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Sports in Kyrgyzstan: Girls Learn to Come Out of the Equipment Closet November 21, 2012 by Dara Lipton KICK emphasizes sports as a medium for conflict management and promoting mutual understanding. Through the program, coaches and youth from different regions and ethnic and religious backgrounds in Kyrgyzstan engage in conversations about gender and sports and come to acknowledge that many of the benefits for boys are just as relevant for girls. In addition, they identified the impact that increased physical ability and confidence can have in reducing girls’ vulnerability against attack and abuse from a stranger or a loved one.	Bringing Peace Dialogue to a National Stage November 20, 2012 Recently, the Youth Leadership for Peace (YLP) Theater Troupe brought national attention to youth-led peacebuilding efforts in Kyrgyzstan with a forum theater performance in Bishkek. Performing for an audience of youth and adults at the annual Jashtar Camp youth conference, the Theater Troupe created dialogue around issues of rural unemployment and youth alcohol abuse while also showcasing the leadership role that youth are playing in conflict prevention.
Troubled Youth Becomes Peer Mentor November 16, 2012 by Marisa Itte As a 12 year old boy, Vova grew up with a mother who suffered from severe anxiety and a father in prison. As the eldest child in his family, he lashed out in anger at his younger siblings and was mean and abusive towards his teachers at school. It was clear to those around him that Vova was on a destructive path. Despite this rough start, Vova is now mentor for other youth thanks to the social services he received through the Zhenskii Luch (Women’s Ray) Center. The Center, with support from the BOTA Social Service Program, provides an after school program for children aged 7-18 with behavioral issues, and/or absent parents.	Building Tolerance through Sports: A New Soccer Field for Christian and Muslim Children in Lebanon November 13, 2012 by Marisa Itte Soccer is the most popular sport in many countries, and for the children in Tyr, Lebanon, that is no different. However, soccer fields are few and far between, and the rare and valuable playing space can only be reserved for a fee leaving the local youth few places to gather and play. Now they have a field of their own. With funding and support from the One Community program, the Cadmous Christian School and the Islamic Charity Organization gathered local Christian, Sunni and Shia children to build a soccer field on the grounds of the school.
IREX Publishes First Interactive Online Annual Report November 13, 2012 IREX is pleased to announce the publication of its first interactive, online annual report for 2012. The report includes a video welcome message from IREX President W. Robert Pearson and highlights of IREX’s work helping over half a million people this year.	IREX Announces New Board Chair and Welcomes Two New Members November 8, 2012 IREX is pleased to announce the appointment of Edward M. Fouhy as the new Chair of its Board of Directors as well as two new board members Susan King and Greg Rigdon.
IREX Welcomes USAID’s New Policy for Youth in Development November 2, 2012 by W. Robert Pearson Yesterday, USAID launched their first-ever policy for Youth in Development. The policy provides a framework to address youth systematically in line with proven best practices to support, protect, prepare, and engage youth to help them to achieve the best future for themselves and their communities and nations. The policy also provides guidance for integrating youth in core agency initiatives, bringing youth to the forefront of USAID’s work across all sectors.	Both Sides Now: 5 Tips for Donors Big and Small on #GivingTuesday November 1, 2012 by Randal Mason To paraphrase Joni Mitchell, we’ve looked at giving from both sides now. IREX gives as part of our programming, providing over $11 million dollars in grants this year alone to local institutions around the world and awarding nearly 1,000 fellowships annually to both American and international participants. In addition, each year IREX staff chooses a US-based nonprofit to receive the proceeds from our holiday charity drive, the total amount of which IREX matches. As one of the 400 partner organizations, IREX looks forward to participating in the first #GivingTuesday on November 27. From our experiences with both giving and receiving, we share five tips for donors big and small:
Participatory Evaluation Shows Increasing Tolerance Among Youth October 26, 2012 Youth from Romania and Moldova gave voice to their personal stories of change in a participatory evaluation of the Youth Civic Engagement and Dialogue program. Using the Most Significant Change technique, more than 80 youth participated in an evaluation in which they gathered stories of change from each other and shared their recommendations for the future of the project.	Malawian Youth Development Leader Learns Lessons in Seattle October 25, 2012 Even after years of experience working on youth development projects in his native Malawi, Rex Mlotha wanted to expand his horizons. His self-proclaimed “passion for positive change” led him to travel halfway across the globe—almost 10,000 miles—to Seattle, Washington. Mlotha credits this passion and experience for motivating him to apply to the Community Solutions Program.