Overview

All PNW volunteers & participants are expected to follow Code of Conduct, which includes the Safe Space Agreement, Non-Discrimination and Non-Harassment Policies below. We value all participants, and believe that radical self-expression flourishes in an environment where mutual dignity and respect are upheld. Violation of these guidelines may result in disciplinary consequences up to and including being barred from participating in PNW events. 

Safe Space Agreement

Everybody participating in PNW activities is expected to help create and support a safe space for all volunteers and participants. This includes upholding and promoting our core values of: 

  • Respect: Value diversity, honor boundaries, and actively listen.

  • Equity and Inclusion: Promote radical inclusion to create and maintain safe spaces for all participants. You can learn more about our accommodations for inclusion at our main event (SOAK) here.

  • Accountability: Own your actions, acknowledge mistakes, and work toward improvement. Use resources and your volunteer position for the intended purposes and do not abuse authority. 

  • Transparency: Commit to open and honest communication. Seek to understand the perspectives of others and represent your own perspective honestly. 

  • Consent: Practice all levels of consent in interactions both verbal and physical. Undermining another person’s freedom of choice by threats, pressure, manipulation, blackmail or other forms of coercion are completely unacceptable behaviors and will not be tolerated.   

  • Non-violence towards people and property: threatening behavior, intimidation, physical violence, theft and vandalism are completely unacceptable behaviors and will not be tolerated.

Non-Discrimination Policy

All volunteers for PNW shall not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin (ancestry), age, disability, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, marital status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, Oregon, or local law. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment during all events and activities.

Non-Harassment Policy 

All volunteers for PNW are dedicated to providing a safe and harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neurotype, physical appearance, body, age, race, ethnicity, nationality, language, or religion. This includes the physical space, digital spaces, and event sites. We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form, including but not limited to sexual, physical, verbal, written material, jokes, pictures (including drawings), epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping, and threatening, intimidating, or hostile acts that relate to a protected class.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the event organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender and/or barring them from participating in PNW events.

Reporting a Conduct Issue

The PNW Conduct Committee is composed of Board Members and other trusted community members. They review reported incidents and when appropriate take action to enforce our community standards. This might range from providing education and feedback to barring individuals from participating in organizational events. When we do choose to bar individuals from participating in certain capacities, we do so for the protections of all the people in our shared spaces, and not as a punitive measure.

If you would like to report a conduct concern, please email: conduct@precipitationnw.org

About the Conduct Review Process 

  • When you contact us, we will respond via email to acknowledge your message within a day or two and then determine next steps. Usually this will be to assign committee members to gather additional information. At the conclusion of the investigation, we will let you know the outcome to the extent possible while respecting the privacy of all parties involved.

  • Timelines can vary based on the complexity of the issue and we strive to resolve all conduct reports in a timely fashion, with a few weeks being typical. 

  • Proceedings of the Conduct Committee are confidential but not anonymous. We do not unnecessarily reveal any personal information, but investigation can require that we talk about specific activities involving specific people with the parties involved. 

  • We select our Conduct Committee members for their wisdom and discretion and do our best to assign suitable persons to each investigation. The committee pool includes both current board members, as well as trusted community members. 

  • All Conduct Committee members sign a non-disclosure agreement, and agree to recuse themselves from any investigations where they might have a conflict of interest. 

  • We maintain a record of all reported conduct investigations that is only accessible to members of the Conduct Committee. This includes statements gathered via email and interviews, as well as a timeline of events.  

  • We are a volunteer organization and we are incapable of conducting a criminal investigation or determining criminal guilt. If you believe that a law has been broken, we encourage you to pursue that aspect with law enforcement. That said, we’d still like to hear about any criminal convictions or ongoing criminal proceedings which we take into account when that information is available.