Play International Kosovo is a local Mission of the INGO Play International, founded in 1999. The organization’s programmes use sport and play as an educational tool, to bring communities together and promote acceptance and inclusion. In the historically challenging context of Kosovo, where there is still great distrust and division between the different ethnic communities, the activities of Play International offer a neutral and trust building tool in educating youth and shaping a more inclusive generation.

Play International Kosovo currently runs 2 main projects:

• Sport4Youth (2008 – present): Youth beneficiaries, aged 15-18, from different communities and faiths, gain leadership skills thanks to inter-cultural and sport animation trainings, at the same time gaining a sense of belonging through a network of multi-ethnic and cross-border volunteers, who have repeated and regular encounters. The young people also gain a sense of citizenship, thanks to regular community work at the service of the local communities, implementing extra-curricular sport activities for children (aged 8-12) of their localities, and promoting common, educational and social values through specially designed games and activities.
• Play ‘In Together (2019-2022): Through an Erasmus+ grant from the European Commission, this project aims to develop sports-based pedagogical content and tools around the Olympic, Paralympic and European (OPE) values which are adapted to each partner country’s own context and needs. Thousands of children aged 6 to 12, including with disabilities (CWDs), will represent the main beneficiaries of this project, along with hundreds of teachers/educators and animators.