In a recent episode that tested the community’s commitment to safety and inclusivity, a decision was made to sever ties with a Queer Dating Event due to its association with white supremacy culture (WSC). [link: what is white supremacy culture] The move was motivated by a refusal to uphold neutrality in the face of potential harm to Black and Indigenous community members, aligning with the principles of disability justice.
The conflict resolution strategy employed the powerful practice of “calling up,” an act of publicly addressing violations of accepted behavioral standards. This involved initiating a call-in, a restorative justice approach, where the affected parties were invited into a conversation to collectively navigate the emotional labor involved.
The process unfolded transparently, with the community taking a firm stance against affiliations that could jeopardize the safety of its members. We are committed to openness and accountability through publicly sharing the decision-making process. The call-up resulted in restorative actions, apologies, and a commitment to ongoing guidance and education.
Process Template Created:
All parties involved expressed satisfaction with the outcome, marking a successful application of restorative justice principles. This positive engagement reinforces the community’s dedication to centering marginalized members. Further guidance and educational resources were shared, amplifying the commitment to ongoing education and fostering an environment of collective learning.
Watch Video of Calling Up:
Transcript of video:
Jesenia from One Free Community Discussing Calling Up Event
We recently had to remove an event from our community due to white supremacy culture and I want to tell you about it. There is no neutrality in the fight to liberation. Arguing to neutrality or both sides in it is harmful, especially to our black and indigenous community members. Discouraging conversations about this is an act of pacifism that does not help us in the fight to liberation. OFC will not be promoting or affiliated with any community or event that allows harm to any minority groups or enables white supremacy culture and incident of harm was reported during the planning of a queer dating event that was being planned outside of our community. But with some of our community members and due to the behavior of the organizers, we have chosen to remove ourselves from affiliations with this organization because we do not want this event to potentially put people in harm’s way. We are calling in the affected parties using the principles of restorative justice to support us in the emotional labor that we’re going to do. Calling in is the act of privately addressing violations of acceptable behavioral standards. We want to share this process and ongoing situation with you to model what community accountability looks like and to ensure that OFC continues to be a healing space. We will be sharing more as the situation unfolds, such as our lessons and process publicly for education and growth. Our news post in our server has links to all the articles that are mentioned, some of the topics that we’re discussing in this message, and we want to thank all of our members for keeping each other safe and to continue to bring issues like this forward so we can address them clearly and directly as a community together. Thank you.
Success:
https://ko-fi.com/post/Successful-Call-In-and-Template-Document-made-Q5Q0SFSFD
This experience showcases the effectiveness of restorative justice practices in addressing conflicts within a community. It highlights the importance of clear principles, transparency, and ongoing communication. As the community moves forward, the commitment to safety, inclusivity, and the fight for liberation remains unwavering. The lessons learned from this incident will undoubtedly contribute to the continuous growth and resilience of the community.
About the Author
Jesenia, a collaborator with Calling Up Justice and cofounder of One Free Community, is working to build a more equitable and inclusive world via collective action by building communities. Learn more on her Website or Read Jesenia’s Bio.
About One Free Community
One Free Community is A BIPOC- and neurodivergent-led, collaborative project working toward building the most accessible, functional, and inclusive mutual aid network the world has ever seen.