The Multisports Judo Club, founding member of the Respect Brigade

The only judo club in Montérégie

Last Saturday, September 14, 2019, Michel Proulx, technical director of the CMS Judo Club, attended a training session at the Regroupement Loisirs et Sports du Québec (RLSQ) organized by Sport. The coaches present were enthusiastic about the opportunity to make a real difference to the young people who train in their dojos. In the coming weeks, each participating club will form a Brigade within their dojo to raise awareness among judoka about the forms bullying can take and its solutions.

The Respect Brigade

The Respect Brigade aims to break the silence and develop ambassadors who will actively combat the problem of bullying in our society. To this end, the general motto is to talk about it as much as possible.

The program includes several components: training for facilitators, monthly meetings at dojos, and a tour of the conference "The Price of Silence," presented by speaker Alain Pelletier, to all participating clubs.

The ultimate goal of the project is to encourage young people to speak out when they witness bullying. Therefore, the meetings will be held in the clubs with a vision of openness to dialogue. By raising awareness among young people about the impacts of bullying and providing them with the appropriate tools, we can address this issue together.

The trainer, Patrick Vachon, Intervener and development agent in the prevention of violence in sports, had only good words to say about the Judo Québec initiative: "I consider the Brigade du Respect to be an excellent initiative on the part of Judo Québec to raise awareness among its clubs and members about the problem of bullying and to equip them to ensure a healthy and harmonious environment for the practice of Judo. Often, organizations and federations have good initiatives, but the most difficult part is to get the information to percolate on the ground in clubs throughout Quebec. With this project, Judo Québec is successfully carrying out this mission by sowing Brigades du Respect throughout the province and this is only a first cohort that is likely to spread by word of mouth, and to have an even greater influence over time."

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