To further the goals of Collective Responsibility, the organizers will use the following Community Agreement and Code of Conduct to conduct the meeting. The Community Agreement outlines the ways in which we encourage each other to hold safe, engaging, and respectful meetings. The Code of Conduct outlines behaviors which will not be tolerated, how to report an incident, and how the code will be applied.
Community Agreement
Experiences of labor are deeply personal and affect all aspects of our lives. We anticipate conversations at the project’s meetings are likely to include recounting experiences of financial precarity, discrimination, workplace conflict, and other topics which may elicit strong emotional responses from both the person speaking and fellow participants.
It is necessary for this work to be conducted in a space which acknowledges the power dynamics of bringing together workers in vulnerable situations and those with institutional privilege, as well as the whiteness of LAM. We encourage participants to recognize benefits conferred on them by their job, their class background, their membership in a dominating identity group and approach conversations prepared to listen empathetically and be aware that they may unintentionally harm others. We ask that participants be prepared to take responsibility for unintended negative impacts as we all learn from our mistakes.
We Practice Community By…
- making space/taking space—encouraging and yielding the floor to those whose viewpoints may be under-represented in a group, taking space made for you as you’re able;
- respecting a person’s description of their experiences of marginalization or discrimination (and not excusing, explaining, or defending the intentions of those in the dominating group);
- using welcoming language (including a person’s pronouns) and favoring gender-neutral collective nouns (“folks” or “y’all,” not “guys”);
- accepting critique graciously and offering it constructively;
- giving credit where it is due;
- seeking concrete ways to make physical spaces and online resources more universally accessible;
- practicing self and community care—pay attention to your body’s needs and, as Active Bystanders, to the welfare of those around us.
Agreements on Listening
We share our stories toward developing a collective understanding of experiences in our community, seeking our next elegant steps. When listening, remember:
- We are not here to solve a person’s experience or, or explain it back to them. We are not here to excuse another’s action or hypothesize about their intentions.
- Through these conversations, someone may come to understand more about how a person who harmed them in a system was also being harmed. This is a side effect and should not be our goal in responding to each other’s stories.
If the problems we are coming together to discuss had simple solutions, they would already be solved. We will not always agree on the best paths forward, but let us engage the tension rather than indulge in drama.
Code of Conduct
The organizers of Collective Responsibility seek to provide attendees with meetings that are free from all forms of harassment and inclusive of all people.
All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds. Verbal comments that reinforce social structures of domination related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, national or regional origin, body size, accent, race, age, religion, or other marginalized characteristics are inappropriate. Do not insult or put down other attendees. Be careful in the words that you choose. Sexist, racist, and other exclusionary jokes are not appropriate for the forum.
Chatham House Rule
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, conversations at the forum will take place under the Chatham House Rule. The rule states:
When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.
This includes sharing information in note-taking documents and on social media. If you choose to share information on social media, reflect on possible ways a person may be indirectly identified even if you do not use their name or affiliation.
Photography and Recording
We ask that participants not photograph speakers or fellow participants without permission of all those being photographed. We encourage the joyful practice of taking and sharing selfies, but ask you to be aware of attendees who may be in the background of your images. Please ensure when taking group selfies that those in the picture agree where the photograph will be shared. If you wish to record at the event, please speak with the event organizers first.
Application
All community participants — including organizers, facilitators, and attendees — are expected to abide by this code of conduct throughout the forum, including while present in the conference hotel and in any groups of forum attendees. Participants violating these rules will be warned and may be asked to leave the event. If you are being harassed, witness another participant being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact an event organizer immediately. See contact information below.
Contact Information
The Project Team will be on hand to respond to Code of Conduct violations and assist attendees with following the Community Agreement. The team’s contact information will be sent to attendees via email before the forum. They can be identified by green sticker-dots on their badges. For logistical questions about the hotel, primary points of contact are Ruth Tillman and Sandy Rodriguez.
Should you need to contact the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, its phone number is (Forum 1): 1-412-281-5800
Additional Contacts
Sometimes you need to talk to a stranger. The following are resources which may assist those experiencing crises.
Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 and online chat
Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-841-8371