“FIFA Master” students and alumni part of FIFA Conference for Equality and Inclusion

In March, several “FIFA Master” students, both past and present, attended the annual FIFA Conference for Equality and Inclusion in Zurich. This was the third edition of the event.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino welcomed participants and explained the steps that the organisation has taken over the last 12 months in this important area and what it aims to do in the future. President Infantino said, “The statutory reforms approved in February 2016 brought about concrete changes, such as the quota for women in the FIFA Council. Our work has been to implement these reforms and to go beyond it. This why we increased the presence of women to an unprecedented level, both in our standing committees and in the administration’s management board. The ultimate goal is simple: that football may count on the right persons for the right positions, regardless of their gender or where they come from.”

The day included a mixture of keynote talks and panel sessions for the delegates to reflect on.

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura said, “As the world governing body of the planet’s most popular sport, we represent millions of people – regardless of gender, origin, social status or religious belief. We must be human, full stop.

Diversity is the only way forward. Not only because morally it is the right thing to do, but because there is richness in it. The group of people in this conference today is a solid example of this. It is a beautiful representation of what the whole world should be and what football can and should represent. And for that we do not need words, but actions.”

FIFA Master Alumni, Honey Thaljieh, was the founder and the project lead of the main Conference.

Pictured from left to right at the conference are: Sarah Crumbach (10th Edition), Honey Thaljieh (12th edition), Ami Otaki (17th edition) and Sara Panizo (17th edition).