As a global leader in Sport for Development, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to promote
diversity, equity and inclusion – both internally and amongst our partners and stakeholders. In so
doing, we remove barriers to entry into our work and also help to directly achieve diversity and
inclusion outcomes in line with our vision, mission and social focus areas.
Our founding patron, Nelson Mandela, told us that sport “has the power to unite people in a way
that little else does,” that it “is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers,”
and that “it laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.”
Inspired by his words, we use the power of sport to end violence, discrimination and disadvantage.
At the heart of our delivery of that vision is an authentic heritage and history of building capacity and
fostering diverse thinking, inclusion and creativity throughout our organisation and our partners.
Diversity, equity and inclusion is at our core.
Understanding the needs of our beneficiaries, the challenges faced by our partners and the
expectations of all our stakeholders is not only a moral necessity but a major business imperative. In
a fast-moving world, innovation, creativity and understanding as forces for change can be found in
many different places and mindsets. We believe that mirroring our partners’ diversity in our people
makes us better able to serve them and better able to fulfill the vision of President Mandela.
And this is all possible because of our employees. We can already be proud of the diversity of
identities, nationalities, races, religions, sexual orientation, cultures, abilities and personal and
professional backgrounds that we represent. Building on these solid foundations, we know that a
conscious focus on diversity and inclusion can drive even more impact.
We encourage you to promote integrity and honesty so that each and every one of us is confident to
share our point of view. We all have to cultivate trust and partnerships, fostering sincere dialogue
and constructive feedback in order to make the best out of the wealth of ideas, cultural backgrounds
and mindsets that are part of our organisation.
Working with different cultures and people from different origins and life experiences is one of the
most enriching and challenging things in our workplace. We can learn from each other every day and
push our own thinking beyond traditional boundaries. As an organisation, we are committed to
maintaining a healthy work environment conducive to high performance through collaborative
working and a positive and inclusive work culture. We want a workplace that not only allows but
empowers each of our employees to feel secure to be the complete version of themselves.
Creating such a work environment is everybody’s responsibility.
