Futbol Por La Paz (Football for Peace) was established in 2006 by FIFA and Chilean legend Elias Figueroa and Co-Founded Internationally in 2013 by British South Asian International Footballer, Kashif Siddiqi. FfP has been active for over a decade building a unique platform of neutrality and dialogue.Siddiqi, inspired by his mother’s struggles from Africa to the UK, and moved by the great work of Figueroa based his vision on the spirit of what had been achieved in the Americas, formed a new brand with global relevance and propelled this great initiative internationally with an aim to reconcile humanity.This newly formed diplomatic sports movement fully understood the influence and reach of football, and set out to harness its power to unite and create greater understanding between people, communities and governments.
A PASSIONATE APPROACH TO PEACE
To achieve our goal of bringing about peace and inspire a culture of greater understanding throughout communities, our entire organisation is built around a carefully considered plan of action. This peace process consists of five key steps we apply to every discussion we have, whether we’re engaging with community leaders, councils or heads of state.
IDENTIFY
Firstly, we set out to identify the root issues whenever and wherever dialogue has broken down. It’s essential to listen to every point of view in order to fully understand why misunderstanding and mistrust exist.
ADVOCACYWe use our knowledge, experience and non-judgemental diplomacy to bring all sides together. These include city councils, governments, sports ministries, Football Federations, NGO’s and all other relevant stakeholders, and create a forum for open and honest debate around the issues highlighted
ACTIVATEWhen everything is in place, we create a neutral environment for people, communities and countries, to come together. What better way to do this than using football as a forum?Activities can include organising International Peace Matches, Community Peace Tournaments and post tournament workshops, or the delivery of Sports Diplomacy toolkits.