Community Agreement
How to Be
The Project Team is dedicated to providing collaborative community-building experiences that are free from all forms of harassment, and inclusive of all people. Small actions you can take will help us meet this goal. For instance, we suggest:
- listening as much as you speak, and remembering that colleagues may have expertise you are unaware of;
- encouraging and yielding the floor to those whose viewpoints may be under-represented in a group;
- using content warnings prior to discussing sensitive or potentially triggering subject matter;
- refraining from sharing personal anecdotes, screenshots, meeting transcripts, meeting notes, or recordings of participants/panelists unless given explicit permission to do so;
- using welcoming language, for instance by using an individual’s stated pronouns and favoring gender-inclusive collective nouns (“people” or “folks,” 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; and
- staying alert, as Active Bystanders, to the welfare of those around you.
Likewise, it is important to understand the range of behaviors that may constitute harassment.
Harassing behavior may relate to
- age;
- appearance or body size;
- employment or military status;
- ethnicity;
- gender identity or expression;
- individual lifestyles;
- image or likeness;
- marital status;
- national origin;
- physical or cognitive ability;
- political affiliation;
- sexual orientation;
- race; or
- religion.
Harassment can include unwelcome or offensive verbal or written comments or nonverbal expressions, used in person or online, in private or in public.
Examples of harassment can include:
- use of sexual and/or discriminatory images in public spaces (including online);
- deliberate intimidation;
- stalking;
- following;
- trolling;
- harassing photography or recording;
- sustained disruption of talks or other events;
- bullying behavior;
- inappropriate physical contact; and
- unwelcome sexual attention.
Sexual, discriminatory, or potentially triggering language and imagery is generally inappropriate for this event. However, due to the subject matter of the Forum, we recognize that discussions of sensitive topics may be traumatizing or re-traumatizing for many of our participants, who come from a variety of lived experiences. When raising potentially triggering topics, please use content warnings before you speak in order to reduce the risk of trauma responses in others. Where possible, please speak at the headline level of detail rather than sharing explicit and triggering nuances of traumatic scenarios. The Project Team prioritizes the wellbeing of all participants and welcomes folks to take time and space from topics as needed, even if it entails disengaging from conversations and events.
In the spirit of radical vulnerability, we seek to foster an environment of trust throughout all Forum-related communications and events. As part of this, we strive to maintain the confidentiality of participants who may share personal stories. While we encourage folks to spread ideas, themes, and resources that emerge from the Forum, we ask that participants respect the confidentiality of their peers and refrain from re-telling personal stories unless given explicit permission to do so.
This policy is not intended to constrain responsible scholarly or professional discourse and debate. We welcome engagement with difficult topics, done with respect and care.
What to Do
We will not tolerate harassment of community members in any form. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, follow the procedures outlined below.
Participants who are asked to stop harassing or intimidating behaviors are expected to comply immediately. Those who violate our Community AGreement may be warned or expelled at the discretion of the organizers.
We value your presence and constructive participation in our shared community, and thank you for your attention to the comfort, safety, and well-being of fellow National Forum collaborators and attendees.
To report incidents after our events call/text the Project Team at 213-677-SAFE (213-677-7233). However, if you or others are in imminent danger, please first phone emergency services at 911.
For the National Forum online event, the Project Team encourages the following options for reporting harassment:
- Call or text the Project Team at 213-677-SAFE (213-677-7233). This number will be continuously monitored during programming and occasionally monitored outside of programming hours.
- Use the reporting form. The Project Team staff receives messages sent via this form. You may report anonymously or choose to identify yourself if you’d like to discuss the issue further.
All reports and inquiries will be handled in confidence to the extent possible.