The University of Westminster will host an online conference which will bring together academic experts from across Europe, representatives from three of London’s best-known football clubs, as well as a former Premier League footballer to discuss and debate equality, diversity and inclusion in football.
The conference, titled Advancing Conversations about EDI in Football, will be held online on 25 June and comes at a crucial time with issues around EDI at the heart of the national conversation about football.
Panel sessions and talks throughout the day will provide reflection and insight into a range of issues in the game from mental health and disability, anti-Semitism, what action clubs are taking in terms of EDI, LGBT and gender issues, perspectives on race and representation and the role of Black Lives Matter.
Most importantly, the conference will aim to address what action needs to be taken and how the conversation can move forward.
Representatives from Brentford FC, Queens Park Rangers and Charlton Athletic FC will feature on panel sessions about EDI and will discuss their own EDI initiatives. The conference aims to spark a greater collaboration between clubs and academics as they strive to incorporate better practices around EDI into their institutions.
Attendees will also hear from former professional footballer Vincent Pericard, who played in France, Italy and England, and who will discuss mental health and its importance, especially for young athletes.
Advancing Conversations about EDI in football has been organised by Westminster’s Dr Paul Breen, Centre for Education, Teaching and Innovation. This conference has come about through the two passions in Paul’s life and work. As an academic and author, he has written extensively about football and issues around social justice within education and a wider society.
This conference will start a series of other activities and events related to the world of sports, which will examine, discuss and hopefully offer solutions to some of the most complex challenges faced by our society.
Talking about the conference, Dr Breen said: “Both fortunately and unfortunately this event is timely for a number of reasons. Within both academia and football, as well as the wider sporting world, there have been many initiatives to increase consciousness of EDI and a growing awareness why it is important not just in the here and now, but for the future of sport and society. At the same time there is a lot of work still to be done and conversations to be had about the drive for true equality, diversity and inclusion can gather pace. Hopefully the conversations at this conference will increase momentum in coming months because even though this is a future aspiration, it’s got to be done, got to be kickstarted in the here and now.”
To attend the event please register via the Eventbrite.
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