Martial Arts for Development: A new coalition launched at the UN Youth Forum

Martial arts leaders launched a new global coalition at the UN Youth Forum to promote sustainable development through martial arts.

Promo video | From Students to Leaders: Martial Arts as a Pathway for Youth Empowerment | Watch on YouTube

At the 2025 ECOSOC Youth Forum, the side event “From Students to Leaders: Martial Arts as a Pathway for Youth Empowerment” spotlighted how martial arts and combat sports are being used around the world to promote youth leadership, community development, and sustainable change. The event also celebrated the official launch of the Martial Arts Coalition for Sustainable Development (MCS)—a new global platform uniting martial arts organizations committed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Hosted online as part of the United Nations' annual forum for youth-led development solutions, the session featured practitioners and leaders from Brazil, Mexico, Afghanistan, Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cambodia, Nepal, and Kenya. Each shared how martial arts and combat sports are addressing issues like gender inequality, violence prevention, refugee integration, and access to education.

The opening speech by Master Jadir Figueira, MCS co-founder and founder of the Jadir Taekwondo Association (AJTKD), emphasized martial arts as a life-changing tool in underserved communities. Danilo Malafaia, AJTKD's administrative director and MCS co-founder, presented the coalition’s vision to strengthen collaboration between martial arts organizations and the wider sport for development community.

The speakers’ powerful testimonies showcased grassroots action—from safe spaces for girls and young women in Cambodia and Kenya, to social reintegration through judo, taekwondo, and boxing in Europe and Latin America.

MCS invites martial arts schools, NGOs, and other grassroots organizations to join its mission. By sharing practices and aligning with sustainability principles, the coalition aims to deepen the sector’s impact and visibility within global development efforts.

Speakers included:

Rigzin Angmo – Kung Fu Nuns, Live to Love International (Nepal)
Rahmat Khalili – Yoga and Sport with Refugees (Afghanistan/France)
João Pedro Rochocz – Delfim Gym (Brazil)
Aljoša Prokofjev – Judo Club Golovec (Slovenia)
Gracyenne Helena – Do Morro ao Pódio Project (Brazil)
Džana Kovačević – Judo Club Una Bihać (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Gilberto Frossard – Frossard Team (Brazil)
Lyda Van – Project Aokas, Inclusive Cambodia (Cambodia)
Ann Wamonje – Power Girl Africa (Kenya)
Santiago Garibay, Mike Errasti & Irina Téllez – TRASO - Transformación Social (Mexico)
Priscila de Souza – Brazilian National Sambo Team (Brazil)
Danilo Malafaia – Kicking for Nature, Jadir Taekwondo Association (Brazil)

The event closed with a lively Q&A and a call for young leaders to engage with MCS in shaping a more inclusive, healthy, and peaceful world through martial arts.