Cayman’s football boss focuses on diversity

CONCACAF President Jeff Webb

(CNS): In an effort to embrace and promote diversity in the game, the regional football boss, Jeffery Webb, has unveiled a new handbook designed as an educational guide for the football community. The first ever Diversity Handbook was launched Wednesday at a Club Licensing Seminar in Miami.

The seminar focused on promoting the new club licensing development tools for all leagues in the CONCACAF region, as well as educating members on the steps they need to follow.

“Diversity and inclusion are drivers of growth and critical to achieving our mission of developing the game,” said Webb at the meeting.  “I’m confident that this Diversity Handbook will contribute to the enrichment of our sport, while building solid education foundations for the next generations to embrace inclusiveness and to respect every individual regardless of any dimension of diversity.”

Described as an integral part of CONCACAF’s Embrace Diversity campaign and a valuable resource, the goal is to provide a broad perspective on diversity, equality and inclusion.  It offers tools to expand the vision of acceptance and inclusiveness on and off the field, while offering an understanding of the need for action, control measures and vigilance.

“The universal nature of football demands us to educate and be inclusive as our sport is in a unique position to foster a positive social change within the game and society, especially with the youth,” added Webb.  “This handbook is an important step to empower all members of the football family to preserve the game’s universality, while eliminating barriers that may affect its integrity.”

The handbook is based on information from leading organizations such as the United Nations, UNICEF, FARE, Kick It Out, CONAPRED, Show Racism The Red Card, and The Non-Violence Project. It contains key areas to consider when approaching diversity in football, including prevention and education, control and compliance.

The Embrace Diversity campaign was developed in July 2013 as a first step to prevent and control discriminatory behavior within the CONCACAF region. The goal of this campaign is to provide a unified and influential voice in promoting integration within the football community and society.