Hi, The Centre for Inquiry policy has some nice language in it.
However, it doesn't really make clear what organisers should do, what their responsibilities and empowerments are. My understanding is that the venue isn't a public space and as such the organisers could, if need be, request individuals to leave (and call the cops if they won't). So I think if they couldn't resolve a situation amicably, that would be the means to impose the policy if discussion proved fruitless. Hopefully it wouldn't come to this. I think a standardised process would be nice, but allowing for a lot of flexibility and recourse if an issue doesn't fit with that. This could be particularly useful if the organiser on the day is faced with a difficult situation. I think the biggest risk is a situation become inflamed for some reason, then further compounded by a lack of objective and respecful handling of the situation. For example, a basic record of the incident should be made. I see this as analagous to a dispute situation in a workplace. In such a situation, the various parties involved can choose to have the issue dealt with formally or informally. In a difficult situation, calm judgment can often go out the window -- not necessarily due to any ill-doing, but just due to a failure to think of the right thing to do or what some sensible steps to make might be. For example, a response might simply be to contact those involved afterwards for a discussion. There are lots of degrees of response. Agreeing up front what some of the appropriate responses are can help to make all involved feel that an impartial process was used in resolving the issue. Impartiality and objectivity are very important to feeling like your concerns have been heard and understood. Regards, -Tennessee On 10 March 2015 at 06:25, Ben Finney <[email protected]> wrote: > Javier Candeira <[email protected]> writes: > > > A Code of Conduct is only a small step. More ideas welcome. > > In the interest of acting while we know there's a problem but before > there's a crisis: > > It is a good idea to adopt an aspirational Code of Conduct for the > group, addressed to on all members. > > In addition, we should also adopt a policy that specifically details > what officials (“management”?) will *do* in response to a complaint. > This is more specific, is binding on management, and talks less about > aspiration and more about concrete action. > > I have successfully instituted Anti-Harrassment or Hostile Conduct > policy at other organisations to target concerns of under-represented > groups. > > One which I recommend as a model is that of the Center for Inquiry > <URL: > http://www.centerforinquiry.net/pages/policy_on_harassment_at_conferences > >. > It described what is unacceptable behaviour, and gives some > representative examples. It gives a clear action a complainant can take: > contact staff identified ahead of time at the event. It prescribes > actions the staff must take: record-keeping of complaints, optional > investigation and remedial action. > > That's a good policy IMO because it is mostly telling the group's > responsible officers what they must do, part of which is to make clear > to anyone who wants to complain what the results of that complaint will > be. > > In combination with a Code of Conduct, which is mostly telling attendees > what they should do, a Hostile Conduct Policy is the enforcement arm > that makes it clear what the response will be for infractions. > > -- > \ “When I was crossing the border into Canada, they asked if I | > `\ had any firearms with me. I said, ‘Well, what do you need?’” | > _o__) —Steven Wright | > Ben Finney > > _______________________________________________ > melbourne-pug mailing list > [email protected] > https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/melbourne-pug > -- -------------------------------------------------- Tennessee Leeuwenburg http://myownhat.blogspot.com/ "Don't believe everything you think"
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