I enter into this space presuming it to be safe and doing my part to preserve it as such. I understand that if I cannot uphold and honor these rules, my participation will be revoked. 

  1. Confidentiality: I will contribute to the safety of this space and acknowledge that what is said here stays here, but what is learned here should leave here.
  2. Active Listening: I will listen intently to understand rather than respond, striving to achieve a balance between listening and processing, speaking (without interrupting) and reflecting. 
  3. Presence: I will be 100% present and set aside the usual distractions of things undone from yesterday and things to do tomorrow. I will actively participate and expect to be called upon because my contributions are valuable and necessary to the collective learning experience. 
  4. Choice: I will always be in control of how much I share about myself and my lived experiences. 
  5. Authenticity: I will speak from my own perspectives, using “I” statements and never generalizing. I will trust that my voice will be heard and my contribution respected. 
  6. Open Mindedness: I will experiment with new ideas and challenge my already established assumptions. When I do not agree or accept ideas, I will ask clarifying questions to seek understanding. 
  7. Learners, Not Teachers: I am here to discover my own truths along my inner journey. It is not my place to persuade, correct, or debate others.
  8. No Judgement: I will refrain from reacting with judgement; no one among us is an expert and we all have room to learn and grow. 
  9. Discomfort: I will turn to wonder when I find myself lost in difficult emotions. “I wonder what my reaction teaches me?” “I wonder how (s)he/they are feeling right now?”

Partially adapted from http://www.couragerenewal.org/touchstones/