At Berlin Irish RFC, we believe that sport has the power to unite people from all backgrounds and that diversity makes us stronger. We are committed to creating an environment where every member, athlete, coach, volunteer, and supporter feels valued, respected, and empowered to participate fully.

Our Commitment

We are dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusion where people of all gender identities, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities, religions, ages, abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and life experiences can thrive. We recognize that achieving true equity requires ongoing effort, and we commit to:

Removing barriers to participation by addressing financial, physical, cultural, and social obstacles that prevent people from engaging with our club
Listening and learning from our community, especially from those whose voices have been historically marginalized
Taking action against discrimination, harassment, and bias in any form
Providing education on diversity, equity, and inclusion for members of our club
Regularly evaluating our practices and policies to ensure they promote fairness and inclusion

We recognize that building an inclusive sports community is an ongoing journey, not a destination. We welcome feedback and are committed to continuous improvement.

DEI office

The DEI officer is tasked with upholding the goals stated in the Berlin Irish Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement. The position is currently held by Mirjam Fischer. Her roles and duties in the club are:

Trust person. She has an open ear for any concerns, worries or questions. You do not need a big incident or a complaint to speak with her. All communication is confidential and no action is taken without your consent.
Complaint Resolution. She serves as a point of contact for discrimination, harassment, or bias complaints and works with appropriate parties to address concerns fairly.
Education and Training. She conducts sensitivity and informational meetings for members of the club regarding DEI topics like unconscious bias, anti-discrimination practices, and creating inclusive environments.
Policy development and implementation. She helps develop and enforce policies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion across all club operations, from membership and recruitment to the club’s code of conduct.

For the upcoming year, I want to be more visible so that people know that I'm there, how to reach me and what my role is about. Something I want to put out there is that you don't have to have a massive conflict or problem to come talk to me. If there are things you wish were different in the club or if you want to discuss an experience you found uncomfortable for yourself or others, feel free to chat with me. It's confidential and I won't jump into action right away. Don't overthink whether your issue is something DEI related or not; we can figure out the right person to talk to if not.

I'm also here for questions you may have always wanted to ask about diversity topics in general but didn't know whom to go to. I'm happy to give judgement-free answers if I can. You can simply text me and there's an e-mail address, as well. Due to an injury I'm not at trainings lately but hopefully you'll be able to pull me for a chat there, too, once I'm back.