Safe space policy

TRISE Conference, Athens 2019

 

These general policies apply to all conference attendees throughout the whole conference, also during lunch breaks etc. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to make contact with the organisers.

What we want

  1. Respectful behaviour: Maintain a fear-free atmosphere and make possible for everyone to feel safe.
  2. Assume good intentions: We are all here to learn and explore. If someone says something that you find problematic or upsetting, address their behaviour personally with them or ask others for help.
  3. Step up / step back: Have you been speaking a lot? Are you someone with many social privileges who is comfortable engaging in conversation and accustomed to being seen as authoritative? Consider “stepping back” i.e. pausing before jumping into the conversation. Conversely, are you someone who is shy or representing a social minority in the conversation, and/or uncomfortable voicing your opinions? Consider “stepping up” and say something brave.
  4. Be considerate of race, class, gender, sexuality and cultural background. Avoid all forms of oppressive behaviour or language.
  5. Take time to understand each other. Ask others, where are you from? What gender pronouns do you prefer? How did you discover social activism? The better we know each other, the better we know how to treat each other.
  6. Attention to gender roles and labour. Women tend to feel responsible for certain, tedious tasks like tidying up. If you are accustomed to male privilege, please volunteer for cleaning and other feminized tasks.
  7. Please help with the overall tidiness of the space.
  8. Ask for permission if you are going to take a group photo or share a photo of someone on social media etc.
  9. We want the conference to be a child-friendly space.
  10. No means no and yes means yes. Do not hesitate to ask for consent when in doubt.

What we do not want

  1. Attacks of any kind (verbal, physical, or emotional) and abusive, threatening, demeaning or deliberately offensive comments are unacceptable. Repeated occurrences of such behaviour can be ground for being asked to leave the conference.
  2. Do not disrespect the space or the material objects present in the space.