We’re all wonderful, passionate people who want to create positive change for our communities, our country and the world. But we will undoubtedly run into some differences. So it’s important to keep in mind the following Community Guidelines. This will help ensure we create an environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and can learn and grow.
- Respect – people’s space, their opinions and their background, even if we disagree with each other.
- Be aware of your privilege – whether it’s based on class, gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, immigration status, language. We all have different experiences, and we cannot claim to know what it’s like for someone that doesn’t have these privileges.
- Listen to what others have to say, particularly if they come from a perspective different from yours, or from a less privileged community
- Criticize the action, not the person; if you’re being criticized, don’t take it personally. We are all here to learn and grow. The most important thing is to be able to reflect on your actions and keep growing.
- Be aware of both intent and impact – sometimes even if you don’t intend to hurt someone, the impact might be that you did, and so you should acknowledge that.
- Step Up, Step Back – be aware of the amount of space and time you’re taking up. We want to make sure we make room and make time for traditionally marginalized voices, particularly those of women, people of color, and other marginalized communities. The most important thing to do is to listen to each other.
