Nike has spelled out its vision for football's global future with the unveiling of a short film starring English forward Marcus Rashford. A vision where everyone regardless of gender, skin colour, religion, or age, belongs.
Giant sports brand Nike launched “The land of new football,” capturing a new manifesto for football where all people are included in the game. “The sport's future is full of talent, stacked with players who bring incredible skills to the game,” the brand said in a statement. “It’s inclusive, open to all backgrounds in support of young players finding joy in the sport. It’s aware of the power of collective work against systemic obstacles.”
“The land of new football,” as well as the “Play new” campaign is a natural extension of Nike's inclusivity and social cohesion work. With ongoing investment from the brand to an inclusive and diverse future of soccer, Nike certainly lives its values. The most recent activity seeing them teamed with the Liverpool Football Club Foundation to establish Game On, a program that expands access to local sports opportunities for youths from marginalized and under-represented groups — particularly those from Black and Asian communities, girls, and children of various abilities.
So, what can we learn from Nike? How will you get your 'game on'? How can we all encourage new inclusive academia? Where the beauty of cognitive diversity and lived experience is celebrated in all its nuances and appreciated for all its insight. How can we open our eyes to our biases and start to see the insidious barriers that exist for minority, masking, and under-privileged groups?
By having the courage to be ourselves and allowing others to be themselves, by opening our eyes to the unusual, and by practicing continuous self-reflection we can start to build a more inclusive environment that celebrates and leverages our diversity advantage.
Upcoming Event
If you want to find out more about the spread of racism in football and the role the media plays in this, then why not join us for our online event this Thursday (8 July) lunchtime: Football Coming Home: Racism and the Media - please register prior to the event. We look forward to welcoming you on Thursday.
Please enjoy the video and perhaps pledge, one thing will you do differently from today.
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