The JFA held a symposium of “JFA Respect Fair Play Days 2014 – for the world without discrimination and violence” on Saturday 6 September at Japan Football Museum Virtual Stadium and invited 130 people attendees including JFA registered coaches, referees, team representatives, prefectural football associations staff, the Japan Sports Association staff and the Japan Olympic Committee staff.

First of all, the JFA president Daini Kuniya declared that the football family would eradicate all forms of discrimination and violence from the world by sharing the spirit of Respect and Fair Play against them. Then, J.League’s executive managing director Okawa Masaaki and Sugita Komei from the Human Rights Promotion Division of the Ministry of Justice spoke about their activities on the topic of “social fair play activities in the J.League” and “case studies of human rights activities” respectively.

In the second part of the event, a panel discussion session took place on the theme of
“Let’s create the world where there is no discrimination and violence.” Director of Respect / Fairplay Committee Matsuzaki Yasuhiro moderated the session, as the following panel members were: wheelchair football coach Hachuda Masashi, ex-US women’s volleyball international Yoko Zetterlund, the JFA Referee Committee Kamikawa Toru, the JFA Technical Committee (Development) Yamaguchi Takafumi. They had lively discussions with their actual experiences on the topics such as discrimination that arose in the J.League this year, coaching without any violence and an introduction of “Welfare Officer”, who takes a role of observing children to let them play football in the safe and enjoyable environment.

One of participants said “I could change, expand and deepen my point of view on the concept of respect that derives from the field of sports.” “I hope this symposium becomes one of the places that send out the message to the society,” said another participant.

While there are various types of issues in the world including discrimination, prejudice and conflicts, sports have the power to solve such issues. We hope each of us who connects with each other through football works together and creates the world where there is no discrimination and violence.

symposium of “JFA Respect Fair Play Days 2014 – for the world without discrimination and violence.”

■JFA Declaration in Eradication of Discrimination and Violence
- Football fight against all forms of discrimination and violence
- Football will do create the world where there is no discrimination and violence

■Symposium Agenda
<Part 1>
- Declaration against discrimination and violence – Daini Kuniya, JFA President
- Keynote Speech 1 “Activities and attitude of J.League” – Okawa Masaaki, J.League executive managing director
- Keynote Speech 2 “Case studies of human rights activities” – Sugita Komei, Human Rights Promotion Division of Ministry of Justice
<Part 2> Panel Discussion “Let’s create the world without discrimination and violence!”
- Moderator: Matsuzaki Yasuhiro, Director of Respect / Fairplay Committee
- Panelists: Kamikawa Toru, JFA Referee Committee
Hachuda Masashi, wheelchair football coach
Yamaguchi Takafumi, JFA Technical Committee (Development)
Yoko Zetterlund, former US women’s volleyball international
(Japanese alphabetical order)