This Safe Space Policy outlines our commitment to ensuring respect, support, and freedom from discrimination and harassment for everyone involved in Soko’s mission. By adhering to these guidelines, we hope to create a productive and welcoming space for collaboration and innovation.

Definitions

To ensure clarity and shared understanding within our community, we define key terms as follows:

1. Safe Space: An environment where all individuals are respected, supported, and protected from discrimination, harassment, and any other form of abuse. This concept is fundamental to our work as it allows for constructive dialogue and collaboration in our mission to support and empower social movements.
2. Harassment: Any unwanted behavior that makes someone feel intimidated, degraded, or humiliated. This can be verbal (e.g., insults, derogatory comments), non-verbal (e.g., offensive gestures), or physical (e.g., unwanted touching).
3. Bullying: Persistent behavior intended to hurt another person, either physically or emotionally. This includes verbal abuse, social exclusion, spreading rumors, and other forms of intimidation.
4. Tone policing: Critiquing the manner or tone of an individual’s argument rather than the substance of the argument itself, often to silence marginalized voices or diminish their messages.
5. Misgendering: Referring to someone using incorrect gender pronouns or terms that do not reflect their gender identity.
6. Discrimination: Unjust or prejudicial treatment of individuals based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, class, SOGIESC, age, ability, or religion.
7. Microaggressions: Subtle, often unintentional, discriminatory comments or actions directed at marginalized groups.
8. Trigger warnings: Notices given before content that may cause distress due to its potentially sensitive nature.
9. Consent: Explicit permission for something to happen or agreement to participate in an activity.
10. Confidentiality: Ensuring that personal and sensitive information shared within the organization remains private and secure.

Online Activities’ Code of Conduct

Given our commitment to remote work and digital engagement, we place specific importance to online conduct, and aim to uphold the following rules:

1. Respect and inclusivity: All online interactions should uphold the principles of respect and inclusivity. Participants are expected to engage in discussions that are constructive and free from any form of discrimination or harassment.
2. Privacy and consent: Participants must obtain explicit consent before sharing personal information or content from discussions. Unauthorized sharing of personal details, screenshots, or recordings is unacceptable.
3. Constructive communication: Discussions should focus on ideas and solutions rather than personal attacks. Tone policing and dismissive attitudes towards others’ contributions will not be tolerated.
4. Moderating: Each online session has assigned moderators responsible for ensuring the discussion remains respectful and on-topic. Moderators address violations of this policy promptly.

Communication Expectations

1. Respectful language: Use language that is inclusive and non-discriminatory. Avoid using slang, jargon, or terms that might exclude or alienate other participants. We realise that most of the participants will not be the native English speakers, and we encourage everyone to use simple language, as well as openly ask, when something is unclear.
2. Personal interactions: Do not text the participants of the event without their consent. Nor send them any kind of sexual, offensive or deprecating content. At the end of the project, all the participants that are willing, will share their social media accounts and other contact information.
3. Active listening: Practice active listening by giving the speaker your full attention and refraining from interrupting. Acknowledge and respect different viewpoints, you are welcome to challenge them and try to persuade the other through constructive and arguemented discussion.
4. Feedback mechanisms: Provide and receive feedback in a constructive manner. Focus on critiquing ideas, not individuals, and be open to different perspectives. Ensure that whilst giving negative feedback you also give the positive one, and propose how you would do the particular thing yourself.

Actions for Violating Policy

We ask everyone, whose safe space might be breached to report the incident to the Safe Space Person of the event, who will immediately react. Our procedures for addressing violations of the safe space policy include the following steps:

1. Informal resolution: Minor policy violations will be addressed informally with a reminder of the policy and a request to cease the inappropriate behavior.
2. Formal warnings: Serious violations will result in a formal warning, which will be documented. The individual will be informed of the potential consequences of further violations.
3. Exclusion from activities: Persistent or severe violations may result in the exclusion of the individual from current and future activities, including webinars, meetings, and physical events.
4. Reporting mechanism: Participants can report violations to designated safe space officers via this secure form. Reports will be handled confidentially and sensitively.
5. Follow-up and support: After a report is made, we will provide support to the affected individual(s) and ensure appropriate follow-up actions are taken to address the issue and prevent recurrence.
6. It is up for the team responsible for the project to decide if the violation is one or the other category.

Language Use

1. Inclusive language: Always use gender-neutral language and terms that respect all participants’ identities. For example, use “they” instead of assuming “he or she.”
2. Clear communication: Ensure that communication is accessible to all participants, regardless of their background or expertise. Clear communication helps everyone understand and participate fully.
3. Positive reinforcement: Encourage and affirm positive contributions and respectful behavior in all interactions.

Zero Tolerance

To maintain a safe and respectful environment, we don’t tolerate:

1. Sexual harassment: Any unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
2. Bullying: Any behavior intended to intimidate, offend, degrade, or humiliate another person.
3. Discrimination: Any unfair treatment based on personal characteristics such as race, SOGIESC, age, disability, religion and other.
4. Misgendering and deadnaming: Referring to someone by the wrong gender or their former name.
5. Offensive language: Use of slurs, derogatory terms, or any language that may cause harm or offense.
6. Violence and threats: Any form of physical, mental or social violence or threats towards another person.
7. Invasion of privacy: Sharing personal information that features other participants, without consent.

Please, consider that this policy is not exhaustive, for the incidents not mentioned here, the team organising an event will be responsible to make the decision ad hoc.

We hope that we will be able to create a safe learning environment for everyone.