Overview

All PNW volunteers & participants are expected to follow Code of Conduct, which includes the Safe Space Agreement, Non-Discrimination and Non-Harassment Policies below. We value all participants, and believe that radical self-expression flourishes in an environment where mutual dignity and respect are upheld. Violation of these guidelines may result in disciplinary consequences up to and including being barred from participating in PNW events. 

Safe Space Agreement

Everyone participating in PNW activities and events - including, but not limited to exhibitions, events, performances, and social media channels -  expected to agree to the following. 

  • Not be violent or deliberately threaten or intimidate.

  • Not damage or steal property or artwork.

  • Conduct yourself in a manner appropriate to the event or platform in question. These details will vary from event to event and are often described in more detail in event-specific documents like the SOAK Survival Guide for instance. 

Non-Discrimination Policy

PNW does not and shall not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin (ancestry), age, disability, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, marital status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, Oregon, or local law. PNW is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, participants, board of directors, volunteers, vendors, and the greater PNW community.  

Non-Harassment Policy 

PNW is dedicated to providing a safe and harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neurotype, physical appearance, body, age, race, ethnicity, nationality, language, or religion. This includes the physical space, digital spaces, and event sites. We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form, including but not limited to sexual, physical, and verbal.

Such harassment may include verbal or physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility towards an individual because of any protected status, such as written material, jokes, pictures (including drawings), epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping, or threatening, intimidating, or hostile acts that relate to a protected class.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the event organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender and/or barring them from participating in PNW events. 

Reporting a Conduct Issue

The PNW Conduct Committee is composed of Board Members and other trusted community members. They review reported incidents and when appropriate take action to enforce our community standards. This might range from providing education and feedback to barring individuals from participating in organizational events.

If you would like to report a conduct concern, please email: conduct@precipitationnw.org

About the Conduct Review Process 

  • When you contact us, we will respond via email to acknowledge your message within a day or two and then determine next steps. Usually this will be to assign committee members to gather additional information. At the conclusion of the investigation, we will let you know the outcome to the extent possible while respecting the privacy of all parties involved.

  • Timelines can vary based on the complexity of the issue and we strive to resolve all conduct reports in a timely fashion, with a few weeks being typical. 

  • Proceedings of the Conduct Committee are confidential but not anonymous. We do not unnecessarily reveal any personal information, but investigation can require that we talk about specific activities involving specific people with the parties involved. 

  • We select our Conduct Committee members for their wisdom and discretion and do our best to assign suitable persons to each investigation. The committee pool includes both current board members, as well as trusted community members. 

  • All Conduct Committee members sign a non-disclosure agreement, and agree to recuse themselves from any investigations where they might have a conflict of interest. 

  • We maintain a record of all reported conduct investigations that is only accessible to members of the Conduct Committee. This includes statements gathered via email and interviews, as well as a timeline of events.  

  • We are a volunteer organization and we are incapable of conducting a criminal investigation or determining criminal guilt. If you believe that a law has been broken, we encourage you to pursue that aspect with law enforcement. That said, we’d still like to hear about any criminal convictions or ongoing criminal proceedings which we take into account when that information is available.