Can you help sustain this virtuous cycle of goodness by donating to one of these Parkour heroes? Click on the blue “Donate” button at the top of this page. Thank you!
Do you have a Parkour initiative of your own? Would you like to support an existing initiative? If so, email: Contact@internationalparkourfederation.orgHaving developed along a similar timeline to YouTube and Facebook, Parkour has always been and continues to be a global, trans-national phenomenon, with Parkour practitioners considering themselves more connected by their commitment to movement than to their country of origin. In fact, a great deal of media has made its way onto Facebook from active conflict zones, often from opposing sides. IPF works with athletes in Kashmir, Libya, Lebanon, Iraq, Gaza, Syria, Afghanistan, in Ukraine and in Russia. One of our sponsored athletes in one of these countries, a true leader in the Parkour community said it best, “My religion is peace.”
This attitude does not simply come from the philosophy of Parkour, which prizes service to others above all else, but also from the experience of overcoming movement challenges together. Parkour athletes in the countries with whom IPF works are already making a big difference through their leadership, they are forming official federations with the guidance of IPF, are opening Parkour gyms, and holding events and competitions, all while promoting #PeaceThroughParkour. IPF is currently developing the PEACE THROUGH PARKOUR GLOBAL EDUCATION INITATIVE, as we believe that through both education and sport, all things can improve for the young people in the world. We look forward to sharing this initiative with you in the future.
It is our goal to use organized Parkour gatherings in conflict zones to increase understanding between peoples, and to further spread this philosophy by offering teaching certifications at no cost to the participants. We believe that by giving these young people the experience of overcoming obstacles together and by teaching them a skill they can then share with others, the positive effects of Parkour will spread peace virally. Let’s put it to the test. To see our Guidestar profile and to donate go to:
https://www.guidestar.org/profile/47-2944977
While already a difficult thing to keep a Parkour Academy open in Kashmir, the state of things now in the world make have made it impossible and the training facility that IPF #PeaceThroughParkour Ambassador Zahid Shah was sharing with a martial arts studio now has had to close! Once the pandemic is over they are hoping to be able to open again under the banner of “KASHMIR PARKOUR ACADEMY”! Would you like to help sponsor this effort? For $400 (US dollars) a month they would be able to open their doors and also offer free classes to many students in need! Please contact us! Kashmir is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. The Kashmir conflict is a territorial conflict over the Kashmir region, primarily between India and Pakistan, with China playing a third party role.