Vice President's Column

Diversity and Inclusion 

Last September, the combined efforts between the ICF and Canoeing Ireland resulted in an amazing ICF Women Symposium held in Dublin, Ireland. This successful event generated enthusiasm and confidence among the participating women and men.

The participants were asked to initiate the changes needed to increase the number of female coaches and decision makers and to produce a similar event in each continent. Successful actions deserve to be replicated with the specifics of each region of the world. I always insist in considering customs, culture and language, only bearing in mind those peculiarities we will be able to reach our audience and to be factors of change. 

As a result of that, we expect to have the symposiums in 2025 in Mexico and Italy and another at a yet-to-be-confirmed location. Our motto is 'Change Locally, Change Regionally, Change Together'. 

On April 19, I attended the Associations of Pan American Sports Confederations (ACODEPA) General Assembly in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. As the First Vice President of ACODEPA, I presented a plan for the ACODEPA Women Symposium to be held by the end of the year in Lima, Peru. We will have the support from the Peruvian National Olympic Committee and the ACODEPA and will be addressed to the women and men from the 41 Pan American Sports Confederations. 

Development Programmes 

The programmes of ICF Olympic Solidarity represent a source of additional funding of which the National Federations can benefit with the support of their own NOCs. Seminars for coaches’ level one, two and three, and athletes scholarships represent not just a financial support but also the commitment between the NFs and their NOCs. 

The Talent Identification Programme (TIP) has evolved, becoming a programme of excellence. Originally designed to support athletes, today it prepares coaches who shall replicate at home what they learnt at the camps. It includes education on matters such as nutrition, prevention of injuries, anti-doping, and safeguarding. 

At the same time the demand of the best coaches to run the camps generated a pool of experts that we call on regular bases. They bring their best techniques but also support and motivate all the participants. In summary as a result, the ICF has more and better international coaches working at the camps. 

TIP camps have been extended to the non-Olympic disciplines which keep reaching more people. This is the case of Canoe Marathon that this year will have a pre-camp online. In such a way they invest more time to attend an avid marathon community that wishes to be better and better. 

The Canoe Slalom and Canoe Sprint actions continue in Asia with great support from the Asian Continental Confederation in Thailand where the participation is large and the facilities and services are according with the ICF standards. This NF leads by example and more Asian federations are joining their Canoe Sprint and Canoe Slalom education in their training centres. 

The development takes several years and a very professional work. Latest, the fact of seeing more medals of the major events distributed among continents is encouraging. It gives us the feeling of a well-planned work together with the NFs and their talented athletes. This is the sole and real reward. 

Exciting times are coming for the development of Canoe Slalom in Kenya and in Peru. To deliver successful plans around the world it is necessary to know the conditions, the circumstances and the people that make up a project. That is why it so important to approach all our federations in need of technical support and define custom made projects. I consider the experts field visits one of the success factors. 

Preparing and certifying Canoe Sprint officials 

Upon the initiative from Kazakhstan’s NF, I have proposed a seminar for Canoe Sprint officials with invitation to other members of the Asian Canoe Confederation, particularly neighbouring federations. I will prepare and deliver a comprehensive project which will provide other tools to improve the strategic planning and prepare more federations to host events. 

In April, I delivered a Canoe Sprint continental seminar for Cuban officials and I wish to do the same seminar in Bolivia. 

Some federations wish to know more about events organisation, strategic planning, governance and other interesting matters and we end up having well-structured comprehensive seminars.

I will be the Chair of the Jury at the Canoe Sprint competition during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. I was appointed for the same position at Tokyo 2020 but didn’t travel due to the pandemic. I am the first woman awarded with this position in Canoe Sprint.

Gender equality

The actions needed to reach gender equality, to ensure the implementation of safeguarding rules, to grant transparency and good governance on the electoral processes require the active involvement of the federations and at the Continental Associations. The ICF has the know-how and it is ready to assist the evolution of its members, expecting that to happen sooner rather than later. 

There are several tools already produced such as safeguarding policies, sustainability tool kit, and the international partnership programme that shall be used, updated and implemented on the process of change of the NFs. 

All the ICF Development Programme activities have a mandatory participation based on gender equality. Seminars for coaches and judges, athlete TIP camps and coaches of TIP camps. The ICF is committed to grant equal access to our activities for men and women, however there is nothing that we can do when the NFs fail on their commitments ensuring women participation. 

Strategic plans for future implementation 

The scope of work of the ICF is huge. The competitions are our priority, however, for an international organisation to grow in harmony, I recommend to the Continental Associations to incorporate the Fit For Future Strategy engaging with its concept and values, and adapting the implementation as per the particularities of each continent. 

We are confident that along this year and mostly in 2025 we will be in better shape to support our federations through another perspective.  

Sustainability 

This is another area under my responsibility. It is a key principle to all the areas on which ICF works. This includes the competitions and training, the administration management at the ICF HQ and at the office in China, the contracts with event organisers, the staff transportation and other areas on which we shall introduce and maintain best sustainable practises towards the carbon print reduction. My main recommendation is for the NFs and Continental Associations to use the tools, to approach to the entities and local authorities to reduce their carbon foot print across all activities, and to educate and inspire children and youth on the preservation of a long-life healthy planet. 

Several NFs run dedicated sustainability projects that are embraced by their national and local communities. We encourage all of them to share their actions and best practises 

In order to reach each and every member of our extended canoeing family, we are currently evaluating the delivery of webinars to encourage the NFs to work with the ICF towards the achievement of our goals.  

By Cecilia Farias, Vice President of the ICF