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Fight for Peace celebrates youth success with film premiere
Royal Docks youth-led organisation Fight for Peace proudly celebrated the success of three of its former members during an exclusive film premiere at its London Academy recently.
The event was the official unveiling of the National Lottery Heritage Fund project, titled Standing on the Shoulders of Giants – a series of short documentaries focusing on the inspiring journeys of entrepreneur Athena Bashar, videographer and producer Aladdin Benberna, and professional MMA fighter Jawany Scott.
Filmed and produced by current members of Fight for Peace’s Young Creatives project – an initiative providing a creative platform for young people – each documentary offers a unique insight into the lives of Athena, Aladdin and Jawany, and the role Fight for Peace played in shaping their outstanding young careers.
Since opening in 2007, Royal Docks based Fight for Peace has welcomed over 15,000 young people through the doors of its London Academy, providing boxing and martial arts sessions, education and employment programmes, and a range of other support services.
Hosted at Fight for Peace’s ‘Bluebox’ Academy in North Woolwich, the attendees included current and former members, partners, local residents and the documentaries’ three protagonists, who after the screenings participated in an engaging Q&A session.
Athena retains close ties to the area, running her Modest Moves boxing classes for women out of gyms across east London, and she hopes to soon expand the brand across the capital.
This entire evening was about showcasing to other young people how achievable success really is
Aladdin Benberna, videographer & producer and former Fight for Peace member
Aladdin, who is forging a successful career in independent film, continues to work closely with Fight for Peace’s Young Creatives, and earlier this year collaborated on Newham Heritage Month documentary, The Bluebox in Newham: Home of Champions. Jawany, meanwhile, is inspiring a new generation of Fight for Peace competitors as he closes in on a flyweight title shot in Europe’s leading MMA promotion, Cage Warriors.
“This entire evening was about showcasing to other young people how achievable success really is,” Aladdin said. “I’m glad we were given the space to share what it takes to be great in whatever field we are in and to be on the podium, and in the same conversation, as those two amazing people, who I’ve known for years, I’m more than grateful for.”
Click here to watch all three documentaries on Fight for Peace’s YouTube channel.
