As members of the Pagan Pride Project, the following is an expected code
of ethical conduct for Local Coordinators and members of the Board of
Directors:
Honesty in self-representation:
Not claiming titles or lineage you don't have; and not claiming to
speak for Pagan Pride Project, Inc. in matters of legal or policy issues
without authorization from the Board of Directors.
Neutrality and inclusiveness:
including diverse elements of all the local Pagan community; actively
reaching out to multiple groups to be involved with the event; not
playing favorites, but putting aside personal or ideological differences
to work together for the betterment of the community and Paganism.
Following the Non-Rumor-Proliferation agreement:
We shall not participate in the proliferation of malicious gossip or
rumor within the Pagan community, and especially within Pagan Pride, nor
shall we support those who do so.
Non-discrimination: No
discrimination based on race, gender, spiritual tradition, or sexual
orientation; nor belittling anyone for any of the above.
Financial integrity:
Recording and reporting all funds accurately; never, ever taking funds
and using them for personal purposes; being willing to display financial
records publicly.
Directness in communication:
Taking responsibility for communicating your needs within Pagan Pride
as clearly and honestly as you are able. To the best of your ability,
trying to go directly to the source rather than backbiting or repeating
hearsay, listening carefully, and speaking with respect, honesty, and
courtesy.
Timeliness and honesty in reporting:
Sending progress and event reports on time; communicating with Regional
Coordinators and PPP Central when asked; and always being honest with
all data on these reports.
Embracing a spirit of teamwork and cooperation:
Not viewing other Pagan Pride events and coordinators as competition,
but rather as members of the same team; working with events that may be
close to you to stagger dates, share vendors and participants, and
maximize success for all involved.
Respecting privacy: while
Local Coordinators by definition need to be "out of the broom closet,"
it is still a breach of ethics to reveal anyone else's involvement in
the Pagan community without their permission.
Respecting consentuality:
not participating in any non-consensual physical, psychic, emotional, or
magickal actions while associated with the Pagan Pride Project, Inc.
Situations in which the Board of Directors -may- remove a Local Coordinator:
Note: these are not definites, nor are they the only times where
the Board may do so, but these are situations where we reserve the right
to ask a Local Coordinator no longer to be a member of the Pagan Pride
Project, Inc.
- Not following the Code of Expected Ethical Conduct.
- Proof of committing a non-victimless crime: While the community may
disagree on whether all laws are just, there are some we can all agree
on: non-consentual acts like theft, molestation and assault. Proof of
having committed one of these crimes is potential grounds for the
removal of a Local Coordinator.
- Crime of any sort in conjunction with a Pagan Pride event, whether
you think it's a valid law or not, including permit and ordinance
violations. A caveat: if a situation should arise where an LC thinks
civil disobedience is legitimately called for, the LC will discuss this
with the Board in advance of the situation and the decision will be made
jointly and in conjunction with legal counsel.
- Misrepresentation of an event to the Board: saying you advertised
when you didn't; lying about event numbers; saying you followed event
policies when you didn't, etc.
- Bad-mouthing Pagan Pride: if you disagree with a Board decision or
PPP policy, you discuss that with the Board, not broadcast it all over
your local community. Similarly, if you have a problem with another
Local Coordinator, you discuss it with your Regional Coordinator, and
work with mediation, not antagonism.
- Consistent antagonistic behavior, as defined by Kenneth Haugk in
"Antagonists in the Church": "Antagonists are individuals who, on the
basis of nonsubstantive evidence, go out of their way to make insatiable
demands, usually attacking the person or performance of others. These
attacks are selfish in nature, tearing down rather than building up, and
are frequently directed against those in a leadership capacity."
Persistent and unrepentant antagonistic behavior can be grounds for
removal by the Board of Directors on a case-by-case basis.
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If the Board of Directors feels that a situation warrants examination, the following procedure will be followed:
- A representative of the Board, most likely the LC's Regional
Coordinator or Membership Director, will present the Local Coordinator
with specifics of the problem or problems that appear to exist, with as
many concrete examples as possible;
- They will discuss it with the LC, preferably by phone, but at least in an emailed, 2-sided conversation;
- They will hear the LC's explanation and discuss it with the Board before making a decision.
- The Board may also gather information from other people, but in all
cases as much discretion as possible will be involved, because the Board
is held to the non-rumor-proliferation agreement as well.
- The Board's decision may be appealed once if you really, really
think there was evidence not examined in the initial discussion; but a
re-evaluated decision is final.
Conflict Resolution Procedure:
If two members of the Pagan Pride Project are in conflict, the following is the procedure to be followed:
- Direct communication between disputants. This is always the choice most strongly requested, as we are all equal.
- Communication with one's Regional Coordinator. This should be
reserved either for a situation where a person simply cannot manage to
speak on their own and wants mediation, or in a situation where an issue
seems to be enough of a problem that it may affect other Pagan Pride
events.
- Under no circumstances should the complaint simply be broadcast
about, either on Pagan Pride national lists or local email lists. The
maturity to address a situation directly without bringing in the entire
community is expected of Coordinators.
Pagan Pride Values Statement:
Values Statement
Respect, integrity, communication, and neutrality are the cornerstones of our organization.
Respect
We respect individual spiritual beliefs and backgrounds, and
recognize the importance of spirituality in everyday life. Membership is
open to anyone who defines him or herself as a Pagan or allied
spiritual path (see our own (very broad) definition of Paganism) who
agrees to our event policies and Code of Expected Ethical Conduct. No
commonality of belief, practice, or rites is implied by membership in
this organization. Membership is solely to provide the resource
advantages of a larger group, while remaining autonomous in our personal
practices.
Integrity
We shall remain honest and trustworthy in all of our interactions.
We shall facilitate accountability and strength of character among our
members. We shall conduct ourselves in such a manner as to bring honor
to our community and to Paganism.
Communication
Every voice in our community is important and deserves to be heard.
We shall attempt to make communication as extensive and accurate as
possible among our members, and listen to feedback from our local
communities about our events. We shall not participate in the
proliferation of malicious gossip or rumor, nor shall we support those
who do so. We shall be a positive voice for Paganism in our community at
large, while recognizing that not every Pagan is able to be in the open
regarding their spiritual beliefs.
Neutrality
We are politically neutral. While we understand and expect
differences among members of the Pagan community, we cannot afford to
allow this to separate us when our goal is fighting prejudice and
discrimination. We are not referees and will not be pulled into local
disputes. On Pagan Pride Day, and in the planning of its events, we
refuse to be involved in "witch wars" but proudly rise above differences
of opinion to stand united and show the world that we -are- Proud to be
Pagan.