The British Minister for Sport, Richard Caborn, will today visit the Luta pela Paz (Fight for Peace) sports and social centre in the Rio de Janeiro favela (shanty town) of Complexo da Maré. The British government has donated 50 thousand pounds to help with the construction of the centre, which opened last year, and the purchase of equipment. The project is run by the Brazilian NGO Viva Rio.

The centre gives young people from Complexo da Maré the chance to participate in sporting activities such as boxing and capoeira, which offer a positive means of channeling aggression. As well as sports training, the young people who attend the centre participate in weekly lessons and discussions on the themes of citizenship and the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Source: Embassy of Brazil in London