In the Open Forum Community, we strive to create and maintain safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces for discussions around DEI in STEMM. The Open Forum Community is a place where we can learn from each other and grow together on our journeys to create lasting positive change. We expect those participating in any part of the Open Forum initiative to abide by the Open Forum on Broadening Participation in STEM Code of Conduct.
The Open Forum Community assumes positive intent and its own negative impacts.
Assuming positive intent means that we are generous when interpreting the words and behaviors of others. We are all in the Open Forum Community because we all share a common purpose - advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEMM. We also must be accountable for any negative impacts we might create. We are all learning in our own ways, and we are going to make mistakes. What is most important is that we remain open to the idea that we may be wrong, and acknowledge the impacts of our words and actions.
The Open Forum Community is collaborative and critical, not competitive.
We practice generosity by assuming positive intent and owning negative impacts. Another way we can practice generosity that will help us collectively work toward our shared purpose is to step away from the competitive tendencies we might traditionally lean toward in STEMM. The Open Forum Community is a collaborative and critical space, but we are not in competition with one another. When we remove competition, assume positive intent, and own negative impacts, we create a space where critiques are offered with generosity and accepted with humility. Critical engagement with one another is essential in our efforts to move the needle and create lasting positive change.