CYP Community Agreements & Guidelines

Updated: Aug 30th, 2024

Community Guidelines

You became a member or joined a workshop.

You understand this is not just a subscription model where you just purchase a service or a commodity to consume. You recognize this is participation in a movement and gives you a chance to be a part of something!

To organize with fellow like-minded Co-Conspirators working to dismantle systems of oppression in "A Space for Everyone to Heal Their Way Forward" building human connection, empathy, and compassion on our individual and collective journeys.

With this commitment, you...

Acknowledge Community Agreements:

Center the voices and experiences of People of the Global Majority, LGBTQIA+, and disabled Siblings
We keep it real finding authenticity and transparency to surface tension in the moment
Lean into the tension of and expect and accept non-closure; this work is never “done” and we won't always get to “resolve”
Be our most liberated self —Regulate yourself through an expression that suits your way of learning
Use “I” statements
Avoid shaming language like "shoulda, woulda, coulda"
Fight the urge to look for the most racist (to be in conflict with) or the wokest (to lean on for permission & labor)
During cross-racial facilitation, we resist looking for the person with the most proximity to whiteness as the expert and site of psychological safety and resist looking for the person of color to explain or justify their experience
Recognize that proximity to identity fosters nuanced understanding, not exceptionalism
Look at each other as knowledge makers because our life experience is an asset
Embrace curiosity
"Seek connection, not conflict" (myisha t hill) and ensure “empathy before education” (Marshall Rosenberg)
Allow for the practice of vulnerability
Remember it may feel therapeutic, but it is not therapy
Honor your time boundaries
Take space and make space
Remember Vegas Rules (what happens here, stays here) and seek consent from community members before speaking on your shared experience

Acknowledge Community Engagement Guidelines:

WHEN SHARING RESOURCES IN THE COLLECTIVE

Please avoid sharing white-bodied authors and creators, remembering our first agreement to center People of the Global Majority.

Reach to amplify the work of Black women, Black femmes, and Black individuals identifying as non binary.

Black bodies are almost always at the forefront of movements (including disability justice, LGBTQIA2S+ rights, etc.) and their wisdom of how the system compounds oppression again us is vitally important when challenging "interlocking systems of domination" (bell hooks).

WHEN UNCOMFORTABLE DISRUPTION, RUPTURE OR HARM HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED OR WITNESSED

A chance for healing is offered. Check Your Privilege and the Co-Conspirators Lounge upholds and cultivates open communication.

While racism, misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, xenophobia, colorism, ableism, body-shaming, lack of respect for religious choices, and all other forms of bigotry unnamed here will not be tolerated (particularly as this is a space dedicated to anti-oppression and liberation), we recognize we are healing our way forward from these "isms".

If witnessed by a Co-Conspirator Lounge Host or Moderator, you will be contacted via private direct message or email where the action or behavior will be named. From there, an offer to connect and steps towards restorative repair will be provided.

If the offer to connect is declined, you will be removed from the network.

There is also a form available for you to report whether you:

you have experienced or witnessed disruption (committed intentionally or unintentionally) by a Co-Conspirator

This form should be used whether the incident occurred within our Co-Conspirator Lounge or through interactions with this Co-Conspirator outside of our community space. We acknowledge the nuance of intersectionality and recognize our chosen community spaces may overlap.

After the Check Your Privilege (CYP) Restoration Team has received this form, steps will be taken to:

Identify who has been impacted.
Clearly name the behavior causing disruption.
Schedule a series of (4) listening sessions to occur with Co-Conspirator submitting form, Co-Conspirator named in form, the Facilitator, and Support Member:

Session One: Relating To Each Other
Session Two: Listening To Each Other
Session Three: Conflict is The Teacher
Session Four: Reparative Future

"Face it. Feel it. Do something about it. Seek connection, not conflict." ~myisha t hill

ENGAGE WITH A FOCUS ON ACCESSIBILITY

We are an inclusive space and recognize the needs of our disabled and neurodivergent members.

When posting or commenting:

use paragraph breaks to split up large blocks of text
provide image descriptions
characterize emojis you use
limit strobing gifs and videos (and provide a trigger warning when unavoidable)
provide descriptions of yourself when joining a video call and sharing with the group
default to identity-first language ("autistic", "disabled", and "neurodivergent" are not bad words)

ACCEPT COMMUNICATION LIMITATIONS

DO NOT MESSAGE OUR FOUNDER MYISHA:
Direct messages to myisha hill are not allowed in an effort to protect her energy and capacity. You are strongly encouraged, however, to comment on myisha's posts and prompts!

To schedule time with myisha, please use this link should you wish to connect 1:1: https://mthglobal.as.me/cypmentorme

DO NOT SOLICIT FELLOW MEMBERS:
This space is not for self-promotion and posts (or direct messages) of private services or offerings, unrelated events, etc. will be removed.

ACKNOWLEDGE CHANGE

These guidelines are in process and ever-evolving and will be updated regularly and as needed! While we will do our best to keep you advised of these changes, please note they may be updated without warning!

CONTACT

If you have any feedback, suggestions, questions, comments, or concerns, please send to [email protected]