“The Power of a Community Pact" Part 2
Written by Christina ‘Chris’ Thompson and Kory M. Saunders
In part two of “The Power of a Community Pact, “we are sharing our vision of a community pact that we have curated for various facilitated diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging learning opportunities. This is an example of what a community pact may include. We invite you to use this as a way to create your own.
Here is a sample and a breakdown of a general community pact:
We are sharing our lived experiences; we invite you to share yours
Slight alternative way of saying this: This statement highlights the value of open communication and mutual understanding. The aim is to cultivate an environment that invites participants to share their personal stories, perspectives, and experiences, while emphasizing empathy, respect, and active listening. By encouraging everyone to contribute their lived experiences, facilitators strive to create an inclusive atmosphere where a diversity of voices is not only welcomed but also acknowledged and appreciated. This approach nurtures a sense of belonging and allows participants to learn from one another's distinctive backgrounds, ultimately enriching the workshop experience for all involved.
Brave Space
When we started using a community pact the word safe was most often used. However, safety is relative depending on your identity and positionality. Most of the time the folxs, cultures, and communities that we are amplifying even ourselves as presenters do not have the same level of safety as many who are participating in our sessions. After reading the article “From Safe Spaces to Brave Spaces “by B. Arao and Kristi Clemens, we have adopted the Brave Space approach. It demonstrates the concepts of bravery and courage to create a space where individuals feel more empowered sharing their thoughts, experiences, and emotions, even if they might be challenging or uncomfortable. In such a space, participants are encouraged to embrace vulnerability and take risks in sharing their perspectives, while also being mindful of the need for emotional safety and respect for others.
What is shared here stays here, what is learned here, leaves here.
In the context of facilitating brave spaces this statement outlines the importance of maintaining confidentiality and respecting the privacy of participants while also promoting the growth and learning that occurs during the first part of the statement, "What is shared here stays here." It conveys that personal stories, experiences, and perspectives shared by participants should remain within the workshop space and not be disclosed outside of it. This confidentiality agreement helps create a trusting environment where individuals feel empowered opening up and discussing sensitive topics. The second part, "What is learned here, leaves here," encourages participants to take the insights, knowledge, and understanding they've gained during the workshop and apply them in their daily lives, professional environments, or personal relationships. This part of the statement emphasizes the value of learning from diverse experiences and using that knowledge to foster inclusivity, empathy, and growth outside the session setting.
Make space, take space
This highlights the importance of creating an inclusive and balanced environment that encourages participation and active listening among all attendees. "Make space" refers to the act of providing opportunities and a supportive atmosphere for others to express their thoughts, opinions, and experiences. This may involve encouraging quieter participants or internal processors to contribute, asking open-ended questions, or simply listening attentively and without judgment. By making space, facilitators and participants help create an inclusive environment where everyone's voice is valued. "Take space" emphasizes the responsibility of individuals to actively engage in the session by sharing their own perspectives, experiences, and ideas, particularly external processors. This means being mindful of one's own communication style and ensuring that they contribute to the conversation without dominating it. Taking space is essential for creating a dynamic and interactive workshop experience that benefits from the collective wisdom of all participants. Together, "make space, take space" fosters a sense of shared responsibility in creating an equitable environment where everyone can participate, learn, and grow during your session.
Calling You In, Not Calling you Out – You will be uncomfortable
This underscores the approach of engaging participants in challenging conversations with the intention of fostering personal growth, rather than publicly pointing out mistakes or flaws. "Calling You In" refers to the practice of inviting participants to engage in open and honest dialogue, even when it involves discussing difficult or uncomfortable topics. This approach is meant to create opportunities for learning, self-reflection, and development, rather than causing embarrassment or shame. In contrast, "Calling You Out" often implies publicly highlighting someone's mistakes or shortcomings, which can lead to defensiveness and a breakdown in communication. By focusing on "calling in" instead, facilitators create an environment that promotes empathy, understanding, and personal growth. Extending grace when needed and accepting grace when needed. We leave room for mistakes to be made with the encouragement that we all learn from them and do better from that point forward.
Leave titles and hierarchy at the door
We strive to create a space where there is no hierarchy, everyone in the room is valued for who they are, how they show up in the space, and for what they contribute. By encouraging participants to leave their titles and hierarchy at the door, facilitators aim to minimize power dynamics and foster a sense of equal footing among attendees. This approach allows for open and honest communication, as individuals may feel more empowered expressing their opinions and ideas without fear of judgment or repercussion based on their rank or role. What is important is each individual's presence in the room, what you learn, what you share, and the possible connections that can be made to the topic and/or those in the space.
Come as you are, while we invite you not to leave as you came
Come as you are" conveys that participants should feel empowered to attend the session as their authentic selves, without the need to conform to others' expectations. This approach fosters an inclusive and welcoming environment that respects and celebrates the diversity of participants' backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Meanwhile, "we invite you not to leave as you came" plants the suggestion that the session aims to inspire active change and growth within each participant. We hope that by spending time in community with us and the other participants that folxs learn something new, unlearn that which no longer serves the individual or the collective, question things, ponder different perspectives, find/ share resources, etc.
One element of the community pact that is not listed here but it is included in other versions of our community pact, is to give credit where credit is due. If you use this template for your own session, please reference this article and its articles as the source. Click here if you’d like to read part 1, found on Kultural Kurators.
