Heart Comonos
Community Participation Guidelines

The ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusion guide Heart Comonos in our mission of community connection, wellness, and empowerment. But these ideals take practice! They each involve processes of genuine self-reflection, patience, and nurturing as we sooner or later encounter difference, divergence, and disagreement in the world around us. Challenging though they may be, we firmly believe that encounters with difference can and should be a positive and nurturing experience that, under certain conditions, lead to mutual growth.

We encourage everyone to freely share diverse and critical opinions while learning to do so in a way that is respectful and open-minded. Our mission of inclusion and engagement will inevitably require some tough conversations, and that’s why we have put together the following code of conduct to guide community participation in our barrier-free programs, workshops, and events.

We ask that all attendees, speakers, sponsors, and volunteers read and be familiar with the following code of conduct. Join us in our mission of striving for a safe, honest, and friendly community for everybody!

Encouraged Behaviour

The following behaviours are expected of all Heart Comonos attendees, staff, sponsors, partners, instructors, and volunteers:

Be Respectful

We may not always agree, but we can always respect each other as valuable members of a community capable of benefitting from differences instead of closing our eyes and wishing it would go away. Disagreement is never an excuse for rudeness and/or apathy. However strongly we may sometimes feel in the moment, disagreements often conceal misunderstandings, miscommunications, and opportunities for cooperation. 

We encourage everyone to be open to different possibilities, perspectives, and self-reflection. We strongly believe that kindness is more important and powerful than correctness, especially when debating the merits of different options. We ask everyone to be aware of their impact and how intense interactions affect others. Take responsibility for your impact and your mistakes – if someone says they have been harmed through your words or actions, listen carefully, apologize sincerely, and commit to respectful behaviour going forward.

Be Inclusive, Be Curious

We believe that, just as in the garden, diversity is key to growth! We also believe that genuine persuasion is a very rare thing and is even rarer when people feel misrepresented and unheard! If and when disagreements arise, strive to express curiosity as to how the person came to hold a particular opinion rather than attempting to persuade them towards your way of thinking. Diversity of thought and of people empowers innovation, even if it is not always comfortable.

We aim to welcome and encourage all voices to participate in the conversation. If you find yourself dominating a particular discussion, think about taking a step back and allowing other voices to join in. Be aware of how much time is taken up by dominant members of the group. Provide alternative ways to contribute or participate when possible.

Be Reflexive

The Heart Comonos community is made up of people from many different cultures, nationalities, ages, orientations, and backgrounds. While many of us openly embrace this diversity, we may hold unconscious biases, practices, attitudes and beliefs that prevent full inclusion in ways that we are not fully aware of. We encourage our community to strive to identify and engage our individual biases, prejudices, and discriminatory practices (however subtle they may sometimes appear to us). Try to think of others’ needs from their point of view. Use preferred titles and pronouns, and use the appropriate tone of voice when doing so. Respect everyone’s right to privacy and confidentiality. Recognize and respect personal boundaries. 

Lead by Example

Don’t simply tell others what to do, show them! Recognize that our ideas are much more impactful on others when it is evident that our words match our actions. Treat others as we expect others to treat ourselves. Hold yourself and others accountable for inclusive behaviours.

Unacceptable Behaviour

The following behaviours are considered to be unacceptable under these guidelines.

Violence and Threats of Violence

Whether online or in-person, violence and threats of violence are not acceptable. This includes incitement of violence toward any individual, including self-harm. This also includes posting or threatening to post other people’s personally identifying information (“doxxing”) online.

Personal Attacks

Conflicts may arise, but frustration should never lead to aggressive behaviour or personal attacks. It is not okay to insult, demean or belittle others. Attacking someone for their opinions, beliefs and ideas is not acceptable. It is important to speak directly when we disagree and when we think we need to improve, but these kinds of discussions must be conducted respectfully.

Derogatory Language and Behavior

We have a zero-tolerance for hurtful, harmful, or pejorative language and behavior related to:

• Misogyny 
• Sexism
• Family status
• Gender
• Gender identity or expression
• Marital status
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Native language
• Age
• Ability
• Race and/or ethnicity
• National origin
• Socioeconomic status
• Religion
• Geographic location
• Other attributes

This includes deliberately and repeatedly referring to someone by a gender that they do not identify with, and/or questioning the legitimacy of an individual’s gender identity or sexual identity. If you’re unsure if a word is derogatory, don’t use it. This also includes repeated subtle and/or indirect discrimination; when asked to stop, stop the behaviour in question.

Unwelcome Inappropriate Attention or Physical Contact

Unwelcome inappropriate attention or unwelcome physical contact is never acceptable. This includes sexualized comments, jokes, and/or imagery in interactions, communications or presentation materials, as well as inappropriate touching, and/or sexual advances. This includes touching a person without their explicit permission, including sensitive areas such as their hair, pregnant stomach, mobility device (wheelchair, scooter, etc.) or tattoos. Unwelcomed physical contact or simulated physical contact (such as emojis like “kiss”) is not acceptable. This includes sharing or distribution of sexualized images or text.

Disruptive Behaviour

Sustained, continued, and/or repeated disruption of events, forums, workshops, programs, and/or meetings will not be tolerated (includes talking over and heckling others, and otherwise influencing crowd actions that cause hostility.) Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis when conditions may apply.

Consequences of Unacceptable Behaviour 

Bad behaviour from any attendee, speaker, sponsor, volunteer, instructor, or staff member will not be tolerated. Intentional efforts to exclude people (except as part of a consequence of the guidelines or other official action) from activities are not acceptable and will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Reports of harassment/discrimination will be promptly and thoroughly investigated by the Heart Comonos staff members responsible for the safety of the space, event or activity. Appropriate measures will be taken to address the situation.

Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behaviour is expected to comply immediately. Violation of these guidelines can result in the removal of an individual from a program, workshop, event, meeting, or online space, either temporarily or for the duration of the event, or being banned from participation in spaces, or future events and activities in perpetuity.

In addition, any participants who abuse the reporting process will be considered to be in violation of these guidelines and subject to the same consequences. False reporting, especially with retaliatory or exclusionary intent, will not be accepted or tolerated.

Reporting

If you believe you are currently experiencing or have recently experienced unacceptable behaviour as outlined above, please contact Heart Comonos staff by emailing contact@heartcomonos.ca with Behaviour in the Subject line. All reports will be kept in confidence.

Please report to us if you observe a potentially dangerous situation, someone in distress, or violations of these guidelines, even if the situation is not happening to you personally.

If you feel you have been unfairly accused of violating these guidelines, please follow the same reporting process.

Who to Contact 

contact@heartcomonos.ca

Reports will receive an email notice of receipt. Once an incident has been investigated and a decision has been communicated to the relevant parties, all have the opportunity to appeal this decision by sending an email to hardy@heartcomonos.ca