Our Group Agreements

Here’s what MANA’s organizers have committed to:

 

1. We share power & responsibility, we do not hoard it.

To create shared ownership of and investment in MANA's community organizing work, we share power in the most decentralized ways we can. Think "power with," and "power to," instead of "power over." We work collaboratively and freely ask for help and support when we cannot meet the commitments we have made.

2. We aim to uphold psychologically safe spaces.

There are several dimensions to psychological safety, but here are just a few examples:

  • Differences are welcome and necessary for a resilient, successful organizing team.

  • While we uphold safe spaces, we encourage brave spaces.

  • You can bring your whole self to MANA spaces, without fear of retribution.

  • We assume good faith and positive intent In ourselves and one another.

3. We value curiosity and respect differing communication styles.

Some folks talk more slowly, some are looking for pauses, some prefer to write responses, some are visual learners, and on and on. No question is too basic to ask, and there will be no retribution for asking your questions. We respect and value everyone's communication styles. We utilize mutual invitation and round robin discussion to ensure everyone's voices may be heard on a matter.

 

4. We prioritize and value skill sharing.

This means ensuring space for the transfer of knowledge between folks. We all have our skill sets and knowledge bases. Sharing our expertise will only make our team more equipped to exact nimble and resilient organizing.

5. We operate by protecting one another's privacy, as defined by each individual.

Everyone is asked to define what privacy means to them, and the group will operate by each person's privacy standards & boundaries. Open communication is good communication. Privacy and safety of organizers is pertinent to our organizing work.

6. We strive for universal accessibility, acknowledging that we can always do better.

With each new person comes new accessibility needs. We aim to learn those needs and commit to making our meetings transparent and work as accessible as possible to as many people as possible.

Want to learn more about how MANA is organized? Head on over to our Contact Form and send us a message!