The initiative aims to promote peace and respect through sport. It will bring together leading groups involved in martial arts and combat sports across Europe and organise inter-community meetings and/or international events (competitions, training, courses, trips and demonstrations).
The initiative will particularly focus its activities for the benefit of disadvantaged children.
“This is something we have been planning for almost two years,” Murray said. “I’m working on it with Carl Emery, a former world champion who now runs a number of gyms in his native land and is involved with many blue chip kickboxing promotions across Europe.
“He and I recognised that one of the best ways to promote understanding and to keep kids out of trouble was to give them something focused and organised to do – and also to give children from all walks of life the opportunity to interact and to respect each other through sport."
The initiative was born out of a trip to a kickboxing event in Villars Switzerland in 2006 which brought a large number of children and their families from deprived parts of Belfast to take part in a prestigious show.
Murray is no stranger to working with both sides in some of Northern Ireland’s toughest neighbourhoods, establishing in his gyms a non-political middle ground for Catholics and Protestants to work together, to compete and expand their horizons. The trip to Villars was the result of months of fundraising by the children and their families to help make the dream of heading abroad a reality.
“It was a brilliant thing to witness,” said Murray . “For many of these kids – all of whom were aged between 6-12 years old – this was their first time on a plane and their first trip abroad. They were selected on merit and it was down to the dedication of the children and their families that we were able to take so many of them to Switzerland .
"The sport receives no funding in Northern Ireland , unlike in other European countries, and the only way to give these children such a wonderful opportunity was to fundraise ourselves. The Fighting For Peace initiative will add structure to this fundraising part and make it more likely that other kids can enjoy similar experiences."
The initiative is being backed by senior diplomats and policy formers in Europe. Susan Gregory, Consul Geneva travelled to Villars for that first event and Dr Carole Presern Counsellor (Development/Specialised Agencies) for the UK Mission to the UN in Switzerland, has since been in Belfast to help formalise the campaign.
“If we are to seriously tackle this youth issue, we have to do it now," added Murray. "This programme is a well realised proper leap forward and we hope to interest policy formers at Stormont in this latest initiative, which is helping to cement the peace.”
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