Nov 22 2018 - Airways Aviation Academy has teamed up with sports charity ‘Football for Peace’ (FfP) Founders British Footballer Kashif Siddiqi and Chilean FIFA Legend Elia Figueroa, to support #FootballSavesLives campaign, aimed at training the next generation of young leaders in how to harness a shared passion for football to bring together their local communities.

FfP will launch the #FootballSavesLives initiative, at a Peace Tournament, to be held on the 22nd November 2018 at the Copper Box Arena in London. HRH Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge will participate in the event which will honour the Young Peace Leaders that have graduated from the City for Peace initiative this year from across the UK.

The new #FootballSavesLives programme aims to train 500 Peace Leaders by 2020 by working in conjunction with local councils, football clubs and schools to train young people aged 15-18 in how to unite their communities on and off the pitch, from running local football tournaments to organising classroom workshops to discuss the issues currently dividing their communities.

Romy Hawatt, Founder of the Airways Aviation Group and also a Founding Member of the Global Sustainability Network (GSN) says that “business and governments alike carry a joint and several responsibility to help create safe, tolerant and sustainable societies for the benefit of present and future generations. Worthy initiatives like #FootballSavesLives that contribute towards the empowerment of our youth, the promotion of self-determination, the encouragement of a peaceful community dialogue and the seeking of common ground between us through initiatives like #FootballSavesLives has our commendation and complete support”.

The peace tournament will bring together footballing ambassadors Wilfried Zaha, Mesut Ozil, Louis Saha, John Terry, Bacary Sagna, Lucas Perez and newly trained Young Peace Leaders who have already been through this programme to manage the teams branded as Equality, Diversity, Unity, Friendship, Dialogue from different schools across Newham.

On the day, HRH Prince William will attend a workshop on tolerance and team building, which will be delivered by FfP tutors and attended by Young Peace Leaders. His Royal Highness will then meet the charities Footballing Ambassadors and students who will all then take part in an activity which will break down a wall with footballs in a message against hate and violence to support the #FootballSavesLives campaign.

“With the #FootballSavesLives campaign, we want to encourage all football lovers and peace defenders to support our pledge to train the next generation of Young Peace Leaders to create more peaceful and tolerant communities across the UK. These schools in normal instance, hardly mix let alone play on same teams, the country needs more integration activities”, says FfP co-founder Kashif Siddiqi.

Adding to this, Arsenal player Mesut Ozil said “I am proud to support an initiative which brings people together in the such divided times we are living in”.

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