On March 18th, we had the privilege of participating in the "Football, Sustainable Development, and Peace Panel Discussion", hosted by the Peace and Sustainability Societies at the University of Bradford. Moderated by Professor Anand, the session was a powerful exploration of how the "beautiful game" can be a catalyst for global progress.
A major highlight was hearing from Adam Keizer, Sustainability Officer at Bradford City AFC. Adam provided a masterclass in how professional clubs can integrate sustainability into their DNA. He emphasized shifting the perspective from seeing sustainability as a "reactionary requirement" to a commercial and operational opportunity. By driving innovation in club policies, Bradford City serves as a replicable model for how football can lead the way in environmental and social governance.
Our team shared the stage to discuss the frameworks driving the Football Peace Academy. Professor Tom Woodhouse grounded the conversation in peacebuilding theory, utilizing Johan Galtung’s four spaces of peacebuilding. We discussed the immense Social Return on Investment (SROI) generated by English League clubs and the unique power of individual players to act as community changemakers.
Our Project Coordinator, Beatriz Carvalho, brought the discussion to the local level by sharing updates from our pilot project, "Training Positive Peace Champions" in Olas 2, Bucaramanga. Through an innovative methodology that merges global frameworks for development and peace and leverages the universal appeal of football, we are breaking invisible barriers and empowering a new generation of active, positive peacemakers.
To close the session, we were incredibly proud to share the official announcement that Professor Woodhouse has been awarded the 2026 Outstanding Peace Education Laureate for the Luxembourg Peace Prize. This prestigious recognition underscores his lifelong commitment to peace education and his invaluable role in shaping the methodologies used by our Academy. As noted in the official press release:
"For over five decades, his dedication to teaching and research has helped establish peace studies as a rigorous academic discipline and a vital force in shaping peacebuilders across cultures, making him an exemplary candidate for Outstanding Peace Education."
Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to such a vibrant exchange of ideas! We believe that the work being done in Bradford and our efforts in Colombia prove that football is more than a sport - it is a laboratory for sustainable development and a bridge to lasting peace.
Access our full presentation below to dive deeper into the data and frameworks discussed: