Fight for Peace celebrated the achievements of three former members during an intimate film premiere hosted at our Academy on Wednesday evening.
The two-hour event marked the official unveiling of Standing on the Shoulders of Giants, a documentary film project, in collaboration with the National Lottery Heritage Fund, focusing on the inspiring journeys of entrepreneur Athena Bashar, videographer and producer Aladdin Benberna, professional MMA fighter Jawany Scott.
Filmed and produced by current members of our Young Creatives team – an initiative providing a creative platform for young people – each documentary offers a unique insight into the lives and accomplishments of Athena, Aladdin and Jawany, and the role Fight for Peace has played in shaping their outstanding young careers.
“I’ve always felt seen at Fight for Peace, the constant validation and everyone always supporting you,” Athena said. “But when someone asked if they wanted to make a video about me, it’s next level, and it made me realise and reflect on my whole journey there and what I’ve accomplished.”
Athena, who competed as a teenage amateur for Fight for Peace, has successfully juggled her studies – she recently graduated with a BSc in Psychology from the prestigious King’s College London – with running Modest Moves, her growing fitness business, empowering women through boxing and muay thai sessions.
The attendees on the night included current and former members, local residents and the documentaries’ three protagonists, who participated in an engaging Q&A session afterwards.
“It was an amazing opportunity in the question and answer part to talk about my mindset and how I think and how I’ve developed,” Aladdin said.
Like Athena and Jawany, Aladdin maintains close ties with Fight for Peace, earlier this year collaborating with our Young Creatives on a Newham Heritage Month documentary titled The Bluebox in Newham: Home of Champions. And having already made great strides in his own career in independent film, he revelled at the opportunity on Wednesday night to share knowledge and experiences with those looking to furrow a similar path.
“If I am someone they consider a success story, then clearly I’m doing something right and it is inspiring to be given an opportunity to share my journey with young people who potentially want to do the same thing as me,” he added.
Jawany, too, is inspiring the next generation. Currently competing in one of Europe’s leading MMA promotions, Cage Warriors, he is rapidly establishing himself as one to watch as he closes in on a shot at the flyweight title.
“It was such an inspiring evening; Jawany was somebody who I used to train with, Aladdin is a dear friend of mine, so seeing these stories of people who I know, who I’m associated with is inspiring in itself,” Athena said.
“This entire evening was about showcasing to other young people how achievable success really is,” Aladdin added. “I’m glad we were given the space to share what it takes to be great in whatever field we are in and to be on the podium, and in the same conversation, as those two amazing people, who I’ve known for years, I’m more than grateful for.”
Athena currently runs the women-only boxing sessions between 6-7pm at the Academy on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as her Modest Moves classes at various locations in east London. Aladdin is working on various projects as he builds his already impressive portfolio in independent film. Jawany is one of the top MMA flyweights in the country and next fights on the Cage Warriors 180 show at the O2 on November 15. Follow all three on their social media channels and click here to watch their powerful documentaries on Fight for Peace’s YouTube channel.