Preparing the Ground

Welcome! May our work together flourish.

To get started, I want to offer some agreements we can all commit to -- watering the seeds of kindness and compassion in all our interactions.

All RAISE THE CRY organizers, participants and contributors agree to the following:

1. Respect and Inclusivity: I agree to respect myself and those I encounter. I show respect through active listening, offering encouraging or constructive comments, refraining from judgement and criticism (both voiced and internal), and framing my responses from an open-minded, open-hearted perspective. I don't have to agree with everyone, but I agree to disagree with our shared humanity in mind.

2. Kind Speech and Nonpartisanship: No hate speech or disrespect will be tolerated. The organizers retain the right to uninvite or block anyone who violates this condition. I agree that words are actions, and that hateful, hurtful speech is equivalent to assault. I will voice my views and opinions from the solid ground of the Golden Rule. I will also seek common ground, and not attempt to prove my validity, especially on questions of politics, religion, and personal belief. 

3. Welcoming Growth: I agree to stretch myself, even when confronted with views, opinions, and beliefs that are contrary to my own. While I may not change my mind, I agree to be open to change and the possibility of transformation. 

4. Emotional Intelligence and Healthy Boundaries: I agree to give and receive empathy, which is the ability to enter into another person’s experiences with heart and soul. At the same time, I agree that healthy boundaries are necessary to preserve my energy, psychological wellbeing, and that of others. To this end, I will feel empowered to speak up or remove myself from a space, without intentionally hurtful, critical, or "ghosting" behaviors. I commit to open, respectful, self-aware, and loving communications with facilitators, fellow participants, and organizers.

5. Giving Credit and Honoring Creative Property: I agree that my ideas matter and so do other people’s. I agree that it’s important to give due credit to another person for their idea, and to respect the rules of copyright, trademark, and other forms of creative property. I also agree to welcome collaborations, if they arise, and share ideas that may lead to exciting breakthroughs, e.g. educational programs, art creation, movement building, and social change. 

6. Curiosity and Taking Ourselves to Account: In my interactions, I agree to ask open-ended questions, without anticipating the answer, as a pathway to greater understanding. To foster self-justice, I agree to ask questions of myself and take stock of my responses, feelings, actions, and interpersonal relationships. 

7. Courage and Trust: I understand that sharing stories, speaking up, using my voice and listening to others all require courage and vulnerability. I honor this courage in myself and in others. I also accept the need for emotional safety and trust, as we have all experienced trauma and are at different places in our healing. I will work to create an environment that is accepting, gentle, loving, and kind, and at the same time raw, rich, messy, creative, dynamic, inviting of differences, and ultimately freeing. 

8. Health and Detachment: I agree that justice work takes my whole self, and to do this work, I need to stay healthy, hydrated, nourished, and rested. I agree to listen to my body, taking breaks when needed, and asking for help when I’m struggling. I agree that while I am invested in my work, I let go of results-oriented thinking and enjoy the process of growth and discovery. I agree to stop comparing myself with others. I agree to remember that my care for humanity must be balanced with the knowledge that I am responsible for my own body and soul. 

9. Loving-Kindness: I agree to give and receive the essence of life, which is love, and to practice the wisdom of life, which is inner kindness. I agree to lift and share burdens, including my own, whenever possible. I agree to consciously turn toward loving-kindness even when I’m hurt, to seek understanding rather than shutting down or lashing out. I agree to see every person as a soul noble and beloved.

Thank you for being present. Excited to get the juices flowing! 

Peace, Andréana