Kupa e Paqes

Girls shootout during 1st game, Rubik won of course!!

Girls group in Traditional clothing, our spokesmodels!!

Huddle up! Boys team preparing for championship match.

Two boys from Berdicё team who I convinced to pose for a Photo. They are holding the Ball Puma Peace sent me to promote the matches.

September 21st was international Peace Day. The day was unanimously adopted by the United Nations in 2001 and is intended to promote a day of ceasefire and non-violence in all United Nations member states. The organization Peace One Day along with Puma Peace sponsor futbol (soccer) games throughout the world in order to support Peace. The event is called "One Day One Goal." This year I was contacted by an organizer who had read about my service on this very blog. After he explained what the event was all about and that Albania had never participated in the event before, i thought what an Idea. Another Volunteer in Shkoder who is part of the new group also expressed interest once i sent out a Volunteer wide email to gather interested Peace Corps Volunteers. We began to organize the event with a organization I had met in Shkoder the year before, "NN The Door" and its Manager, Kastriotti. Terry, the Volunteer in Shkoder, met up with Kastriotti and together organized a Peace Cup on September 25th, "Kupa e Paqes." The village of Berdicё, Shkoder agreed to host the event and after contacting other municipalities the Cup hosted 4 boys teams and 4 girls teams. Rubik, my current home, sent a girls team who won their first match and lost the final. This is a huge improvement from the success of the team last year. The team they beat this year, they lost to 10-0 last year. I posted a picture of our girls in a victorious shootout. Although the weather did not corropurate, we managed to attract a sizeable crowd. I rode down to the event with a journalist I know who agreed to film the event, interveiw Kastriotti and show the footage on the National News station along with a local news station. The day was a huge success. Peace!!!