Agreements that Guide our Work
1. We share the knowledge that the city now called Delta occupies the stolen and occupied lands of the scəw̓ aθən məsteyəxʷ, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm and the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking people.
2. We recognize that Canada has committed genocides against Indigenous Peoples.
3. We recognize that Canada embeds genocide into systems, institutions, and Canadian culture.
4. We commit to use this space to lift each other up, not put each other down.
5. We practice deep listening and believe the words of others.
6. We honour names, pronouns, genders, identities, experiences, and ancestry.
7. We believe in collaboration over competition and credit given where it is due.
8. We commit to moving forward into the unknown and we face challenges together; we believe that discomfort is often a first sign of growth.
9. We understand that dismantling systems of oppression benefits everyone, and this belief is at the heart of what we teach, build, and accomplish together.
10. We understand that this is a brave space, where we face conflict with help, and assume the best intentions of one another. Situations of conflict and questioning will be addressed with respect-filled answers and processes of resolution.
11. We do not ask others for casual emotional labour and the only stories we will share are our own. We consider confidentiality to be sacred in all situations.
12. We understand that our emotional safety and the safety of others in this discussion group is paramount, and we will not try to justify our impact on others by asking them to excuse it. It is for each of us to accept our impacts, both positive and negative, with grace, humility, and with the understanding that challenges to our perceptions help us grow.
Join the Committee
We call the statements above our “community agreements”. If you accept our community agreements and wish to join the committee, please email us using our contact form and we’ll provide you with further information.
Here is a printable copy of our Community Agreements, with space for your signature if you decide to join us.
Here’s how we went about creating our community agreements: