Olympia Indivisible Values Agreement
With Principles of Inclusion, Tolerance, Truth, Fairness
1. What attitudes do I need to foster during these trying times?
2. How Should I present myself to the world in print, to the media, and person-to-person?
Use speech and behavior that is respectful, friendly, fair, effective, and focused
3. How do I stay safe and talk to a Trump follower: a friend, a relative, a stranger, or a person at a rally or public event?
Be safe, be civil, stay calm, listen deeply, seek common ground
4. How do I stand up with those most impacted by the Trump agenda?
5. How do I stay engaged without losing my mind?
- Friendliness
- Compassion
- Persistence
- Patience
2. How Should I present myself to the world in print, to the media, and person-to-person?
Use speech and behavior that is respectful, friendly, fair, effective, and focused
- Use your own words and focus on core values as well as issues
- Speak positively about what is right and why, rather than using negative comments
- Avoid using Trump’s language; this only strengthens his influence
- Steer clear of malicious “put down” humor; funny is fine, but we don’t do snarky
3. How do I stay safe and talk to a Trump follower: a friend, a relative, a stranger, or a person at a rally or public event?
Be safe, be civil, stay calm, listen deeply, seek common ground
- Be curious, ask questions; try to understand where they are coming from
- Seek common ground in shared values
- Steer clear of demeaning, judgmental or accusatory language
- Steer clear of provocateurs
- Act with dignity when confronting aggressive opposition
- Leave a situation if it feels unsafe or a situation is escalating
- Be mindful and caring of other members’ safety; help them exit if needed
- Follow all rules and regulations of the permit when at a rally/march
4. How do I stand up with those most impacted by the Trump agenda?
- Be mindful of any tendency to recreate systems of oppression inside our movement and organizing practices; introspect and adjust as needed
- Defer to those who are directly affected by a particular issue
- Meet with leaders from vulnerable communities, learn about their issues and values, identify mutual causes and opportunities for alliance, act on these when feasible
- Respond when possible to invitations to attend gatherings of these individuals and groups and invite them to speak to their issues with our membership
5. How do I stay engaged without losing my mind?
- Self-awareness: be attentive to triggers and reactions
- Mindfulness: stay in the present with positive actions
- Self-care: physically, emotionally and spiritually
- Sustainability: take breaks, vacation from activism to recharge your batteries
- Fellowship and Humor: engage in events which engender friendship, creativity and fun
