"Now that the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games are behind us, it's essential to reflect on the legacy they will leave in terms of equality and inclusion. These Games, the first to achieve perfect parity between female and male athletes, were marked by powerful moments, such as Italian judoka Alice Bellandi's kiss to her partner before the eyes of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Similarly, the case of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif sparked lively debate about physical characteristics in women's sport. Intersexuality? Genetic abnormality? Hyperandrogenism? Clearly, dialogue must continue to offer a fair and complete representation of diversity and the struggles we face as a whole.

"Sport Friendly" is much more than an art project. It's a collaborative international initiative celebrating athletes and sports teams committed to diversity. With the support of the French Institute and labeled a "Cultural Olympiad" by the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Committee, this unique photographic experience aims to raise awareness against all forms of discrimination and amplify the voices of diversity, while promoting inclusion in sport and society.

The idea emerged from a simple observation: sport, beyond physical performance, can be a formidable vehicle for bringing together, dialogue and empowerment for all identities, a powerful means of breaking down stereotypes and celebrating differences. I wanted to use photography as an artistic medium to capture this diversity in stadiums, gymnasiums and on pitches around the world. By highlighting inspiring figures, in a context we share, it's all about resembling to better unite.

Discrimination knows no boundaries! The support of an institution like the Institut français anchors this project on the international stage and provides an institutional framework generating trust and cohesion. This partnership with the Institut français and the French cultural network abroad - Alliances Françaises, Instituts srançais, Embassy Cultural Services - has enabled each organization in the network wishing to join the adventure to photograph inclusive sports teams locally in "Sport Friendly" style. The aim? To create a collaborative exhibition and "Panini-like" diversity photo album on the sidelines of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The project brought together 26 inclusive teams in 16 countries, in cities such as Atlanta, Buenos Aires, Dallas, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Taipei, thanks to the mobilization of 21 network organizations. These photographed teams embody sexual, social and physical diversity, promoting values of respect and inclusion.

Since its first edition in Argentina (2022), "Sport Friendly" has mainly highlighted LGBTQI+ visibilities, but it soon became clear that we also needed to salute the crucial role of our allies. On the one hand, because the aim of this work is not to keep ourselves to ourselves, but above all because we need allies to achieve the inclusive world to which we aspire. And to spread such a message in potentially hostile or reticent environments. Jersey's RockNRoad Runners, who open their races to people of all ages and social backgrounds, or Sri Lanka's Sea Sisters, who allow women to brave the forbidden and surf, are perfect examples of this idea. In Saint Lucia, a country where homosexuality is punishable by 10 years' imprisonment, we succeeded in publicly exhibiting a photograph of an allied female rugby player waving the Rainbow flag, proving that freedom is a universal value. Another strong example is the Mexican team Cholula, which through Crossfit offers a space where LGBTQI+ and disabled people can excel, and inspired an exhibition in Puebla that is accessible to the visually impaired, adding audio support.

Each team also contributed to the project with a written testimonial on inclusion in sport. These testimonials, much more than numbers or data, are life stories that add an emotional and human dimension to the exhibition, to address crucial issues such as racism, sexism, grossophobia, ableism, homophobia, transphobia and school bullying. These are the stories that transform hearts, provoke awareness and catalyze change.

In June 2024, we kicked off this international project in 16 countries, with a series of 20 photographic exhibitions currently circulating across the network. At the same time, conferences and educational workshops are being set up to raise awareness of discrimination among young people and local communities. The project is now being rolled out through new local and national editions. Our ambition: to transform sport into a space of tolerance and respect for all identities, in close collaboration with local institutions, schools and sports associations.

This project continues to grow and inspire. Art can transform emotions into stories, and these stories, in turn, inspire concrete action. I salute the commitment of the Institut français d'Argentine and the Alliance Française de Buenos Aires who, alongside the Yacarés team, run inclusive workshops in affiliated schools alongside each "Sport Friendly" exhibition to promote sporting diversity across the country, while promoting French as a living, committed language. These local initiatives show that cultural and educational institutions have a key role to play in the fight against discrimination. To remain neutral in the face of injustice is to take sides. Our institutions must commit themselves fully.

Since this project came into being, it has received international media coverage and been awarded the prestigious "Cultural Olympiad" label by Paris 2024, underlining its importance in the global cultural and sporting landscape. The photographs, exhibited across 16 countries in public spaces and museums around the world, have already been seen by over a million spectators, including at the 3rd South American Youth Games in Argentina and at Pride House in Paris during the Olympics.

The project doesn't stop there. In January 2025, a "Sport Friendly" exhibition will be inaugurated at the European Parliament, at the invitation of Italian MEP Alessandro Zan and Emilio Puccio, Secretary General of the European Parliament's Intergroup on the Rights of the Child, with the participation of committed personalities such as Donatella Versace and President Roberta Metsola. This will be a unique opportunity to make the values of inclusion loud and clear in sport, but also within a European Union facing waves of conservatism.

Let's not slacken our efforts: diversity is defended 365 days of the year! I invite all organizations in the French cultural network to join us, in turn photographing inclusive teams for a future "Sport Friendly" edition in your city. institutfrancais.com/offres/sport-friendly-terrain-diversite-edition-internationale">on the platform La Collection of the Institut français.

Let's tackle prejudice! Together, we can continue to transform stadiums and fields into spaces of tolerance and celebration of diversity. Join us!"

Emilien Buffard