About The Gather

Values

1. People First - We protect people before institutions

2. Justice & Courage - We challenge abuse of power and pursue justice, even when it’s hard.

3. Compassionate Leadership - We lead with humility and curiosity, treating our differences as assets and building power together and creating shared solutions

4. Systemic Change - Real change happens locally. We organize here to shift the systems and institutions that shape people's lives, centering those most harmed by the status quo.

5. Supportive Growth - We take care of each other. This work is demanding, and we build spaces where members can learn, struggle, rest, and grow without being consumed by the fight.

6. Accountability & Repair - We act with integrity, take responsibility for our impact, and commit to repairing harm in order to strengthen trust and relationships.

7. Autonomous Engagement - We recognize that this work carries different levels of risk and sacrifice. We respect each member's autonomy to choose their level of engagement, and we never pressure, shame, or rank participation.

Community Agreements

These agreements reflect the culture we want to build together as a coalition committed to community organizing against extremism. They are not rules, but shared commitments that help us co-create a space of trust, accountability, and care. We recognize that how we show up with one another is as important as the work we do together.

1. Lean into enthusiasm and joy.
   While the work is serious, we make space for joy, laughter, and celebration as sources of resilience and energy for the movement.

2. Confidentiality – What’s shared stays, what’s learned leaves.
   We honor the trust in this space by keeping personal stories and details confidential, while carrying forward the wisdom and lessons that help us grow as a coalition.

3. Shared Safety, Repair & Accountability.
   When harm or conflict arises, we commit to addressing it directly and with care. We take responsibility for our words and actions, work to repair relationships, and use conflict as an opportunity to strengthen trust and solidarity.

4. Awareness of Power, Privilege, and White Supremacy Culture.
   We recognize that power and privilege shape our lived experiences differently. As a coalition, we are committed to dismantling white supremacy and patriarchal culture and other forms of oppression in our community, within our group, and within ourselves.

5. Honor our bodies.
   We respect our physical and emotional needs like rest, food, water, movement, breaks as essential to sustainable organizing.

6. Use “I” statements and speak only for yourself.
   We share from our own experiences and perspectives rather than assuming for others, which helps us build honesty and accountability in our dialogue.

7. Listen & speak from the heart.
   We practice deep listening and speak with care, balancing truth with compassion, so that all voices can be heard.

8. We are all learning.
   We come with humility, knowing that none of us has all the answers. We commit to being open to new insights, questions, and growth.

9. Value risk-taking & courage.
   We encourage one another to take risks, ask hard questions, and share brave ideas, knowing that courage moves us closer to justice.

10. Assume good intent and acknowledge impact.
    We give each other the benefit of the doubt while also holding space to recognize when words or actions cause harm, regardless of intention.

11. Honor the incomplete.
    Not every conversation will have closure. We accept that leaving space for ongoing reflection and action is part of the work.

12. Kind, not nice.
    We choose honesty and care over surface-level politeness, understanding that true kindness sometimes requires saying difficult things.

13. Be invested in each other’s well-being.
    We look out for one another as people, not just as coalition partners, knowing our collective strength depends on our individual health and safety.

14. Take space. Make space.
    We practice awareness of airtime, stepping up to contribute when we tend to hold back, and stepping back to create room when we tend to dominate.

These agreements are living commitments. As our coalition grows and changes, so will the ways we practice accountability, care, and justice with one another. We hold ourselves and each other responsible for sustaining this culture, knowing it is the foundation of our effectiveness and resilience in the work ahead.