Ultimate Peace

“Peace in the Middle East”. I think I first heard this saying when I was in second grade right around the time of our first venture into Iraq back in 1991. However, unlike cars, computers, house prices, minimum wage, and more or less everything else, not much has changed in the last 18 years. The cultural conflicts that have claimed hundreds and thousands of lives over the last two decades (at the very least) has remained terrifyingly constant and all we are left with is the lingering feeling that despite our advances as a species, there will always be violence.

However, recently there has been a collection of Ultimate players that have decided to take it upon themselves to take a proverbial stab at this conflict with a movement called Ultimate Peace, an Ultimate based humanitarian effort in the West Bank. I was touched by this act of good will and I thought I would discuss my take on the situation and why I think this idea is so important.

The hostility that has persisted in the West Bank has been terrible not only for the Jewish, Islamic, Israeli and Palestinian communities but for those of us that do not fall under any of these labels. For all parties, those entrenched in the conflict and those left watching on CNN, this persistent situation is exceedingly dismal and frustrating. Continual bombings, terrorist attacks and general violence are a constant source of remorse, pain, and fear regarding the future and what horrors wait in the winds, for what is a quandary that endlessly endures? It is like a ruthless hang nail with no finger nail clippers. A seemingly small problem without a foreseeable solution that manages to steal all of your focus. You go primitive with some picking and scratching but before you know it, it's worse than before. Ultimately you are driven insane because all you want is a solution, an end, a resolution, something other than continued pain and irritation, or in this case, violence and cultural warfare. However, without a change in strategy, nothing will improve.

But such a successful strategy in the West Bank is anything but straightforward. In moving from one extreme of this country to another, I’ve learned that my perspective of the world is a direct product of my surroundings. I am fortunate in the sense that I have had constructive exposure to the opinions and beliefs of chill Southern Californianis, liberal Northwesterners, high strung Northeasterners, gregarious Mid-Westerners, friendly Southerners, cultured foreigners and just about everything in between. Such exposure is vital in understanding the extraordinary complexity this world has to offer because without it, one cannot appreciate the beauty of how and why people are so different. This type of contact enlightens the mind so that one can begin to see why something can be evil to some, but common to others. Why something can be fantastic to one group but absolutely detested by another. Why an honor to one person is a tragedy to someone else.

Nevertheless, this sort of enlightenment requires a link, a common bond. Two opposite groups of people will not spontaneously understand one another without some sort of union. This may seem impossible, but if we are clever enough, there can always be a connection to find. People from Modesto, CA to Virginia, MN, to Newark, DE, to Statesboro, GA, to the United Arab Emirates can all unite under one umbrella, if we are smart enough to come up with a common theme. Maybe it’s a shared interest in The Big Lebowski, or being a product of a divorced family, or a mutual love for candy corn. The specifics are irrelevant but what is relevant is that when such a topic emerges, regardless of the differences we may have on the outside, we find an emotional connection. If only for an instant, we find a moment where we realize that “I”, so seemingly different from “you”, am actually not that different at all.

With this in mind, I’ve always been wary of the word “diversity” because it is such a dicey subject. It usually comes up when one demographic is trying to attract attention, resources, or opportunities away from a more dominant one. However, differences are not always good and when they are highlighted over and over, tension seems to materialize. When people are constantly reminded of how different they are from one another, it is no surprise that fear, aggression and distaste begin to surface. So I ask, is this the best solution? Is focusing on what makes us different the best strategy?

So with this background, I decided to write a little bit regarding Ultimate Peace, a very basic Ultimate clinic and tournament in Tel Aviv, Israel April 1st-5th. From what I can gather, it is more or less your garden variety Ultimate event, in a location that is anything but garden variety. The goal? To use the power of Ultimate to teach cooperation and understanding between under privileged youths and adults that are more or less sworn enemies at birth.

I find this idea to be compelling for many reasons. First off, unlike a lot of ideas, it is a short term project with long term goals. Not unlike starting a college ultimate team, making progress in this region will take time and effort and it all begins with simple, short term goals with a long term objective in mind. Rather than be short sighted and attempt to bring entrenched people together with cultural advocacy, legislation or played-out humanitarian action, Ultimate Peace is trying to turn future enemies into current friends. It won’t make every Israeli and Palestinian Facebook friends, it won’t end violence and suffering in the Middle East but it’s a start, it’s progressive. It is an action to bring enlightenment to a tortured group of people that need it. Perhaps in 20 years, a participant will sit in on a discussion regarding his supposed adversary and say “No wait! I played pickup with them and they're alright”.

Why is this important? Israelis are never going to convince Palestinians to forget their cause and vice versa. However, if an emotional connection between these two groups can arise, if only a handful of teenagers chasing a disc, the propensity to resort to violence lessens. If a stranger tosses me a flick while I’m walking through the quad, I am filled with curiosity regarding this new acquaintance and I don’t even know their name yet. Where did they play? Do they read RSD? How did they pick up a flick? And before I know it I’m asking “Wanna get a beer?”. Even if they are a Harvard grad, a right wing conservative, or a liberal extremist, I’m genuinely interested in getting to know them, and all because of a 175g piece of plastic.

And what is even better is that the bigger the difference between two people, the more satisfying this realization becomes. If I’m on Tybee Island and I see a 5Ultimate bracelet on a fellow bar patron’s wrist, no big surprise, I’m over it. But what if I saw that same bracelet on a Coliseum tour guide in Rome or a Sushi chef in Fukoka, Japan? WOW, would I be surprised and fired up to start asking some questions. The same could be said for any two groups of differing people, such as Jews and Muslims. But laying the ground work for this sort of connection takes time and intelligent investment, the likes of which Ultimate Peace is aiming for.

Another reason why this is such a good idea, is that it’s just plain fun. Ultimate is a good time. When I had turmoil in my life, 2 hours of practice on RIMAC field was just what I needed. I’m sure I’m not alone in this regard and who needs this sort of distraction more than conflicted youths in the West Bank? No seminar or history class or depressing TV program can deliver this kind of relief and the more a person needs it, the more they will hold on to it. This sort of activity has such lasting power because nothing drives a person more than the memory of a good time. I have countless friends and teammates that had their Ultimate fires lit because of a single week at NUTC and my personal interest in flatball hit warp speed after a few days in Corvalis back in May of 2005.

But a lot of us are privileged Westerners. Most of us knew we were bound for college and if we came across a game of pick up and liked what we saw, we were hooked. The same could be said for people who took up things like Rugby, Model UN, or Hashing. In college, opportunities to find a weird sub-culture were everywhere and most people picked up something they really enjoyed. But what about those that don’t have this chance? What about people that spend day after day just trying to stay alive? Can you imagine what kind of impact something “just plain fun” could have? It probably wouldn’t even matter what it was, it could be a bunch of people chasing around a piece of plastic. Wait, that’s exactly what it is. If it worked for soccer, why can’t it work for Ultimate?

So what’s the catch? None of this comes free and this organization needs help. Their goal is to raise $80,000 for the event and while this seems like quite a sum, I am reminded of Obama’s campaign and how much small on-line contributions helped him win the election. With paypal as a resource, the ease of donating far outweighs any excuse one can put forth for not helping out. 2008 was a tough year for most of us, including myself, but I put down my $25 and I did it while on a plane from JFK to LAX en route to Lei Out. If that doesn’t prove how easy it is to help, I don’t know what can. Come on flatballers, pull out your iPhones and use them for the best reason yet.

Now I hate evangelism and I get the same fundraising/donation chills that everyone else gets, but Ultimate Peace is not out to convert the world and they’re not asking for your life savings. All they want to do is spread the wealth, the wealth that is passion for this little game of ours. Odds are you’re a passionate Ultimate player like me, otherwise, why would you be reading this? And if so, take 3 minutes and help a cause worth helping. You’ll be in good company. The best from Sockeye, Riot, the Condors, Brute Squad, heck even former UPA President Mike Payne is involved. The very best people are not the ones that can, but the ones that can and do.

just my thoughts

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