EU-supported project puts anti-discrimination in the spotlight

The Italian Sport for All Association (UISP) is leading a consortium of 6 partners from the grassroots sport, education and urban security sectors, who are paving the way for the methodology of anti-discrimination in sport to be recognised internationally as a SENTRY Sport methodology. SENTRY Sport is a project supported by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union and lasts for 36 months (January 2020 – June 2023). 

The goal of the project is to develop a common methodology for the surfacing, prevention and mitigation of the discriminatory phenomenon in the places of sport, based on the role that grassroots sport can play in tackling discriminations and support victims. The group of experts in the project are developing and producing outputs such as: SENTRY Manifesto, Toolkit with collection of good practices, Tips & Tricks, Capacity building programme and SENTRY Policy recommendations.

In order to make these materials usable for as many people as possible, the website https://www.sentrysport.org/ was created. Here you can find several sections where you can read news about the project and download materials, many of which are in English, Italian, French, German, Spanish and Greek. 

The project is realised by a consortium of 6 organisation: UISP APS – Italian Sport for All Association (Italy), ISCA - International Sport and Culture Association (Denmark), EFUS - European Forum for Urban Security (France), RDC - Fundacio Red Deporte y Cooperacion (Spain), VIDC - Vienna Institute forInternational Dialogue and Cooperation (Austria), KONSEP en DRASEI - Koinoniki Synetairistiki Epicheirissyllogikis Kai Koinonikis Ofeleiasen-Drasei (Greece). 

Daniela Conti, coordinator of the project: “As UISP we have a long experience in working with sport for combating discrimination inside and outside sport. Unfortunately, only the top of the iceberg is visible: the episodes of verbal discrimination in sport (at all level) are many, but not all of them are recognised (both from the witnesses and the victims themselves) and considered just as “stupid and funny jokes”. Moreover, for many victims it is difficult to denounce the aggressions for the fear of losing their place in a team, or not being believed. Sentry Sport is an invitation to open our eyes, don’t turn back and speak out against any form of discrimination. Sport is a wright for each single person, no matter of his/her belonging, story, ideas and colour.”

Saska Benedicic Tomat, ISCA coordinator for Sentry: “Discrimination includes actions and thoughts that segregate one group of people from another. Racism and discrimination is still a huge problem in sports. It may seem that instead of shrinking, it is growing. With SENTRY project we are building an international methodology as a set of tools, guidelines, training, tips and tricks, policy recommendations, conditions and instruments to be implemented by sport organisations across Europe, with a view to preventing or reducing all forms and specific cases of discrimination in sport, in particular against specific individuals or groups of individuals with respect to their personal characteristics. We need to make it clear and loud: there is no place for any form of discrimination in sport!  We also understand that the whole process of talking about racism and discrimination is difficult. We might say that we understand it, but I believe that it’s another thing entirely to actually see it or even experience it. So please, listen and watch very carefully and act when you see any kind of discrimination around you.”