Adapted from the Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance (AORTA) | Anti-Oppressive Facilitation Guide via the OER Fellowship Site.

One mic, one speaker
Please, one person speak at a time. It can also be useful to ask people to leave a few moments in between speakers, for those who need more time to process words, or are less comfortable interjecting in a conversation. When someone is speaking, practice your attention skills by looking/tracking/nodding to show interest.

No one knows everything; Together we know a lot
In any conversation, especially one about systemic power (race, class, gender, etc), we know that each person is coming to the conversation with different levels of lived experience and embodied expertise. We also believe that each person has something to contribute to the conversation. This agreement asks that we all practice humility and look for what we have to learn from each person in the room. It asks us to share what we know, as well as our questions, so that others may learn from us.

“Move up” to listen and speak
If you’re someone who tends not to speak a lot, please move up into a role of speaking more. If you tend to speak a lot, please move up into a role of listening more. Listening is a frequently feminized skill that is often seen as passive. On the contrary, choosing to listen closely and then share your voice helps to “move up” you and the group.

We can’t be articulate all the time
People can feel nervous about participating in a program, meeting, or discussion for fear of “messing up” or stumbling over their words. We want everyone to feel comfortable participating, even if you don’t feel you have the perfect words to express your thoughts.

Be aware of time
This is helpful for your facilitator and helps to respect everyone’s time and commitment. Please arrive on time, return on time from breaks, and refrain from speaking in long monologues.

Embrace curiosity
We make better decisions when we approach our problems and challenges with questions (“What if we
?”) and curiosity. Allow space for play, curiosity, and creative thinking.

Acknowledge the difference between intent and impact
The ask here is that we each do the work to acknowledge that our intent and the impact of our actions are two different things, and to take responsibility for any negative impact we have. (This can be as simple as apologizing.)