Safer Space Policy/Protocols

Relevant Pages:
 * Conflict Resolution Policy
 * Crisis Resources
 * Statement of Solidarity
 * Unwelcome Individuals
 * Closing the Omni

1.‭ ‬Purpose
A‭ ‬primary‭ ‬goal‭ ‬of‭ The Omni‭ ‬is‭ ‬to‭ ‬be‭ ‬inclusive‭ ‬of‭ ‬the‭ ‬largest‭ ‬number‭ ‬of‭ ‬contributors,‭ ‬with‭ ‬the‭ ‬most‭ ‬varied‭ ‬and‭ ‬diverse‭ ‬backgrounds‭ ‬possible.‭ ‬As‭ ‬such,‭ ‬we‭ ‬are‭ ‬committed‭ ‬to‭ ‬providing‭ ‬a‭ ‬friendly,‭ ‬safe‭ ‬and‭ ‬welcoming‭ ‬environment‭ ‬for‭ ‬all,‭ ‬especially with regard to race,‭ ‬gender,‭ ‬sexual‭ ‬orientation,‭ ‬ability,‭ ‬ethnicity,‭ ‬socioeconomic‭ ‬status,‭ ‬and‭ ‬religion‭ (‬or‭ ‬lack‭ ‬thereof‭)‬.‭

This‭ ‬code‭ ‬of‭ ‬conduct‭ ‬outlines‭ ‬our‭ ‬expectations‭ ‬for‭ ‬all‭ ‬those‭ ‬who‭ ‬participate‭ ‬in‭ ‬our‭ ‬community,‭ ‬as‭ ‬well‭ ‬as‭ ‬the‭ ‬consequences‭ ‬for‭ ‬unacceptable‭ ‬behavior.

This policy is instituted in recognition and rejection of rape culture as the status quo. Rape culture is that in which sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence are condoned, excused and even encouraged. Rape culture is part of a broader culture of violence, wherein people are socialized to inhabit different positions in hierarchical relationships, to commodify their fellow human beings, and to relate to each other through violence and coercion. It is also rooted in broader systems of oppression such as patriarchy, white supremacy, capitalism, homophobia, transphobia and colonialism and is not separable from them in how and why it is perpetrated, experienced, and dealt with. [ taken directly from http://www.anarchistbookfair.net/saferspace ]

We‭ ‬invite‭ ‬all‭ ‬those‭ ‬who‭ ‬participate‭ ‬in‭ ‬The Omni ‬to‭ ‬help‭ ‬us‭ ‬create‭ ‬safe‭ ‬and‭ ‬positive‭ ‬experiences‭ ‬for‭ ‬everyone by seeking:


 * Safety, healing, and agency for survivors
 * Accountability and transformation for people who harm
 * Community action, healing, and accountability
 * Transformation of the social conditions that perpetuate violence – systems of oppression and exploitation, domination, and state violence

[taken directly from http://www.generationfive.org/the-issue/transformative-justice/]

2.‎ ‏Open‭ ‬Participation
A‭ ‬supplemental‭ ‬goal‭ ‬of‭ ‬this‭ ‬Code‭ ‬of‭ ‬Conduct‭ ‬is‭ ‬to‭ ‬increase‭ ‬open‭ ‬participation‭ ‬by‭ ‬encouraging‭ ‬everyone to‭ ‬recognize‭ ‬and‭ ‬strengthen‭ ‬the‭ ‬relationships‭ ‬between‭ ‬our‭ ‬actions‭ ‬and‭ ‬their‭ ‬effects‭ ‬on‭ ‬our‭ ‬community.

Communities mirror the societies in which they exist and positive action is essential to counteract the many forms of inequality and abuses of power that exist in society.

We encourage everyone to participate by‭ ‬ensuring‭ ‬our‭ ‬community‭ ‬is‭ ‬welcoming and friendly.

‏Expected‭ ‬Behavior
Rather than call-outs, the Omni supports a culture of calling people in to a greater understanding of the intersecting systems of oppression that affect us all. We strive to support each other's growth and learning and acknowledge that we all make mistakes. The Omni seeks conflict resolution strategies that are both transformative as well as honor the needs of survivors. We are not experts at this but we are committed to identifying resources for continued self-education.


 * Participate‭ ‬in‭ ‬an‭ ‬authentic‭ ‬and‭ ‬active‭ ‬way.‭ ‬In‭ ‬doing‭ ‬so,‭ ‬you‭ ‬contribute‭ ‬to‭ ‬the‭ ‬health‭ ‬and‭ ‬longevity‭ ‬of‭ ‬this‭ ‬community.
 * Exercise‭ ‬consideration‭ ‬and‭ ‬respect‭ ‬in‭ ‬your‭ ‬speech‭ ‬and‭ ‬actions.
 * Attempt‭ ‬collaboration‭ ‬before‭ ‬conflict.
 * Refrain‭ ‬from‭ ‬demeaning,‭ ‬discriminatory,‭ ‬or‭ ‬harassing‭ ‬behavior‭ ‬and‭ ‬speech.
 * Be‭ ‬mindful‭ ‬of‭ ‬your‭ ‬surroundings‭ ‬and‭ ‬of‭ ‬your‭ ‬fellow‭ ‬participants.‭ ‬Alert‭ ‬community‭ ‬leaders‭ ‬if‭ ‬you‭ ‬notice‭ ‬a‭ ‬dangerous‭ ‬situation,‭ ‬someone‭ ‬in‭ ‬distress,‭ ‬or‭ ‬violations‭ ‬of‭ ‬this‭ ‬Code‭ ‬of‭ ‬Conduct,‭ ‬even‭ ‬if‭ ‬they‭ ‬seem‭ ‬inconsequential.

Unacceptable‭ ‬Behavior
Unacceptable‭ ‬behaviors‭ ‬include:‭ ‬intimidating,‭ ‬harassing,‭ ‬abusive,‭ ‬discriminatory,‭ ‬derogatory‭ ‬or‭ ‬demeaning‭ ‬speech‭ ‬or‭ ‬actions‭ ‬by‭ ‬any‭ ‬participant‭ ‬in‭ ‬our‭ ‬community‭ ‬online,‭ ‬at‭ ‬all‭ ‬related‭ ‬events‭ ‬and‭ ‬in‭ ‬one-on-one‭ ‬communications‭ ‬carried‭ ‬out‭ ‬in‭ ‬the‭ ‬context‭ ‬of‭ ‬community‭ ‬business.‭ ‬Community‭ ‬event‭ ‬venues‭ ‬may‭ ‬be‭ ‬shared‭ ‬with‭ ‬members‭ ‬of‭ ‬the‭ ‬public‭; ‬please‭ ‬be‭ ‬respectful‭ ‬to‭ ‬all‭ ‬patrons‭ ‬of‭ ‬these‭ ‬locations.

These are some examples of unacceptable behavior. This list is by no means exhaustive. Harassment includes but is not limited to:

The Omni prioritizes marginalized people’s safety over privileged people’s comfort. The following are NOT sufficient grounds for a complaint by themselves:
 * Offensive comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion
 * Unwelcome comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices, including those related to food, health, parenting, drugs, and employment.
 * Deliberate misgendering or use of ‘dead’ or rejected names
 * Gratuitous or off-topic sexual images or behaviour in spaces where they’re not appropriate
 * Physical contact and simulated physical contact (eg, textual descriptions like “*hug*” or “*backrub*”) without consent or after a request to stop.
 * Threats of violence
 * Incitement of violence towards any individual, including encouraging a person to commit suicide or to engage in self-harm
 * Deliberate intimidation
 * Stalking or following
 * Harassing photography or recording, including logging online activity for harassment purposes
 * Sustained disruption of discussion
 * Unwelcome sexual attention
 * Pattern of inappropriate social contact, such as requesting/assuming inappropriate levels of intimacy with others
 * Continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease
 * Deliberate “outing” of any aspect of a person’s identity or history of trauma without their consent except as necessary to protect vulnerable people from intentional abuse
 * Publication of non-harassing private communication


 * ‘Reverse’ -isms, including ‘reverse racism,’ ‘reverse sexism,’ and ‘cisphobia’
 * Reasonable communication of boundaries, such as “leave me alone,” “go away,” or “I’m not discussing this with you.”
 * Communicating in a ‘tone’ you don’t find congenial
 * Criticizing racist, sexist, cissexist, or otherwise oppressive behavior or assumptions

4.‎ ‏Consequences‭ ‬of‭ ‬Unacceptable‭ ‬Behavior
Unacceptable‭ ‬behavior‭ ‬from‭ ‬any‭one at the Omni,‭ ‬including‭ ‬sponsors‭ ‬and‭ ‬those‭ ‬with‭ ‬decision-making‭ ‬authority,‭ ‬will‭ ‬not‭ ‬be‭ ‬tolerated.

Anyone‭ ‬asked‭ ‬to‭ ‬stop‭ ‬unacceptable‭ ‬behavior‭ ‬is‭ ‬expected‭ ‬to‭ ‬comply‭ ‬immediately. If‭ ‬someone‭ ‬engages‭ ‬in‭ ‬unacceptable‭ ‬behavior,‭ anyone at the Omni‬‭ should feel empowered to take action to address the situation (i.e., talk to the person involved, point out violent or threatening behavior, ask them to leave the space, etc.). In cases where someone's safety is at risk, a temporary ban may be put in place until the Omni's conflict resolution process can be followed to resolution. ‬

Protocol for Witnesses, Subjects, or Targets
At minimum, it is important to ask yourself the following questions and record your answers as soon as possible:


 * What do you need for Omni Commons to be a safe, comfortable environment where you can fully self-express, based on mutual- and self-respect?
 * What are the specific, relevant actions or patterns of behavior that have prevented Omni Commons from being this kind of space for you?
 * What needs to change, what actions need to be taken, and what behaviors need to stop in order for this space to be welcoming and safer for you?

Not only will answers to these questions help facilitate mediation, but they can help the community more clearly identify patterns and behaviors that we can use to update our actions, plans, and procedures.

Confrontations and Comfort
Everyone should feel empowered to confront aggressive individuals, but we recommend that you do not approach a potentially violent conflict without another community member, preferably a core organizer, co-present.

If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe for any reason, we encourage you to contact the CDC / Safe Space working group at cdc@lists.omnicommons.org. The confidentiality of any communications sent to this address will be respected and protected (However, if you do wish anything sent to this address to be publicized or distributed, let us know.)

Support
The Omni recognizes that keeping survivors safe means respecting their wishes with regards to privacy and confidentiality.

Additionally,‭ ‬community‭ ‬organizers‭ ‬are‭ ‬available‭ ‬to‭ ‬help‭ ‬community‭ ‬members‭‭ ‬experiencing‭ ‬unacceptable‭ ‬behavior‭ ‬feel‭ ‬safe.‭ ‬In‭ ‬the‭ ‬context‭ ‬of‭ ‬in-person‭ ‬events,‭ ‬organizers‭ ‬will‭ ‬also‭ ‬provide‭ ‬escorts‭ ‬as‭ ‬desired‭ ‬by‭ ‬the‭ ‬person‭ ‬experiencing‭ ‬distress. If desired, the community organizers can help the parties access conflict resolution resources.

6.‎ ‏Addressing‭ ‬Grievances
If‭ ‬you‭ ‬feel‭ ‬you‭ ‬have‭ ‬been‭ ‬falsely‭ ‬or‭ ‬unfairly‭ ‬accused‭ ‬of‭ ‬violating‭ ‬this‭ ‬Code‭ ‬of‭ ‬Conduct,‭ ‬you‭ ‬should‭ ‬notify‭ ‬the CDC working group with‭ ‬a‭ ‬concise‭ ‬description‭ ‬of‭ ‬your‭ ‬grievance.‭ ‬Your‭ ‬grievance‭ ‬will‭ ‬be‭ ‬handled‭ ‬in‭ ‬accordance‭ ‬with‭ ‬our‭ ‬existing‭ ‬conflict resolution policy.‭

7.‎ ‏Scope
We‭ ‬expect‭ ‬all‭ ‬community‭ ‬participants‭ (‬contributors,‭ ‬paid‭ ‬or‭ ‬otherwise‭; ‬sponsors‭; ‬and‭ ‬other‭ ‬guests‭) ‬to‭ ‬abide‭ ‬by‭ ‬this‭ ‬Code‭ ‬of‭ ‬Conduct‭ ‬in‭ ‬all‭ ‬community‭ ‬venues‭—‬online‭ ‬and‭ ‬in-person‭—‬as‭ ‬well‭ ‬as‭ ‬in‭ ‬all‭ ‬one-on-one‭ ‬communications‭ ‬pertaining‭ ‬to‭ ‬community‭ ‬business.

8.‎ ‏Contact‭ ‬info
Please contact the CDC working group: cdc@lists.omnicommons.org

9.‎ ‏License‭ ‬and‭ ‬attribution
Portions of the Omni Oakland Commons Safe Space policy were sourced from:
 * Sudo Room hackerspace (OOC member entity)
 * New York Anarchist Bookfair
 * Generation 5

This‭ Safe Space policy ‬is‭ ‬distributed‭ ‬under‭ ‬a‭ ‬Creative‭ ‬Commons‭ ‬Attribution-ShareAlike‭ ‬license.

=On Revers-isms=

Resources

 * http://www.cjournal.info/2013/04/24/reverse-isms-an-oppressive-myth/
 * http://imaginenoborders.org/pdf/zines/UnderstandingPatriarchy.pdf