This past Wednesday in Philadelphia, WWE commentator and former WWE Champion John “Bradshaw” Layfield spoke on conflict resolution at the 2013 Beyond Sport Summit, an annual event that assembles hundreds of innovators in sports, business, philanthropy, development and government to create social change using sport. Beyond Sport’s global ambassadors include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  

JBL represented his Beyond Rugby Bermuda organization, which uses rugby as a tool to empower young men in Bermuda, and joined such influential speakers as NBA Commissioner David Stern and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.

“You had people coming together who want to make a difference and want to use sport to make that difference,” JBL told WWE.com after the event.

JBL first connected with Beyond Sport in 2010 while in Cape Town, South Africa, for the World Cup. There, he was introduced to a unique running program called the Mighty Milers, which gave him some insight into how sport can be used to benefit young people in impoverished or developing communities.

“That’s really the genesis of the [Beyond Rugby Bermuda] program,” JBL said. “There was a low graduation rate among black Bermudian males, and what we’re trying to do is help those young men stay in school to have more options and better options.”

For more information on Beyond Rugby Bermuda and how you can contribute to JBL’s charitable efforts, including Seven Summits for Kids, click here.