The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah) and the Guépard #1 Boxing Club held a boxing awareness day in Cité Soleil.

The event designed by the Association to Help, Serve and Protect Vulnerable Persons (AASPPV) was supported by the Haitian Federation of Amateur Boxing and aimed to promote the sport as a tool for peace - while educating the community’s youth about the importance of non-violence.

The tournament, consisting of ten matches in ten separate categories, involved forty boxers from various parts of the metropolitan area. It was attended by some 700 people from different areas of Cité Soleil. Between every match, athletes, dancers and rappers conveyed messages of peace through choreography and songs further animated by a popular DJ. Earlier in the day, 450 male and female youth were sensitized to gender based violence and non-violent communications skills, and introduced to the recruitment procedures of the Haitian National Police (PNH) - with a particular focus on the recruitment of women.

"In the past, when violence was developing in communities, boxing was used to reduce it. Tournaments opened the doors of neighborhoods where heavy violence existed – which, in turn, facilitated the development of economic activity [...] I am convinced that, today, boxing allows young people to express themselves and channel their energy so that it is not used for destructive ends," said Car Alexandre, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Haiti (DSRSG), in his speech to participants.

Hugely popular in Haiti, boxing provides an opportunity to young people and helps reduce juvenile crime. It educates local authorities and communities on the use of boxing to reduce violence and, generally, promotes sporting activity as a positive social pastime.

"We are witnessing today a great event that encourages us to promote peace in our community," said Brutus Jean Francky, AASPPV Coordinator. "Who would believe that it’s here in Cité Soleil that this beautiful boxing tournament is hosted today? [We are] pooling our efforts to establish peace and promote development," he concluded.

This project aims to help facilitate intervention and interaction between community police and citizens. Between 2009 and 2015, MINUSTAH implemented 351 projects for a total of 53 million US dollars in favor of community development in Cité Soleil, underlining the priority nature of the Mission's interventions in the area.

S/ HaitiLibre