Guidelines & Values

If you have questions, concerns, or feedback regarding our guidelines and values, please reach out to the Core Leads.

For a PDF version of this document, click here.

SLACK GUIDELINES

Slack participation is up to the discretion of the Leadership Team. If a member is found to be violating these guidelines, the Core Leads and Working Group (WG) Leads may opt to remove the member from the workspace.

  1. Use channels for their intended purpose

    • Do not spam channels with unrelated information

  2. Respect other members

    • Violent, aggressive, racist, ableist, sexist, or discriminatory language will not be tolerated

    • Be aware of other members’ capacity

      • Allow members to take time away from the group

      • Harassment will not be tolerated

  3. Respect WG Leads

    • Allow WG Leads to schedule meetings

    • Strive to keep WG channels clear so WG Lead communications are easily accessible

MISSION STATEMENT

SFU350 IS A STUDENT-LED CLUB ORGANIZING FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE. WE MOBILIZE FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE IN SOLIDARITY WITH INTERSECTING MOVEMENTS.

COMMUNITY VALUES

This is a living document and was last updated in September 2022. We welcome additions and edits to our community values and agreement.

Commitment to Indigenous Sovereignty and Decolonization/Indigenization

  1. Reflect UNDRIP in our campaigns and organizing.

  2. Land Back.

  3. Indigenous sovereignty and decolonization.

  4. Amplifying the voices of Indigenous Peoples and Nations.

  5. Utilizing an anti-colonial and anti-imperialist lens.

Frontline Activism

  1. Transformative justice over punitive measures.

    • Support for those on the frontline fighting for a better world (e.g. Indigenous land defenders).

      • In response to harm and trauma caused by climate-change, centering victims/survivors/those directly impacted.

    • Abolition of the prison industrial complex (as one example of a current punitive measure that is used )

      • Directly tied to the advancement/pursuing of climate justice.

      • Systems of oppression intersect to create and contribute to the climate crisis.

      • Origins of RCMP and other similar authorities that are actively surveying/enacting violence of all forms on Indigenous, racialized, and marginalized communities and individuals that are fighting for justice.

Building Community

  1. Student empowerment.

  2. Leading with integrity and transparency.

Working For the Future/What We’re Working Towards

  1. Ending fossil fuel extraction and development; we believe in a just transition for fossil fuel workers.

  2. Amplifying and centering communities being directly affected by legislative policies addressing climate change (eg. plastic bans cannot be done properly without the involvement of marginalized and poor communities).

  3. Systemic and policy change to address the climate crisis should not come at the expense of marginalized peoples and communities.

  4. Envisioning a future beyond capitalism; taking a critical approach to capitalism, seeking to reduce its many harms; striving to be anti-capitalist.

Intersectionality

  1. Moving with compassion, always recognizing the multiplicity of truths (nuances).

  2. Recognizing and valuing lived experiences.

  3. Recognizing that intersectionality is an important tool when analyzing the impacts of climate change.

  4. Affirming anti-racism and anti-oppression efforts and campaigning using these values.

Creating Accessible and Welcoming Spaces

  1. Meeting people where they are at in their learning journey on climate change-related issues.

    • Understanding that this work is a continuous process of learning and unlearning; helping facilitate safe spaces that allow for this growth; recognizing that activist spaces can be inaccessible to many.

    • Using accessible language and platforms alongside inclusive organizing efforts; key to building community for those who are impacted by such issues.

COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS

  1. Take time for yourself and communicate your needs to the group.

  2. Accepting people as they are and how they show up. Ie. not putting expectations that people have to be their best to work together.

  3. Communicate openly, clearly and often, including about capacity, action items, deadlines, goals, disagreement .

  4. Communicating times when you can't meet a deadline, stepping back, etc ; Capacity check before initiating discussion.

  5. Trigger warnings wherever appropriate.

  6. Respecting preferred names and pronouns.

  7. Respecting boundaries.

  8. Consent is key.

  9. Transparency to our members and externally as well.

  10. Value each other’s time and energy.

  11. Do not interrupt others.

  12. We seek to make time for fun together even when busy organizing activities.

  13. Making space for wellness/enjoyment/bonding and sharing experiences with each other (creating community).

  14. Organizing in a fun and inclusive way i.e., not about professionalism and corporatism.

  15. Seek consensus from the group before making any decisions that would impact the entire club (e.g. endorsing a new campaign using SFU350s logo).

  16. Completing tasks collaboratively with proper discussion.

  17. Own the impact of your actions and take responsibility.

  18. Assume best intentions of people but at the same time recognizing and taking accountability for harm caused.

  19. "Be tough on issues, but soft on people".

  20. A focus on learning and growth (both personal and professional).

  21. Create a culture of knowledge/information sharing and collective learning.

  22. Meet people where they are at (learning journey in these spaces).