Giving back is a part of being a professional athlete. However, in Jeb Brovsky’s case, his involvement took him a little farther than the local organization…he’s travelling through India. Brovsky left Friday for an 18-day tour in the 2nd most populous country in the world.
Brovsky created an organization called Peace Pandemic in the fall of 2010, an idea that originated in college while attending the University of Notre Dame. The volunteer-based global group harnesses the power of soccer to create opportunities for children worldwide, turning cultural, racial and religious differences into understanding and friendships.
“I feel soccer can be a vehicle for social change,” said Brovsky. “It is a sport that has mutual recognition, no matter where you come from or what your background is. It can break stereotypes and build bridges across cultural differences because it is a universal language.”
Brovsky, through fundraisers and 3 vs. 3 tournaments across the U.S. and North America, raises money and collects donated equipment to fund trips around the world, assisting kids in impoverished areas. He uses soccer as a tool to teach youth conflict resolution skills, both at home and abroad, using non-violent alternatives and values that can help them get on their feet and aspire to improve their personal situations.
“I was exposed to violence at a young age. Tragedies like the events that occurred at Columbine High School hit close to home and I learned some lessons the hard way,” said the recipient of Bachelor's degrees in both Business Management specializing in Entrepreneurship and International Peace Studies. “While at Notre Dame, I took my passion for peace in the world and combined it with studying Social Entrepreneurship.”
AN IMPACT IN INDIA
Soccer has taken Brovsky all over the world. As a recent selection in the 2011 MLS Expansion Draft, the former Whitecaps defender will be making another trip from Vancouver to Montreal, but before he ever steps foot in “la belle province,” Brovsky has landed in India, taking his message over 10,000 km away.
“There are over 30,000 kids in slums playing soccer in India,” said Brovsky. “Soccer is an important part of their lives. What better way to reach them.”
Peace Pandemic’s founder will work with local soccer and volunteer groups Magic Bus in Delhi and International Sports Academy and Trust (ISAT) Football Club in Srinagar. Camps are scheduled for New Delhi, Goa and Kashmir, as well as workshops on the power of soccer as a tool for social change for slum children.
In Rukka, Brovsky will work with Yuwa, a social group that uses football to challenge gender inequality. It believes team sports are powerful platforms to promote health, education and improve the livelihoods of young women – the group the hardest to reach, most at-risk and with the least opportunities in India.
Yuwa has grown from only 15 girls in its founding year in 2009 to over 200 players in 10 villages of the region.
“Our girls practise three hours a day, six days a week,” Franz Gastler, Yuwa’s director, told Indian newspaper The Telegraph. “Some of them have represented the state in national women’s team.”
Brovsky is also expected to conduct camps for these underprivileged girls and give them tips on maintaining fitness despite the meagre meals they can afford.
“Jeb has held such camps in the U.S. and across the globe to connect children, irrespective of their racial, cultural and financial status. Peace Pandemic aims to put children on the same field,” Gastler said.
This trip was made possible through fundraisers totalling $7,000 in Vancouver and other parts of Western Canada, along with equipment donations made by a local Indian community soccer group in Abbotsford B.C
People can help Peace Pandemic by donating money through PayPal on www.peacepandemic.blogspot.com. In addition, information on equipment donations can be made through the site as well.
You can follow Jeb’s adventures on twitter: @JebBrovsky.
- Written with files from newspaper The Telegraph - India
