Almería brings together sports clubs to learn how to detect and stop racism
Topics Almería
The Espacio Alma hosted on Tuesday, October 20 a workshop by the Red de Ciudades LaLiga and the Ayuntamiento with clubs and sports entities, focused on how to prevent racist behaviour and intervene when it occurs.
The city's sport now has new guidelines from this week to tackle racism. Espacio Alma hosted on Tuesday, October 20 the workshop "Detectar, prevenir y actuar: respuestas ante el racismo en el deporte", organised by the Red de Ciudades LaLiga together with the Almería City Council and aimed at clubs and other sports organisations.
What was worked on
The session, lasting nearly two hours, combined training and audience participation. It addressed how to recognise discriminatory behaviour, how to identify situations of discrimination and how to respond to hate speech on and off the field of play. The role of clubs in promoting diversity and the responsibility not to minimise or normalise insults or expressions of hate were also stressed.
The workshop was given by Jesús Migallón, from the consultancy Cidalia. According to him, prevention begins before any incident occurs, with values education, awareness-raising and training for coaches, clubs and families. If discriminatory behaviour occurs, he said, it must be detected, intervened in so that it does not continue and the corresponding protocols activated; afterwards comes follow-up, supporting the people affected and adopting measures so that it does not happen again.
The municipal programme
The councillor for Ciudad Activa, Movilidad Urbana y Deporte, Antonio Casimiro, highlighted the first year of the municipal programme "Respetándonos", launched last season in the city's football to promote good behaviour on and off the pitch, in the stands and in sports facilities. The initiative seeks to involve clubs, athletes, families, referees and staff linked to sports activity.
José Cañadas, conflict mediator with the Almería Local Police, also took part in the event, contributing the perspective of mediation in conflictive situations. Salvador Moya, president of the Asociación de Periodistas Deportivos de Almería and director of Canal Sur Almería, closed the event with a reflection on the importance of working against racism from grassroots sport.
Who was there
The presentation featured Susana Sánchez, head of Institutional Relations at LaLiga, and councillor Antonio Casimiro. Sánchez stated that "at Laliga we want, together with the cities, to strengthen awareness-raising actions and offer tools to prevent and address situations of discrimination". Casimiro concluded that collaboration between institutions, LaLiga, clubs and sports professionals is essential to move towards sports spaces free of racism.