Ethical Communication Guidelines
Cultivating ethical relationships is at the core of Ethical Humanism. The practices articulated below can bolster our efforts to live and act in harmony with our beliefs. They can help us enjoy caring and compassionate interactions with one another, individually and as a community. The Board of Trustees, in collaboration with the interim director and staff, and in response to member feedback, has adopted these guiding principles for communication within the Ethical Society community.
- To consider and apply the most charitable interpretation when intentions are ambiguous or unclear;
- To act in good faith and assume others are acting in good faith;
- To listen with respect and curiosity to other community members;
- To speak for myself and from my own experience;
- To do my best to attend and participate in meetings I have agreed to;
- To avoid the use of judgmental or inflammatory language;
- To criticize issues, not people, and disagree respectfully;
- To refrain from using email or social media to address interpersonal or intergroup conflicts and instead to address concerns face-to-face;
- To handle differences collaboratively and, if necessary, to seek mediation if an intractable problem arises;
- To respect confidentiality when it is requested and agreed upon;
- To accept responsibility for the impact my words, actions, and choices have on others.
These have been adapted with permission from The Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture.
We will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or bullying of any kind. Regardless of race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, age, disability, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, nationality, gender presentation or identity, or marital status, we are an organization that celebrates the rich diversity of the human family and affirms the right of everyone to be treated fairly and kindly.
- Governance
- Mission and Vision
- Communication Guidelines
- Board of Trustees
- Board Policy Manual (PDF)
- Bylaws (PDF)