BurnT Conduct Committee

Memorandum of Understanding

As a BurnT Conduct Committee member, I agree to the following participation expectations and terms:

Committee Communication and Requirements

  • I will respond within 48 hours to all communications which explicitly ask for a reply. This includes Doodle scheduling links.
  • I will communicate to the Co-Chairs any changes in my circumstances that affect my participation or availability (for prolonged absences).
  • I understand that at any time during my committee tenure, if I do not meet the terms of the committee expectations, the Co-Chairs reserve the right to request my resignation as a  committee member.

Advisory Meetings and Participation

  • I will attend and participate in all relevant conference calls and meetings;
    If unable to attend, you must show you are agreeable with the consensus made through email/slack and through discussions with active members . Continued participation is required to be an active committee member.
  • Calls regarding investigative interviews, and scheduling meetings to make a recommendation after hearing a case should be taken seriously;
  • I understand that if I miss one conference call without 48 hours notice; I should be prepared to offer an explanation to the Lead(s).
  • If I miss a second conference call meeting without 48 hours notice, within 6 months, I should be prepared to offer an explanation to the entire Committee.
  • If I miss more than two conference call meetings without offering any notice, over the course of a year, I may be asked by the Leads to submit my resignation.
  • In addition, I will be prepared for all meetings, including prior review of relevant documents.
  • I will communicate to the Secretary of an inability to attend a meeting at least 48 hours in advance.
  • It is acceptable to use the ‘life’ clause to take a leave of absence from the advisors group for a specified or unspecified period of time. However, if you are one of the two investigators on an active case the utmost effort should be made to conclude the investigation process. (understand that an extended leave may require a re-vetting process)

Confidentiality

  • I understand that topics that will be covered are confidential and are not to be discussed outside of Conduct Committee Meetings;
    • This includes; spouses, dependants, inactive Committee members, witnesses (unless specified), emergency workers (unless specified).
    • Acceptable discussions can be held in private spaces with other Conduct Committee members. Any discussion of information with people not directly investigating the case is strongly discouraged. We may have to deal with upsetting or triggering incidents, emotional support should come from each other).
  • If you have decided to become an inactive member, the confidentiality of the reports you have taken must still be kept confidential. Any disclosure will be a violation of this MOU, and seen as a betrayal of the communities trust.
  • If part of an investigative team:
    • No names are to be used when discussing with other Conduct Committee members.
    • Once a determination has been made regarding a case with action recommended the name can and should be given to Ranger lead and BurnT BOD for the BOD to decide on recommendation put forth.
  • The Conduct Committee shall not disclose any personally identifying information or individual information collected in connection with Conduct Committee investigations or reveal any individual participant information without the informed, written, reasonably time-limited consent of the person about whom information is sought.
  • All information is confidential.
    • Information about the report will only be shared between active conduct members involved in that particular case.
    • In the event of emergencies, basic information can be released if the situation desires it.
    • No identifying information should be kept in a place where incidental access might occur. Strict protocol must be followed.

Biases and Recusing

  • If any Conduct member feels they cannot remain unbiased in an investigation or in making a decision (e.g. previous incident, prior history with the ‘reported’ or ‘reportee’) said board member should recuse themselves from the investigation.
  • all reportees have the right to refuse an investigator and this should be given the utmost respect.
  • Conduct  members will not attempt to sway a decision of the board based on personal opinion.
  • Conduct members will not use information outside of that reported to shade in details of the ‘reported’.

Professional Conduct

  • My attitude and behavior while participating in Conduct activities shall be driven by the Ten Principles of Burning Man plus Consent, as described in the appended document, the BurnT  Conduct Board Code of Principles. Conduct members should recuse themselves in situations where conflict of interest arises.

 

Conduct Member Signature

Chair Signature

Date

BurnT Conduct Committee Code of Principles

Consent
Conductors respect everyone’s personal boundaries and require consent wherever those boundaries may be crossed. No means no and should be met with respect and thanks to that person for expressing their boundaries.

Radical Inclusion
Conductors see each other and community members as equals and teammates and will work together to create an environment that is welcoming, collaborative, efficient and effective.  

Gifting
Conductors believe in giving back to the community through the gift of their time and effort. Conduct members are always mindful that each other’s time is a gift.  

Decommodification
Working on the Conduct Committee is volunteerism. Conductors do not expect salary or other material compensation for their time.

Radical Self-reliance
Conductors who take on responsibilities rely on their inner resources to accomplish those obligations in a timely and professional manner without requiring immediate or ongoing supervision.

Radical Self-expression
The Conduct Committee believes in sharing new ideas and standing up for what they believe in. In turn, they respect, listen to, and learn from the self-expression of other board members. During meetings advisors defer to the Secretary’s efforts to ensure everyone is heard. we support all the community’s rights to self expression unless it’s harmful to other members. (See Conduct Committee Code of Conduct).

Communal Effort
The Conduct Committee values creative cooperation and collaboration. Conductors strive to produce, promote and protect methods of communication that support such interaction. Advisors are respectful of each other’s time and service.

Civic Responsibility
The Conduct Committee values civil society. Conductors will strive to act professionally and respectfully in order to efficiently and effectively achieve the goals of the entity and the community it serves.

Leaving No Trace
Not all garbage is physical. Conductors will be mindful to treat each other and community members supportively and respectfully and to leave each other in a better state than when we found each other.

Participation
The Conduct Committee is committed to a radically participatory ethic and believes that transformative change, whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through the medium of deeply personal participation. Conductors achieve being through doing.

Immediacy
Conductors seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and our goals efficiently and effectively. Conductors will work together to help build a vibrant participatory community that is better than it was the day before.  
These principles must be read together as a single code of conduct.

No one principle outweighs the others.
Last updated: 13th Februrary 2017