Ground Rules for Community Engagement 

The PJSA Board has been in conversation over the past several months about what it means to be a community of activists, educators, and scholars who model the best practices of conflict transformation and restorative justice both online and in-person. The Board’s conversation led to the development of the following “Ground Rules for Community Engagement” which were adopted at the Dec. 2020 PJSA Board Meeting.

Ground Rules for Community Engagement

  1. Be open to new perspectives and seek understanding rather than trying to persuade. Ask clarifying questions before assuming intentions or arguing positions.
  2. Challenge ideas not people: Always give people the benefit of the doubt; do not invent intentions for others, instead ask questions if you disagree with someone. 
  3. Take space and make space. Allow for a healthy exchange of ideas instead of asserting your opinions or expertise.
  4. Speak your truth: Freely share your experiences while also respecting other’s experiences as their truth. 
  5. Emotions are allowed when they are directed at ideas and not at people. 
  6. Do not tone police – focus on what a person is saying and not their emotional expression. (For an understanding of tone policing see: https://everydayfeminism.com/2015/12/tone-policing-and-privilege/ and https://femmagazine.com/feminism-101-what-is-tone-policing/)