Safer Space Guidelines

 
 

The Anti-Racist Forum is committed to cultivate a respectful environment to those involved in its activities. The safer space policy intends to ensure that collaborators and participants feel that they can learn, share, grow and contribute in spaces where they experience respect, dignity and safety. 

As facilitators, we are responsible for the events we organize and we do our best so that they are spaces free of discrimination and abuse. Safety is also a collective effort. Everyone has a personal responsibility to make online or physical spaces safer by reading the safer space guidelines ahead of events, disengaging from discriminatory and abusive practices and/or challenging them when they see them happen. We believe that critical dialogue can empower communities to transform society, but it can only happen if individuals are accountable for their behaviors and practices. 

While we acknowledge that people may have different realities, we ask that everyone is mindful of the way in which they engage and understands the role they play in positively or negatively affecting other participants. We also recognize that discussions of dehumanization, dispossession, exclusion, and marginalization affect people differently and unequally. 

Ultimately, ARF stresses the importance of thinking through oppression in a structural way as opposed to an individualized way. This does not mean that individuals are not responsible for their actions, but that we encourage people to expand the way they think about racism to how it affects the lives, wellbeing, chances of specific social groups through the mobilization of historical, cultural, political and institutional power, discourses, and practices.

ARF does not tolerate any form of discrimination (this include but is not limited to racism, colourism, xenophobia, sexism, transphobia, islamophobia, antisemitism and all form of religious discrimination, homophobia, classism, ableism, fatphobia, ageism, casteism, etc.) and harassment. ARF does not view ignorance or attempts at humour as excuses for unacceptable behaviour. 

If discrimination, abuse and/or harassment take place in relation to one of our activities, ARF will assess the situation and act on it accordingly. For example, ARF can mute or remove a person from an online event or ask somebody to leave a physical event if they refuse to behave appropriately after having been warned or asked to.

During an event:

  • Come to an event understanding your social position in relation to what is being discussed;

  • Respect people’s personal, physical and emotional boundaries;

  • Do not assume the nationality, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, gender, health, social class, history etc. of others;

  • Do not ask invasive personal questions;

  • Be mindful of the space you take. If you have spoken on several occasions, make sure that you are giving space for other to participate;

  • Do not repeat in your language, actions or behavior any stereotypes (whether positive or negative) based on your perception of who people are;

  • Do not take screenshots, pictures of the screen or pictures of an event (except if facilitators, organisers or speakers have explicitly authorized it);

  • Do not record the event;

  • Engage in a respectful way with speakers, moderators and other audience members;

  • Feel free to provide constructive feedback regarding inappropriate behavior and/or language;

  • Be open to feedback and constructive critique being given to you and to question taken-for-granted assumptions you may have;

  • If a situation feels uncomfortable, and/or if you witness harassment, abuse, or discrimination, please raise the issue with the event organizers or moderators by messaging them on the chat of an online event, pulling them apart at a physical event or emailing the Anti-Racist Forum (info@antiracistforum.org). 

 

The Anti-Racist Forum aims to fight for social justice by collaboratively engaging critical, intersectional and feminist voices to transform and achieve an equal society. We do not assume that everybody is perfect or all-knowing and acknowledge that (un)learning and growth are an ongoing and infinite process for everybody. Through these safer space guidelines, we wish to provide the necessary conditions for communities and individuals to build healthy political relations and expand their knowledge and practice, in order to be empowered in their fight for racial and social justice.