Passed in COCO 12/19/2011

Guidelines for Respect (Code of Conduct) will be read at next 3 GAs, discussed at the 3rd, and in the meantime, each WG is encouraged to discuss draft, suggest any changes or additions, and submit those to Guidelines WG. Guidelines WG will aggregate input and announce meetings to create a final draft.

Here is the draft for Working Groups to review:

Occupy Philadelphia: Guidelines for Respectful Interaction
DRAFT - 12/20/11 – Please submit suggested edits to the Guidelines Working Group

WE PLEDGE TO DO OUR VERY BEST TO RESPECT ONE ANOTHER.
Respect, in Occupy Philadelphia, includes the following:
1. RESPECT OURSELVES
a. WE WILL NOT: Be silent. Be passive. Have a self-defeating attitude. Allow ourselves to be treated in ways which diminish us, regardless of who does it.
b. WE WILL: Speak our minds. Be positive. Be assertive. Identify things that need to be addressed, look for solutions, and work with others to create those solutions. Push ourselves to take on greater challenges as we become more organized.

2. RESPECT OTHERS
a. WE WILL NOT: Attack, abuse, harass, or intentionally harm one another, whether physically, emotionally, verbally, sexually, or otherwise. Nor will we threaten to do so, for any reason.
b. WE WILL: Treat one another with the love, support, and openness, with which we would like to be treated. Be transparent with others about our affiliations, intentions, and motives.
c. WE WILL NOT: Spread rumors. We will not say hurtful things about people behind their backs. We will not make claims about wrongdoing without evidence.
d. WE WILL: Assume good intentions in others and understand that everyone has different reasons for participating in this movement.
e. WE WILL NOT: Speak or act in racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, classist, ableist, ageist, or otherwise oppressive ways.
f. WE WILL: Honor our diverse backgrounds, identities, and abilities. Hatred and oppression have historically been used to divide us and to maintain power over us. In order to unite, we must acknowledge that these divisions exist both internally and in society, and we must actively strive toward equality and diversity. We will encourage the participation of members of historically marginalized groups in every aspect of our movement.

3. RESPECT BOUNDARIES
a. WE WILL NOT: Make assumptions about what we can say or do to people without asking what they are comfortable with. We will not share people’s personal information, including contact information, to others or the public, without that person’s permission.
b. WE WILL: Practice consent. Ask for permission before doing anything that might make someone uncomfortable, for example, “Do you want a hug right now?” or “Is it OK if I take your picture?” We will also tell people what we need, and to the extent that we are able, tell people what words or actions make us uncomfortable.
c. WE WILL NOT: Look down on people if they express dissent or discomfort, need space or time, or cannot handle certain situations that arise during Occupy events or otherwise.
d. WE WILL: Be aware and sensitive to verbal and non-verbal cues that someone’s boundaries are being crossed or that they are being triggered. Give a “trigger warning” – a disclaimer or warning about content -- before discussing potentially traumatic experiences, such as violence or sexual assault.
4. RESPECT SPACES
a. WE WILL NOT: Damage or deface the spaces which host us or which we occupy. We will not steal property from our hosts, one another, or the movement.
b. WE WILL: Create a positive and safe atmosphere. Clean up after every event or meeting. Keep all spaces litter free. We are ALL responsible for sanitation!
5. RESPECT THE PHILADELPHIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY, OF WHICH WE ARE PART
a. WE WILL: respect peoples right to engage in autonomous actions outside of the General Assembly (GA) as long as these actions are not misrepresenting consensus support on behalf of the GA, when none exists.
b. WE WILL NOT: Disrupt, undermine or subvert the decision-making process of the GA. We will not make the GA space hostile or unnecessarily competitive. We will not use the GA to focus attention on ourselves as individuals, or to the detriment of the group.
c. WE WILL: Actively participate in the GA. Bring questions, concerns, and proposals which move the group forward to better understanding and decisions. Be patient with one another.
d. WE WILL NOT: Act against the will of the GA. We will not engage in meetings or discussions representing Occupy Philly, with City or police officials, without the expressed approval of the GA. We will not represent Occupy Philly to the media without approval from the GA or the Media working group. We will not represent Occupy Philly to any entity for the purpose of soliciting funds without GA approval. All funds raised in support of Occupy Philly must be immediately turned over to the Finance working group.
WE WILL: Recognize as legitimate the decisions made through the direct democratic process of the GA, even when we disagree with those decisions. Understand that the GA process is itself a work-in-progress, which we can improve.