Re: [Origami] CoC: Thoughts on Common Objections
> On May 20, 2021, at 04:25, Brian Chan wrote: > > There are a handful of objections to having a CoC that I see coming up > in the discussions, that I would paraphrase as "It would be hard to > enforce" or "It can be used dishonestly" which beg the question, is it > really better to not bother at all? On the point of CoCs being used dishonestly, the reverse situation must also be considered. The treatment of Naomi Osaka by the Grand Slam tennis officials is an excellent example. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/06/02/naomi-osaka-mental-health-french-open-violated-law/7493794002/ The officials use the Code of Conduct as a threat against Naomi when she asked for accommodation for her mental health needs. This emphasizes the need for an arbiter for Code of Conduct issues who can be viewed as safe to approach and trustworthy to deal with the issue with the care and compassion required. -- Joseph Wu, Origami Artist (via iPhone) e: josep...@origami.as w: http://www.origami.as flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephwuorigami/ facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joseph.wu.origami
[Origami] CoC: Thoughts on Common Objections
There are a handful of objections to having a CoC that I see coming up
in the discussions, that I would paraphrase as "It would be hard to
enforce" or "It can be used dishonestly" which beg the question, is it
really better to not bother at all?
If the answer is yes, then the only rules that remain would then be 1)
law enforcement and 2) whatever the organizers deem unacceptable. In
my opinion these are both inferior to having a CoC. Honestly if it's
going to be 1) ("Just don't break laws") I think I don't need to
elaborate why it would be a woefully deficient set of guidelines. A
lot of harassment isn't breaking the law but has no place in a
convention. Enough said.
This leaves option 2), organizers acting on their own set of
principles; but if that's the case, why not write out some of those
principles so we know what to expect? What kind of complaint would be
dismissed, what would be taken seriously? How do I know that the
volunteer or organizer isn't acting strongly on their own personal
biases rather than an agreed upon set of rules?
The other common form of objection is that "some rules are ridiculous,
and/or too specific". This is an easy answer. If organizers don't like
such rules, they can omit them from their code of conduct.
There is a balance though, between what is too vague and what is too
specific. If the only guideline is "don't be a jerk" or "have common
sense" be warned that people have differing concepts of "common
sense". Even "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is
incomplete because of different people's expectations. Imagine trying
to enforce that in the presence of a masochist, for example.
Rules change depending on the context and culture of the event. For
example, I would imagine there are a lot of things that are acceptable
at Burning Man that would get you kicked out of most origami cons. Or
maybe you want to run a convention in the style of Burning Man? Even
if the only rule is solely "Don't break laws", it's better to have
that explicitly stated. That Code of Conduct is an opportunity for
convention organizers to be *transparent* about how things are run,
and to define the culture of the convention. This is great for
newcomers too, who might not know what to expect otherwise.
These are my thoughts as an "old-timer" of many conventions, origami
and otherwise.
Brian Chan
Re: [Origami] COC Thoughts
On Sun, May 16, 2021, 8:08 PM John R. S. Mascio wrote: > I have some questions, I feel, we need to seriously think about: > > *What do we hope to accomplish? *Have a CoC? Bad. Reasons for a CoC? > I'm sure we can come up with 1000's of reasons, and probably all good, but > a knee-jerk reaction we need one is not a reason to have one. But reasons > for it are the motivation, not the outcome. Are there laws or other rules > that possibly cover this better that we just need to use/enforce? Are > there other methods we can use? > The reason we need Codes of Conduct is that the origami community is not immune to having people act badly and is also diverse and global enough that large events are likely to bring together people with different backgrounds and from different cultures why have different assumptions about what is "reasonable". One impetus for this is that there are members of the origami community who have assaulted or harassed other members of the origami community at times and places in the past. Some of those victims do not feel comfortable attending a convention that does not have a Code of Conduct that provides adequate protection from further harm for victims that decide to come forward in the event that an incident does occur. I, personally, want more people to feel safe and comfortable attending more origami events and a robust Code of Conduct is one element that helps ensure that for some people. Malachi >
[Origami] COC Thoughts
I have some questions, I feel, we need to seriously think about: *What do we hope to accomplish? *Have a CoC? Bad. Reasons for a CoC? I'm sure we can come up with 1000's of reasons, and probably all good, but a knee-jerk reaction we need one is not a reason to have one. But reasons for it are the motivation, not the outcome. Are there laws or other rules that possibly cover this better that we just need to use/enforce? Are there other methods we can use? *What is the goal and expected outcome? *And what are the consequences of violating the CoC? Fundamentally we are imposing a set of Rules or localized laws on behavior. I think we should think of it in that context. *What unintended negative consequences might arise? * We can look to history for may examples of well intended laws and rule that backfired in spectacular, sometimes amusing, ways. * * *How should a report be addressed, and how should the complaint be investigated?* For people to feel safe, yes, the reporter needs to feel their complaint will be taken seriously, but the complainant should also feel safe from false accusations. I've had female students threaten to accuse me, but when they found out, it's not a "accuse and, by definition, win", fundamentally blackmailing me with the threat of an accusation means they can get what they wanted, they backed down. There was a process of investigation. A case of attempting to get an 'A' by blackmail, not by actually studying and thinking. And a CoC will not mean things are by definition safe. But hopefully, a person with a complaint of harassment, bullying, or what ever complaint they may have, will feel they will be taken seriously and looked in to as thoroughly as possible. And what is the process? Who has the finial authority? Much like the agreements for warranties that say "you agree to binding arbitration under thus and such conditions." Maybe not binding arbitration, but what is the escalation path, and where does it stop? And where and how does the complaint get escalated, Heaven forbid, to law enforcement? And over all, what documentation will be taken and how? JRSM -- _ | John R. S. Mascio / K5RYU _|_|_) | mas...@k5ryu.com (_|_|| http://k5ryu.com k5...@arrl.net, mas...@gmail.com mas...@email.phoenix.edu j...@okinawankarateclub.com k5...@winlink.org
