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Luta Pela Paz - Fight for Peace Sports Club
Watch this video of the project
The Fight for Peace Boxing Club works to confront the issues facing impoverished youth through the focusing on prevention of youth participation in crime and violence. The club is based in Parque União, one of the fifteen favelas or slums of Complexo da Mare, where there has been a decade of territorial drug wars between two of Rio's largest drug trafficking gangs. Currently young people are involved in violence as both aggressors and victims. The Fight For Peace Boxing Club maintains regular contact with youth most affected by violence. The club channels aggression into the ring, transforming it into positive energy in the form of team work, respect for rules, self discipline, self confidence, competition and dedication to sport. Through instruction in citizenship and conflict resolution techniques, club members learn they cannot instigate, participate or encourage violence in the community - they are taught that outside of the ring, potential conflict must be overcome through peaceful mediation and without violence. The Fight For Peace Boxing Club is open to boys and young men, between ages of 14-25. They train three times a week and those who train regularly receive monthly food packages. Once a week a compulsory group workshop is held by a trained youth psychologist to instruct members in citizenship and conflict resolution. The club encourages members to return to school, education projects or job training programs in order to enhance their life potential. Members chose the following club rules during one of their workshops:
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Respect and help others
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Be disciplined and punctual
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Train hard
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Be responsible with the equipment
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Be humble
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Be honest
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Behave peacefully outside the ring
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Receive guests to the club with respect and politeness
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In 2002 DCB supported through financial contributions the purchasing of sports equipment, shipment of the equipment, operating and general support. We are currently helping them raise BR$350.000 (US$ 205,882) to create a new headquarters / sporting facility which will allow them to serve an additional 110 children and adolescents of both sexes on a daily basis and generate income by opening the gym to the paying public which will create a self sufficiency going forward.
In 2005 the LPP launched a newer and bigger complex, in the same Maré Complex. This has gymnasiums, male and female dressing rooms, a capoeira room, a space reserved for boxing and martial arts area. An educational center with a room for 30 people, where the citizenship classes take place, an IT room with 10 computers and another room for the coordination of events.
Monthly sport events also take place at the complex, aiming to attract new youth to the project and stimulate the students to practice more physical activities.
We still need R$ 175.000 (US$ 102,940) to finance the entire construction and to buy the equipment.
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In 2001 , the Luta Pela Paz was the first program to
receive financial support from Dreams Brasil;
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In 2002, Dreams Brasil made a proposal in the name of the Luta Pela Paz to the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which donated R$ 495.000 (US$ 291,176) during three years to cover the operational costs of the program;
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In 2003 Dreams Brasil assisted the donation of boxing equipment coming from foreign donators;
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Dreams Brasil continues supporting the Luta Pela Paz,
searching for financial resources to allow the program go on.
In The News:
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Luke Dowdney, founder of Fight For Peace, brings the program to the rough areas of London. Although they are in admittedly different contexts, he believes that the at-risk youth in London will benefit from the Boxing program just as much as the Brazilian participants.
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7369714.stm
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