Pop Culture as Antidote to Violent Conflict

With the World Cup hoopla going on right now, soccer aka "football" is a big topic.  So what's so special about TV shows being made about soccer?

It is special if the shows' actors and the characters they portray come from conflicting ethnic groups and it is even more special if these shows air in countries with violent ethnic conflicts.

No team can win at soccer if their players feel torn apart by their ethnic differences.  So what matters more?  Winning or distrust?  It is precisely this tension that keeps viewers gripped by a show named "The Team" that is currently airing in several countries, including Kenya and Cote D'Ivoire.  A nonprofit organization called Search for Common Ground is the producer.

I learned about this effort while watching NOW on PBS.  You can watch the episode aptly named "Soap Opera for Social Change" here.