Clubs are sensitizing ‘students’ about and for Peace and through their various ‘out-reach projects’ sensitizing their communities about the need for PEACEFUL Co-existence.
5. Peace Zones are registering with their Local Government Areas, or States as NGOs and ‘co-operatives’ to initiate economically viable activities for success.
6. The BB4P “Fund Raising Cards” gives each Peace Zone and Peace Club a means to acquire some funds for their activities.
7. BB4P Peace Clubs have been recognized by the Plateau State Commissioner of Education to the extent that Peace Clubs have been made compulsory in all the Plateau State secondary schools. We believe every State should follow-suit.
8. The name BB4P has attracted a lot of attention both in the media and the Basketball Community. If exploited to its full potential of having Bi-annual State and National BB4P ‘Competitions’ many more Youth stand to profit from their ‘sweat’.
9. The most relevant factor about the Peace Zones as expressed by the “Founders” is the networking that should make every Peace Zone to compete against another Peace Zone, a minimum of once in every month.
10. The BB4P Nigeria Network is now made-up of 5 States with requests from 6 more States to join.
11. The BB4P Africa Network is yet to be formed but it is our desire to see it established in the near future because PEACE must reign and communities affected by violent conflict must find ways to heal.

10 PEACE ZONES AND 30 PEACE CLUBS (minimum) PER STATE

Our experiences thus far (4 years) have convinced us that a minimum of  3 BB4P Peace Zones each in 3 different Cities or Towns in each of the BB4P States are necessary for growth, development, sustainability and for the ‘message of PEACE to be spread continuously at the ‘grassroots’ level in the various violent prone Communities. Obviously, this will encourage more ‘buy-ins’ in these States and other States to join BB4P and establish their own Peace Zones.

Already the Plateau State Commissioner of Education has made it compulsory for Peace Clubs to be formed in Schools in his State and BB4P is only having a presents in 2 Cities (Jos & Shendam/Yelwa). This is indeed another ‘testimony’ of the success of the BB4P Project and future possibilities.

It is our belief that the Nigeria BB4P Network and the future African BB4P Network of Peace Zones when fully functional, with consistent Competitions will provide many opportunities for our African Youth to prosper while helping to bring and maintain PEACE in our ‘so called’ poverty, war-torn AFRICA.

PEACE