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| Fight for Peace provides practical alternatives to crime and organised armed violence for children and youth in disadvantaged communities via social inclusion through sports, education, access to the formal work market, the promotion of a culture of peace and building youth leaders. |
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| Fight for Peace was founded as a Viva Rio project by former English amateur boxer Luke Dowdney in 2000 in the Complexo da Maré, a complex of favelas (shantytowns) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. |
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Luke Dowdney
coaching at the project in Rio de Janiero |
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Fight for Peace in Rio de Janeiro has worked with thousands of children and young people since 2000 |
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The purpose built Fight for Peace Sports and Education Centre in Rio de Janeiro |
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The Fight for Peace Academy in London |
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| Like many favela communities in Rio de Janeiro, high levels of poverty, exclusion and a lack of social services in the Complexo da Maré has led to children and adolescents being employed by drug factions as openly armed foot-soldiers, lookouts and drug sellers. |
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| For more information on child and adolescent involvement in Rio de Janeiro’s drug factions click here. |
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| Since its establishment in 2000, Fight for Peace has developed a prevention and rehabilitation model to confront the problem of child and youth participation in crime, gangs and gun violence within disadvantaged communities. This strategy is based on the ‘Five Pillars’ model. |
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| Due to Fight for Peace’s growth in Rio de Janeiro and a desire to replicate internationally, in 2007 Fight for Peace was established as an independent non-profit organisation within Brazil (Associação Luta Pela Paz), and a charity within the UK (Fight for Peace). |
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