Day one of the Sport Integrity Week 2021 (13th September) on Sports Governance, Anti-Corruption & International Cooperation in Sport was a success. Today, and included in SIGA Weekly number 3 (15th October), SIGA will be re-running last two webinars and keynotes, including the one on SIRVS (SIGA’s Independent Rating and Verification System).
Don’t miss the chance to watch on-demand.
(Remember Day 1 / Part 1 rerun)
Day 1, part 2/2
Keynote – Brian Lewis
(Watch here)
Launching the panel on “Cender, Race, Inclusion and Diversity: Sport is for All”, Brian Lewis, President Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee, President, CANOC, advocated “Zero tolerance on discrimination and issues such as ableism, sexism, racism and all forms of discrimination“.
The Chair of SIGA’s Standing Committee on Gender, Race, Inclusion & Diversity made clear that Sport Integrity needs people to act, to be brave, and to be active fighting for what’s right: “If sport is to fulfill its potential and the fact that it can make a powerful difference, we must all be prepared to stand up and to call out the powerful, the rich and the influential in the global sports movement. Also taking the necessary meaningful and profound steps and actions that are necessary“.
Gender, Race, Inclusion and Diversity: Sport Is For All
(Watch here)
Gender, Race, Inclusion and Diversity (GRID) are the World! Sport on the field of play has the power to move the needle and break multiple boundaries. However, when it comes to leadership, the pace of change remains slow, with a lack of diversity at the top, that negatively impacts the way sport is governed. SIGA’s Universal Standards on Good Governance in Sport and its first independent audit system, SIRVS, are the game-changer that the industry needs. Remember this discussion on how we can usher sport into a new era of governance that enshrines and unleashes the power of GRID.
Moderator: Karin Korb, Business Development Facilitator, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant; SIGA GRID Standing Committee.
Paul Elliott, Chair, Inclusion Advisory Board, The FA
“I think about equality, diversity, and inclusion and relate it to my player experience. The late 1970’s, early 80’s had lots of challenges. Equality of opportunities was important. 5,4 billion people watch the Premier League in over 100 countries. The power of football to make that meaningful change is critical. Leadership is critical, and one of the biggest challenges we have is cultural. Culture is probably the biggest challenge”.
Jamil Northcutt, Vice-President, Player Engagement, Major League Soccer
“When you start thinking of what we do and how we live, we always think of health, relationships and finances… It is a simple view, that may clash with philosophy. If we can do the right thing, we will increase the fan bases, and all our stakeholders will benefit. We have to work to maintaining these from the GRID standpoint”.
Renee Brown, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant; Former SVP & Chief of Basketball, WNBA Operations & Player Relations
“It is essential that an organisation defines what its values are, not just in gender and race but all other areas of diversity. Inclusion to me is the most important part because people want to feel they are listened to, that they belong to…”
Danielle Obe, Co-founder & Chair, Black Swimming Association
“The value of equity? Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are a cord with three strings that are wrapped together. Our perspective is understanding the value of it from the communities or targeting individuals points of view. So, equity may be different to you and to me. Understand our audience and what equity means to them is the only way that we can create interventions, solutions or policies…”
Keynote – Keith Jones
(Watch here)
President of Soultouchin’ Experiences and co-founder of Krip-Hop Nation, Keith Jones addressed an inspiring Keynote on how sports has always resonated in the community, regardless of the human condition, and how integrity is the key for a better world.
“Sports has the way of changing the world for the better. Every time something happens on the field that breaks barriers, it is reflected in society. Every time good governance is shown in the elite, it’s reflected in society. In the USA a sports star can move to politics because it is seen as a leader. It is truly important we understand that recognising and respecting the human condition, regardless of who and what we are, is the key to integrity, to inclusion, to diversity and good governance“.
Accountability and Scrutiny in Sport mean SIRVS
(Watch here)
Integrity has become a go-to catchphrase in many industries, including sport. However, the definition of integrity is often politically evoked whilst conveniently fluid. For integrity to be meaningful, it must be implemented on a day-to-day basis. To deliver the much-needed cultural change from rhetoric to reality SIGA is facilitating an independent solution: The SIGA Independent Rating and Verification System (SIRVS). The purpose of SIRVS is to assess and rate the sporting organisations’ level of implementation of, and compliance with, the SIGA Universal Standards. Accountability and scrutiny are key to integrity. Katie Simmonds, SIGA’s Global COO, moderated this panel with top industry leaders who are at the forefront of this revolution.
David Butler, General Manager, European Rugby League
“Doping, match-fixing, and off-field misconducts are the major threats for sport. We also identify lack of education in governance amongst our membership and the speed at which sport is growing. We are a pioneer in sports. It’s five years now ERL looked at its governance. We wanted an independent audit because it gives reassurance we are doing well. The most important is that it helps to identify gaps and solutions. Sometimes there are issues on the blind spot. SIRVS has been a 8-month process, and it was a great way for me to find more about the organisation. It is an ongoing process”.
Alison Giordano, Vice President, Global Sponsorships and Content Marketing, Mastercard
“Why Sport? Passion. Mastercard’s marketing strategy is based on passion and experience. Sport allows us to engage with diverse audiences, creating meaningful connections. What SIGA was doing regarding integrity, transparency, good governance and decency was important for us, and that is why Mastercard decided to be one of SIGA’s founding members. SIRVS is important for sponsors because we want to work with brands with integrity and similar values. SIRVS can help to identify areas that need improvement.
Densign White, CEO, IMMAF
“Accountability and scrutiny are crucial. For a sport like us, recognised by the Olympic movement, it is important to give ourselves that credibility. Lots of federations meet obstacles when approaching their Olympic Committees or governments. The first thing those authorities do is looking at their governance before giving them support. It is critically important to be transparent, because of our sponsors. I was fortunate to be involved with SIGA in the early stages…
Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros, CEO, SIGA; Chairman & CEO, SIGA AMERICA; Executive Chairman, SIGA EUROPE
“There was something I felt was yet to be done. Sport was a money-making machine generating 33 bn dollars a year. The game, however, was under siege, becoming vulnerable to criminal infiltration. There was a huge backlash and Sport was seen as untrustworthy. I created this united front that was meant to put integrity on top. We needed to demonstrate that, so we created a set of universal standards to respond to every critical problem the industry would face. We also needed to demonstrate in a way that would be independent, neutral, objective and fact driven that what we were announcing was accountable. That led to design an independent verification system, specifically tailored to the sports industry. SIRVS is the ultimate test to integrity and credibility. Otherwise, why should sponsors continue to sponsor, or the broadcasters continue to invest billions?
Download Sport Integrity Week 2021 Event Guide here
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