Reconciliation, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion 

Reconciliation, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) 

Reconciliation, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are good, sound governance practices. Sport NB is taking steps to promote the importance of REDI in all levels of sport and to assist our members and their related organizations in achieving their goals. This includes the following: 

• Providing education opportunities for our members and their related organizations. 
• Sharing information on best practices, sport development and networking opportunities 
• Supporting initiatives to improve the sport system and encourage lifelong participation by all New Brunsiwckers. 

Sport New Brunswick is committed to advocating and promoting for positive and inclusive environments where everyone feels a sense of belonging. All New Brunswickers have the right to participate in sport! 

Successful recruitment begins when everyone feels welcomed, included, and valued for who they are. 

The concept of ‘truth and reconciliation’ has become a strategy for how a country can move forward after experiencing periods of mass injustices, human rights abuses and oppression.  The approach is one of “restorative justice” which seeks to repair relations by uncovering and understanding what happened (establishing all key facts) and allowing for acknowledgement, accountability, mourning, forgiveness, and healing (Sport Law). 

“Reconciliation requires that a new vision, based on a commitment to mutual respect, be developed. It also requires an understanding that the most harmful impacts of residential schools have been the loss of pride and self-respect of Aboriginal people, and the lack of respect that non-Aboriginal people have been raised to have for their Aboriginal neighbors. Reconciliation is not an Aboriginal problem; it is a Canadian one. Virtually all aspects of Canadian society may need to be reconsidered” (Summary of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada, 2015).

The TRC report released 94 Calls to Action (CTAs).  

They are actionable policy recommendations meant to aid the healing process in two ways: acknowledging the full, horrifying history of the residential school system, and creating systems to prevent these abuses from ever happening again in the future.  

Did you know that 5 calls to action relate to Canadian sport and recreation?

87- We call upon all levels of government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, sports halls of fame, and other relevant organizations, to provide public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.  

88- We call upon all levels of government to take action to ensure long-term Aboriginal athlete development and growth, and continued support for the North American Indigenous Games, including funding to host the games and for provincial and territorial team preparation and travel.  

89- We call upon the federal government to amend the Physical Activity and Sport Act to support reconciliation by ensuring that policies to promote physical activity as a fundamental element of health and well-being, reduce barriers to sports participation, increase the pursuit of excellence in sport, and build capacity in the Canadian sport system, are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples.  

90- We call upon the federal government to ensure that national sports policies, programs, and initiatives are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples, including, but not limited to, establishing:
i. In collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, stable funding for, and access to, community sports programs that reflect the diverse cultures and traditional sporting activities of Aboriginal peoples.
ii. An elite athlete development program for Aboriginal athletes.
iii. Programs for coaches, trainers, and sports officials that are culturally relevant for Aboriginal peoples. iv. Anti-racism awareness and training programs.  

91- We call upon the officials and host countries of international sporting events such as the Olympics, Pan Am, and Commonwealth games to ensure that Indigenous peoples’ territorial protocols are respected, and local Indigenous communities are engaged in all aspects of planning and participating in such events. 

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

In 2020, Sport NB amended their Bylaws in an effort to advance gender balance at the board level. As a result, the board composition now states the following: “Of the total filled Board positions (maximum 10), in advancement of gender balance (including recognition of non-binary) on the Board, while ensuring the prevailing criterion for election is eligibility, ability and professional performance, the Board shall be constituted in a manner such that no gender accounts for more than 60% or less than 40% of the total number of Directors”. 

What is Equity?

Equity: affording fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people.  Striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some individuals or groups (Sport Law) 

What is Gender Equity?

Gender Equity is the process of allocating resources, programs, and decision making fairly to all genders without any discrimination on the basis of gender, and addressing any imbalances in the benefits available to people of different genders (Canadian women & Sport).

• Benefits of Gender Equity
• What is your role? 
• Gender Equity LENS 
• Tools to maximize the impact of Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 

What is diversity? 

For this purpose, diversity means demographic diversity: the presence of people of different genders, races/ethnicities, cultures, religions, physical abilities, sexual orientations, ages, etc. In the context of Sport, we should all strive for adequate diverse representation and inclusion at all levels of sport across our organization (Sport Law). 

What is Inclusion? 

The term inclusion refers to what we do to ensure every individual across New Brunswick is reflected in sport participants. Inclusion in sport means everyone in our communities, regardless of their gender, age, race, culture, religion, sexual orientation or ability, is afforded a range of opportunities to participate.

Leading Inclusively – How REDI are we? 

• Identify Barriers to Inclusion in your sport 
• Engage with stakeholders to identify potential solutions to overcoming those barriers and determine priorities
• Consider equitable measures 
• Set a plan of action and do it! 
• Monitor, assess, make changes, and keep going. 

Resources 

The Sport Inclusion Task Force is a flexible and informal coalition to end LGBTQI2S+ bias in sport through education for and promotion of LGBTQI2S+ inclusion in Canadian sport.

When sports leadership is diverse and equitable, everyone wins (Coaching Association of Canada).

Glossary of Terms – a reference tool (Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion).