Sports Diplomacy
In 2016, the Ali Center partnered with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Astana on a two-part sport diplomacy and character development program for Kazakhstan youth. In March, the MAC conducted a comprehensive character development and leadership training for a delegation of youth boxers and coaches. In August, MAC educators traveled to Kazakhstan to implement programming at a sport leadership summer camp for youth boxers and coaches. This exchange was part of the U.S. government’s efforts to reach under-served, marginalized, and at-risk youth populations in order to combat violent extremism, promote democracy, and human rights.

Float Like a Butterfly
In 2017, the MAC partnered with the U.K.-based organization, Youth Charter, to pilot the “Float Like a Butterfly” Social Coach Leadership Program. In February, MAC Educators traveled to Manchester, England to train a cohort of formal and informal educators on the Character Education curriculum and action learning scenarios. These educators have been supplied with a digital platform to track and evaluate program impact. The MAC intends to expand this partnership to additional communities and geographic areas over the next 3 years.
For more information and how to bring MAC programs to your community, please contact Erin Herbert, eherbert@alicenter.org.
In the video below, Geoff Thompson, Founder and Executive Chair of Youth Charter (Manchester, U.K.) leads a high-level discussion with key stakeholders on how the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali can be translated into tools for community-building and violence prevention.