To coincide with the start of the European Week of Sport on 23 September 2020, ISCA member UISP, together with the lead and partners of the Erasmus+ supported MATCH-SPORT project, launched the #weplayfair social media campaign against discrimination in amateur sport.

#weplayfair presents a series of posters aimed at raising awareness about discrimination and violence in sport and promoting the actions carried out within the project. The campaign is aimed primarily at those who are active in sports at a grassroots level – the participants/players, amateur clubs, associations – but it is also aimed at the general public and local authorities.

It seeks to combat all forms of discrimination in all sports disciplines and is based on the key issues identified by the project partners: the values conveyed through sport, the fight against stereotypes and violence, sport as a unifying force and the central role of parents.

The project is coordinated by the European Forum for Urban Security (EFUS) and has different objectives: to develop or strengthen to counter and prevent violence in amateur sport; to help local authorities improve their knowledge on violence and prevention strategies; and to empower local partners to find adequate tools for them to respond with an integrated and multi-sector approach, as they are well aware of the problem but often poorly equipped to face it.

The UISP contributed to developing the campaign, and its experience in running the annual Mondiali Antirazzisti festival contributed to the creation of mini-courses that will take place online in October. The courses will focus on how to changing the rules to achieve a sport for all can lower the level of violence and discrimination on the ground. They will be aimed at the officials of the participating municipalities and the sports operators of the affiliated clubs.

The other partners of the project are the Municipality of Maranello and Locano in Italy, Municipality of Lisbon and Higher Institute of Security of Lisbon (ISCPSI), Municipality of Neo Propontida in Greece, Municipality of Valence in France, Municipality of Liège and the Faculty of Sports Sciences of Potsdam (FHSMP).

Follow us on social media: Facebook and Instagram... and spread the message! #weplayfair

Modified from an original article by UISP, Italy