Community Care Expectations

This is a lightly modified version of the Community Care Expectations used for the International Zine Library Day 2020 event (J21).
Why does this document exist?

We want the International Zine Librarians (un)Conference — IZL(u)C — event on July 21 to be a space which is welcoming, supportive, and inclusive.

We want to create a space which recognises and challenges the oppression and exploitation that some members of our community are harmed by, and some members of our community benefit from, and which strives to be free from oppressive attitudes, actions, behaviours and language.

This document is one aspect of how we hope to achieve this. Rather than a fixed set of ‘dos and don’ts’ this is more of a guideline, which tells you what to expect from the IZL(u)C event, and what we expect from you as a participant, as well as making clear the framework by which we will try and address behaviour, language, attitudes, expressions and actions which impact how safe, inclusive and respectful the space is.

What does this document address?

This document applies to all the events during the 30 October-1 November IZL(u)C program.

We have a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment.

Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

• racism, sexism, classism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, misogyny, and all other forms of discrimination
• sexual harassment, stalking, or intimidation
• action or language that makes other participants feel unwelcome or unsafe
• disrespectful or disruptive behavior

If it is identified by organisers or participants, it will be dealt with through the policy laid out below.

Who is responsible for this document?

All organisers, panellists and participants are jointly responsible for this document.

Organisers, facilitators and hosts are responsible for: putting the framework in place for these expectations; helping attendees understand what it means; managing any issues that arise consistently and fairly, and taking appropriate action.

Participants are responsible for: upholding the expectations, this includes self-reflection and awareness, a commitment to learning and a willingness to be responsible and accountable.

Examples of positive ways community members can uphold these expectations include:

• We can demonstrate empathy and kindness towards people
• We can recognise and be/become aware of privilege, including less obvious or invisible hierarchies.
• We can be thoughtful about our words and language use, considering what has influenced them and who do they exclude?
• We can accept responsibility when we make mistakes, and be open to learning together. We can also appreciate that other people aren’t responsible for our learning, and lead on our own learning within and outwith the event.
• In discussions, we can think about how much space we take up with our gestures and voices and paying attention to others who might take up less space but have something to contribute.
• We can respect the boundaries of others – both respecting stated boundaries, and not assuming other people’s boundaries are the same as ours.
• We can be thoughtful about the range of experiences in the room, including experiences of trauma or violence. We can avoid talking about sensitive, triggering or traumatic subjects when they aren’t explicitly part of the event title or topic.
• We can identify behaviour, language, attitudes and actions that don’t meet the standards we ask of everyone involved in the events, and communicate this to moderators.

What do I do if….?

If there are any concerns before the event, IZL(u)C organisers will listen to concerns and find a solution in line with our commitment to welcoming, inclusive and safe spaces. Organisers reserve the right to limit attendance to the event for any reason.

If an issue arises during an event, there will be a host from the IZL(u)C organising group present who will be identified at the start of the event, and who will be available to mediate and respond in one of the three ways below.

If you do not feel able to voice your concern during the event, you can ask someone else to speak to the host for you, or contact the organisers via email zineLUC@gmail.com.

How will we respond to violations of our code of conduct?

1. Mediation and calling in.
   If you have acted or spoken harmfully, even if unintentionally, this will be brought up with you. If possible this will be done within the event, however, this is a judgement call made by moderators during a session. If something is brought up with you, please listen and reflect.

2. Temporary Removal
   If moderators feel you are behaving in a way out of line with these expectations and that this is doing or perpetuating harm or making the space unsafe for participants, you may be removed from the session. This will be followed up with you via email if possible.

3. Permanent Removal
   If you fall below the standards that we expect of attendees, including but not limited to sustained inappropriate behavior, harassment of an individual, or aggression toward or disparagement of classes of individuals, if organisers do not feel comfortable or able to bring this up with you during the event, or if you do not respond with a willingness to change and learn (and potentially apologise) to 1. or 2. you will be removed from the event and prevented from attending further events. The reasons why you have been removed will be explained to you via email if possible.

Short summary for the start of each event:

Our community care expectations for this event can be found here: http://zinelibraries.info/2020/10/22/community-care-expectations-izluc/

In summary, we want this event to be a space which is welcoming, supportive, and inclusive, and one which recognises and challenges the oppression and exploitation that some members of our community are harmed by, and some members of our community benefit from. We have a zero tolerance policy towards harassment, and ask that we all as a community work towards a space free from oppressive attitudes, actions, behaviours and language.

If you have a concern, you can speak to the event host who will be present in the chat throughout the event, and who will be able to mediate and respond in one of three ways: mediating and calling in during the event, removing participants from this session, removing participants from this session and all further IZL(u)C events. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to the moderator, you can nominate someone you trust to do this for you, or you can contact us via email at zineluc@gmail.com, although we will not be able to respond as quickly.

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge our debt to the NYC archives, ZLuC 2018, Olympia Zine Fest, Sisters Uncut, Contributor Convenant, Edinburgh Zine Library, Edinburgh Anarchist Feminist Bookfair and the Barnard Archives whose safer spaces, braver spaces and codes of conduct were some of many we drew from to form our own.