Reminder: Community Guidelines

[Gillian Sanger 704]

I wanted to quickly bring to the community's attention the intention for this community, as well as general rules and etiquette to keep in mind. I am so pleased with how communication typically flows in this community, but I wanted to offer some reminders in any case. I will be elaborating on what is written on our 'About' page.

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First and foremost, compassion and non-judgment are at the heart of this community. We ask that when you share here, your words are grounded in these qualities. "Loving-kindness and understanding are what this space is here for, so ensure that your words are in alignment with these." If posts are made that violate these terms (and others outlined in the About page), we maintain the right to remove them. 

Mindful, compassionate communication is at the core of this. In an online space, this can be tricky as words are more likely to be misinterpreted. For that reason, it feels even more important to be thoughtful with our words and to consider the overall net effect of them. I am going to point out two places to learn more about what this mindful, compassionate communication entails:

1) Oren J. Sofer provides a wealth of knowledge on mindful communication. During his workshop with the teacher training program, he outlined three pillars of mindful communication: presence, intention, and attention. Intention stands out to me here. He says, "If our intention is off, the other person is going to feel it." In this community, our intention should be coming from curiosity and care.

If you are not in the teacher training program, you can find Oren's work here: https://www.orenjaysofer.com/

2) The Center for Nonviolent Communication can also provide guidance here. From there website, I am drawn to this line: "Through its emphasis on deep listening—to ourselves as well as others—NVC helps us discover the depth of our own compassion. This language reveals the awareness that all human beings are only trying to honor universal values and needs, every minute, every day."

You can learn more about this approach to compassionate communication here: https://www.cnvc.org/learn-nvc/what-is-nvc

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Now, it's important to note that this does not mean we always need to agree - but how do we discuss topics of difference? Are we approaching our differences with compassion, awareness of our shared humanity, and curiosity? All are welcome to share their opinions here, but please do so without blaming and shaming.

If you have any questions about this or any concerns with posts going forward, feel free to reach out to me. On the whole, this community has felt very warm, supportive, and inspiring. Thank you for your contributions. Let's continue to use our words to bring out the best in one another - to support, to care, and to nurture.