Basketball and Peacebuilding

We'll mark the opening tip of the NBA season by pointing to the offseason involvement of NBA players in good causes related to conflict and development:

• Jordan Farmar (Los Angeles Lakers) spent part of his summer in Israel, hosted by the Peres Center for Peace, bringing Israeli and Palestinian youth together to learn basketball skills and increase mutual understanding amidst the ongoing conflict.
• Nine NBA players visited the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine, including Farmar and no. 1 pick Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls).
• Boris Diaw (Phoenix Suns) ran a clinic in Senegal for 75 local basketball coaches and met with officials in the aid sector.
• Thabo Sefolosha (Chicago Bulls) worked with a Basketball Without Borders contingent to host a basketball skills camp in Johannesburg, South Africa.