Ladies Gaelic Football

50 | SUMMER 2020 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie Diversity is our uniqueness, to explain it in another way, there will only ever be one Ger McTavish and inclusion is a choice, you can choose to include her or not. To me everyone should be given a seat at the table. Sometimes this can be a challenge, but it is what we should strive for. Inspiration is key to why we pursue our passions. I am passionate about sport and I firmly believe in its ability to support positive social change and a sense of belonging in anybody's life. Q: What can we look forward to in the near future from your department, as we continue to plot a course towards greater diversity and inclusion? There is so much being done at an national and International level when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Firstly the inclusion and equality measures that are outlined in the European Commission White Paper on Sport will be fully implemented in a systematic way starting with the Club to Community programme. There is also a template being used to guarantee a social contract with people with different abilities that will provide physical access to stadiums and other club facilities. Within the area of human rights and promotion of equality there is again a lot happening in sport. We are developing an adaptive strategy that will expand the work already achieved by the GAA. In conjunction with UNESCO at the Institute of Technology Tralee, Council of Europe and European Commission of Human Rights, we are developing The Rights Understanding in Sport Toolkit (TRUST). This is a programme for sports practitioners in educational institutions and the wider community based on providing human rights education and raise awareness of the potential role sport can play in human rights promotion. In conjunction with EU Erasmus Plus programme, Solidarity and Responsible Sports and University College Cork, we are involved with the project Responsibility Sport. The project aims to introduce sports academies and sports clubs to approaches that can combat social problems seen in sport today (violence, racism, intolerance, discrimination, gender inequality, inequality of access to sports, language stereotypes and others). We are always actively looking for ways to promote inclusion and diversity. A recent example of this type of collaboration is the invitation to the Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council to hold their Eid Al Adha celebrations in Croke Park. Q: How important is your work in ensuring that all of our members have the feeling that the Gaelic Games family is indeed a family for all? Sports often provides us with life lessons, by ensuring that all of our members have the feeling that the Gaelic Games family is indeed a family for all. We are constantly teaching the lesson of inclusion and diversity. Within sport as a coach, athlete or administrator you are asked to be a role model. Sport itself can be a role model to wider society. Q: In what aspects of the Associations activities have these steps has the greatest impact? There have been many aspects of the association that have seen this impact of the activities to date from our clubs, schools, community and volunteers. GAA 'Fun & Run' is an inclusive activity involving a team of batters/kickers and fielders which is suitable for all ages, genders, and abilities. The game encompasses a range of fundamental skills that exist in Gaelic Football, Hurling, Rounders and Handball. The rules have been modified to adapt these skills to suit individuals involved. It aims to ensure that all individuals can maintain participation in a local GAA Club setting. The Cúl Eile Camps are camps for children with additional needs that happen during the Easter and summer holidays. They run along side the Kellogg's GAA Cúl Camps and ensure that all young children in Ireland can participate in GAA activities. The GAA has seen a rise in this type of model for inclusion and assistant programme where GAA coaches & Local Sport Partnerships work together. The Cúl Eile Camps see collaboration between GAA Coaches, Local Sports Partnerships, Special needs assistants, and parents in order to provide children with the best possible experience There in also an increasing amount of intercultural programmes across the GAA units from Coaching programmes for Direct Provision Centres to minority groups training sessions and also cultural days through Lá na gClubanna. Healthy Clubs Project promotes social inclusion programmes in GAA clubs. The Healthy Club programme has gone from 12 clubs in 2014 to 400 clubs in 2020. https://www.gaa.ie/my-gaa/community-and-health/healthy- club/. Another proactive step was the Embracing Diversity Seminar, which was held in Ballyhaunis. The community had 75 nationalities in the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence for a sharing of knowledge, culture and projects all around diversity and equality in the community. There were presentations from members of the local Direct Provision Centre, community groups, GAA community programmes and an Garda Siochana. The work was in collaboration with the Dept. of Rural and Community Affairs and Dept.of Justice. These collaborations are a crucial path in the Diversity and Inclusion work in the GAA. INCLUSION & DIVERSITY

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