Profile: Craig H. Dobkin and Play For Peace

The journalist in me is ever-alert for interesting characters. I am forever trying to pitch feature profiles to share facets of individuals that are at once unique, creative, uber-dedicated and crazy fascinating. Colorado is full of them. Boulder in particular has quite a cadre of cyborgs -a genetic super race of otherworldly beings that sprint by you, smiling and fresh, when you are panting and sweating bullets at 10,000 feet on a rough trail. They might be moms with a toddler on their back, or a mere flash of neon running shorts and shoes along the Keyhole Route on Longs Peak.

Craig Dobkin was one of these. He looked 45 but it turns out was 63. Much of his life had been spent among massive mountains of the world - the Andes, Denali, Himalaya - in good company to be sure. When I joined Craig for coffee it became clear that he was another of these larger than life characters, following his passions - unswayingly, despite incredible obstacles that had found him.

Portrait of Craig H. Dobkin ©Bennett Barthelemy

Craig however was not monochromatic like some individuals pursuing dreams. He had moved firmly into a realm of what might be seen as a more selfless mentor as both outdoor/experiential educator and then founder of non-profits. Craig had taken his first steps on this path in his early twenties working with some of the most challenging populations of troubled individuals one might encounter. He still maintains a firm footing in these worlds today some four decades later.

The more I talked with Craig the more curious the twists of fate became - and stranger were the turns into the seemingly surreal - until it become clear just how he arrived at where he was today. In high school social studies he sat next to Benjamin Netenyahu, and then in his early twenties he worked for the Peace Corp and the United Nations simultaneously while in New Guinea with the goal of identifying future teachers. A few decades later he was detained in war-torn Bosnia and told by the authority that, "We don't play and we don't believe in Peace."

While supine in a full body cast for some months Craig had the realization that his purpose was to be a peacemaker and that he wanted to create an international non-profit. Less than 20 years later it is making an impact in over 20 countries strategically placed in "communities in conflict." Play For Peace uses an experiential curriculum of play to help these challenged communities. Simply said, kids come to play and through laughter and compassion they begin to realize the goal of ultimately bringing these diverse and fragmented communities (West Bank, India, Guatemala etc) together. In Isreal, where suicide bombs had detonated, play workshops have been held to honor those who had died there. Learn more about the org here at http://www.playforpeace.org

Craig asked that I would share a link to his personal page for Play For Peace... Whether or not you choose to donate - I think Play For Peace it is definitely worth a look, and inspiring on many levels...