Discrimination in sport remains an issue across Europe—sometimes visible, often hidden, but always impactful. The ChangeMakers project sets out to challenge this reality by empowering individuals from minority backgrounds to lead change within grassroots sport organisations.

The initiative, launched in February 2025 in Copenhagen, brings together a diverse network of partner organisations committed to fighting against racism and discrimination in sport. Through training, peer-to-peer sharing and direct involvement in policymaking, ChangeMakers will create opportunities for underrepresented voices to be heard and for sports organisations to become more inclusive.

Why This Project Matters

The problem is not immediately obvious to everyone. "If there's nothing on paper, people don’t see the problem—or if they do, they keep it to themselves, especially in such a sensitive field," noted Patrick Perosa from the Sport Union of Slovenia (SUS). This highlights a crucial challenge: before discrimination can be addressed, it must first be acknowledged. The project aims to bring these issues to the forefront, invite open conversations, and set standards for diversity.

"I grew up in Norway as a black man, and I can tell you—racism is not always obvious,” said Abdinor Mahamed from the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF),. "It’s in the small things—people acting surprised when I speak, assuming I wouldn’t speak fluent Norwegian, or asking about ‘my country’ as if I don’t belong here. These things are embedded in culture and come from a lack of awareness. If you asked any of these people about discrimination, none of them would say they had seen or done it, and they would all strongly oppose it. But they don’t even know…”

Raising awareness is key to uncovering hidden biases and challenging assumptions. ChangeMakers will work to bring these issues to light and ensure better representation of minorities in grassroots sport, creating a more inclusive and fair environment for all.

Building a Stronger, More Inclusive Sports Sector

One of the project’s objectives is to ensure that diversity is not only represented on the playing field but also in leadership and decision-making roles. Daniela Conti and Marta Giammaria from UISP, Italy, emphasised this need: "We have many athletes from diverse backgrounds, but they are not in management positions. The policies for inclusion are often created by people who don’t fully understand the challenges."

To tackle this, ChangeMakers will receive the necessary training to equip them with leadership skills and policymaking experience. It will also establish a European network of ChangeMakers—individuals who can drive systemic change within sports organisations.

Who Are the ChangeMakers?

ChangeMakers are individuals who bring their unique and diverse experiences and motivation to support better integration in grassroots sport. They do more than participate—they help shape policies, raise awareness, and push for real change. At the project's kick-off meeting, partners discussed what makes a good ChangeMaker. They emphasised qualities like motivation, resilience, leadership, community involvement, and courage. Through training and networking, the project gives them the tools to make a lasting impact in sports organisations.

What’s Next?

Over the next three years, the project will pilot best practices in Germany, Italy, Slovenia, and Norway, implement training and mentorship programmes, and develop new policies to fight discrimination. Participants will work together to share knowledge, strategies, and best practices that have been developed and used in their organisations and respective countries.

The ChangeMakers consortium brings together a diverse group of organisations—some with already established anti-discrimination policies, like those in Norway and Italy, and others, like Slovenia, striving to be pioneers in their country. “Our aim in this project is to make a real and sustainable contribution in the fight against discrimination and empower those who experience it to change organisations to be more inclusive and diverse,” explains Laura Becker from the German Gymnastics Federation.

This mix of experience and ambition is crucial because tackling discrimination isn’t just about reinforcing existing policies—it’s about creating new ones where none exist.

“We believe this partnership has great potential in this field, thanks to their experience and the number of people involved in their activities. As Lunaria, we hope to contribute our expertise on issues of anti-racism and anti-discrimination, which are matters we feel deeply about and have been addressing for the past 30 years,” said Grazia Naletto and Roberta Pomponi from Lunaria, Italy.

The journey has just begun, but the mission is clear: to create a future where grassroots sport is a truly inclusive space for all.

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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.