1. Education and Social Project "Mifalot"

2. Location: primarily Israel; also Palestinian Authority, Jordan; consulting and training for programs in Africa (Rwanda, Cameroon), Haiti, and most recently in India.

3. History  Fifteen years ago, one of Israel’s premier soccer teams came up for sale.  Three friends…Israeli business people, understood that if they had a premier league team and professional sports stars, they’d be able to attract children to an educational project.  They bought the team in order to do that project, the reverse of the usual process where owners have a team and then decide to do something nice for the community.

4.  The new owners of Hapoel Tel Aviv, emerging from a deep background in the Israeli scouting movement, bought the team and began the program.  They are fulfilling their original vision: “We can’t think of a more important way to give back to the community and fulfill our social responsibility than by reaching out to make a difference in the lives of youth from the most vulnerable areas of society.”

5. Whom we serve:  The Education and Social Project of Hapoel Tel Aviv ("Mifalot") is the largest and most diverse sport for development program in the Middle East.  Its mission is to transform the lives of disadvantaged and at-risk children and promote understanding among different groups in Israel and the region.

6.  Mifalot harnesses the power of sport for enrichment and values education, to teach life skills to children with special needs, promote the integration and inclusion of newly arrived immigrants and refugees, and create bonds of friendship among children from diverse and often mutually hostile backgrounds.

7.  The project gives disadvantaged children a sense of belonging to something big and successful and that they can be winners themselves.  It gives hope for a better future, developing leadership among youth, a sense of self-esteem and mutual respect.  It gives hope for a better future, developing leadership among youth, a sense of self-esteem and mutual respect.

8.  Mifalot includes more than 20,000 children and youth in over 300 programs in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Jordan, and has shared its expertise in Rwanda, Cameroon, Haiti and most recently India.  All of the children are in need, in some significant way disadvantaged and at risk.  Beyond that, there is an incredible diversity of boys and girls from poor neighborhoods, towns, villages; children in sheltered boarding schools; children with special needs; youth in prison; immigrant and refugee children.

9. Bridge to Peace- Mifalot Program http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla yer_detailpage&v=2YUzrQ823AI http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla yer_detailpage&v=2YUzrQ823AI

10. M ifalot has over 300 projects that use soccer to accomplish the following program objectives: P romote peace and coexistence by creating bonds of friendship between Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians. Provide much needed assistance to children living in at-risk or isolated environments in our region and internationally. T each life skills to children with special needs. P romote the integration and inclusion of newly arrived immigrants and refugees into Israeli society. Encourage the social integration of Arab-Israelis by empowering the individual and the Arab-Israeli community. Shape socially responsible and value enriched leaders for tomorrow.

11.  M ifalot leverages the platform provided by the Hapoel Tel Aviv Premier League Soccer Team to engage political institutions, the corporate sector, the general public, andthe international community to ensure that due attention is paid to the most pressing social issues in the region and internationally.  The Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club has shifted the public’s perception about the role of a professional club in helping children and communities. Rather than carrying the image of a marketing ploy or public relations campaign, Mifalot is viewed by its funders, supporters, and partners as an earnest and effective use of sport to promote social development and peace.

13. Team Pledge of Fair Play

14. Sports for Special Kids  http://youtu.be/LtmHoUbXjsg http://youtu.be/LtmHoUbXjsg