All events hosted by the Community Democracy Project are conducted according to our community agreements. We review the community agreements at the beginning of every meeting and ask that each participant conduct themselves accordingly. The agreements are:

One Diva, One Mic: Only one person should be speaking at a time. The 1st facilitator usually keeps stack.

Be Curious: Respect and listen to each other's ideas. Ask questions and strive to understand before criticizing.

No One Knows Everything, Together We Know a Lot: Collective wisdom is at the heart of CDP's work. Each of us brings unique perspectives and experiences, and putting them together builds people power.

Move Up, Move Up: If you find yourself speaking a lot, take some time to listen and leave space for others. If you find yourself withholding your thoughts, speak up and share your wisdom with us.

Be Aware of Time: Respect that everyone in the meeting is giving up their free time to attend. There may be an agenda with multiple items to address or others on stack waiting to speak.

We Can't Be Articulate All the Time: Sometimes we don't have the words to express our thoughts, and that's okay. Be patient if someone needs time, and feel free to "pass" or ask for the conversation to come back to you.

Distinguish Between Impact and Intent: Acknowledge that what you say may impact others in ways you do not intend. Give others the benefit of the doubt with regard to their intentions when you are negatively impacted by what is said.

Communicate for Community and Speak For Yourself: Help us create equitable space for all by being open to criticism and speaking up if something doesn’t feel right. If something doesn't feel right to you, it probably doesn't feel right to others either. At the same time, be careful to only speak for yourself rather than assume or claim to speak for others.

Accountability at Community Democracy Project

We are committed to support our volunteers in maintaining a space free of harassment and oppressive power dynamics.

If someone or something has been uncomfortable or upsetting for you, we want to know. We will make space for discussion. We will think critically about any incident so that we can support growth and learning without tolerating bullshit.

The accountability committee exists to help facilitate discussion, investigation, and restoration. When necessary they may suggest boundaries for the group to adopt, which will be voted on by members.

Volunteers on the accountability committee welcome you to contact them with any concerns. They are available to have a confidential conversation, or to initiate a group discussion. If you wish to report a violation of our community agreements or codes of conduct, the accountability committee will review your report and keep a record. Investigative steps may be taken and may lead to further action. The reporter will always be kept in the loop and requests for confidentiality will be considered and respected.

During any meeting, any attendee may call a “vibes check.” A vibes check consists of a go-around in which each attendee is invited to check in about how they are feeling and why. While anyone can call a vibes check, the 2nd facilitator is tasked with maintaining awareness of group dynamics.