Original Idea Polo 4 Peace on September 21st , 2008

Horsing around on the Internet I discovered that the United Nations had, in 2001, unanimously declared September 21st as Peace Day. Maybe, I was unaware of this fact because Wal-Mart has happily not commercialized on the date with everything from Peace Day greeting cards to Peace Dat boxer shorts, When September 21st is remembered. like Febuary 14rh or October 31st, then our children may come to know a yearly day of cease fire.

Jeremy Giley, in the YouTube video I saw asked "what are you going to do on Peace Day ?" He encouraged spreading the word, to family and friends, by lighting a candle, organizing a soccer match, or simply taking a moment of silence. Tthe most fun way to help, I thought, is to play polo and ask for 30 seconds of silence before the first chukka. Everyone present would learn that the first day of Autumn (Spring in Argentina) is also Peace Day. Better yet, I could encourage the world's polo community, via Internet, to do the same at their own clubs.

Polo 4 Peace was initiated in July of 2008. The goal was to find, at least 1, "Ambassador" in every polo playing nation. Participation ran from Pakistan, where 2,500 years ago "pulu" began as a game of war, west to England, and Argentina north to the United States, over 20 countries, played Polo 4 Peace on September 21, 2008. Only the first drop is in, What if every year, for the next 2,500, more and more of the world's polo community add to the bucket by playing Polo 4 Peace. Why not spread the word throughout other horse communities ? Horses R Peace.

The Olympic Commitee and the FIP support Peace-Sport, a global organization, who's mission is to actively raise the consciousness of Peace through international sports. Polo can ( should would) for the next 2,500 years be played for Peace, not war.

Malaysia's ,although rained out of play,held a celebration, at the Royal Selangor Polo Club in Kuala Lumpur, by having a buka puasa ( reception ). In Sweden, on a small pitch, a 3 x 3 polo match was specially arranged. The Detroit Polo Club acted on the suggestion of draping white over a horse's back, as a symbol of peace. In Kenya 4 teams battled for two days until one was victorios in winning a specially casted bronze trophy . In California, at the San Diego Polo Club', twin Argentine pros hung peace signs on their helmets and horses and the announcer explained the day's significance to the crowd. Here in Argentina we played FEM Polo 4 Peace at San Diego Polo Club in Pilar. .


Coincidence ? September 11th, was the day that Dr. Inge Schwenger informed that the Berlinger Polo Club and Polo Partner were successful in their mission. Magic, they were going to host Iraqi polo players to a week in Berlin ! Polo 4 Peace in Berlin consisted of "Friendly Chukkas" for the benefit of disabled US solders and Iraqi civilians. They reported the following:

Recently in the United States, soldiers recovering from arm and leg amputations have participated in equine therapy on horses from the Caisson Platoon in Ft. Myer, Virginia, provided through the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association's "Horses for Heroes" program. This form of therapy has proven to greatly speed up the recovery of balance, muscle tone and patient confidence. (See www.narha.org for more information)

Officials in the new Iraqi government want to learn more about equine therapy and equine assisted activities with the objective of training Iraqis in these skills so that the thousands of Iraqi military and civilian amputees can also benefit from these therapies. A delegation of six equestrian experts from Iraq led by Brigadier General Abdulsalam Adnan Alobedy will visit Berlin for one week to start learning the equine therapy as well as visit other institutions of interest such as to the headquarters of Otto Bock, a manufacturer of high-tech artificial limbs, to discuss how the equine therapy can be aided by the newest technological developments in "intelligent" prostheses

Thank you everyone . If you remembered that Sunday September 21st that it was Peace Day and told even one other person then you too were a piece of Peace Day 2008. CNN International TV covered the event "proving" Polo 4 Peace 2008 was a "hit".