Conduct Committee
The Conduct and Consent Committee is a small group of volunteers who meet year round to discuss the evolution of our community’s understanding and enactment of conduct and consent. We exist to provide a meaningful process for community members to raise concerns relating to the SideBurn event, its volunteers and its attendees. By holding space for community members when incident reports are made, the Conduct and Consent Committee are guided by the desire to provide a more impartial and meaningful process to make recommendations to the Flame Ontario Board related to these reports.
Core Values
Privacy and Confidentiality
Disclosure of facts or details may need to be made to members of the Conduct Committee but these will not be shared with other members of Flame Ontario or the community.
Humility
Our mission is challenging, and the process will be iterative. We acknowledge that we are capable of making mistakes, and we will be open to feedback and we should seek to reduce harm and move forward in a better way. Our goal is not to be right, but we will continue to strive to get it right.
Compassion
We want to be centered on dignity, kindness, and compassion; seeking healing, growth, and reconciliation where possible.
Diversity
To properly do our job, we need to hear many different kinds of voices and allow a platform for individuals to select case leads that best reflect their needs.
Timeliness
These are sensitive issues that require immediacy. We will do our best to work quickly within our capacity as volunteers and keep all interested parties apprised of our progress.
Transparency
Processes should be transparent even when details must be obscured.
Mission Statement
The Conduct and Consent Committee exists to provide a compassionate assessment process for conduct concerns raised by community members (including concerns raised about members of the FlameON Board or Conduct Committee) relating to the SideBurn event and its attendees.
We are all responsible for ensuring that SideBurn is a safer space for all attendees. The Conduct and Consent Committee exists as a group of volunteers who are committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of our participants by holding space for attendees to bring forward concerns about conduct and consent violations at SideBurn. By working together with the community to understand the incidents and people that impact SideBurn attendees and their experience at the event, we hope to enact positive change and work with individuals to find a path toward healing.
The Conduct and Consent Committee will work with the community to broaden and strengthen our knowledge and understanding of consent. We will contribute to establishing community support networks and systems to address conduct and consent violations.
The Conduct and Consent Committee will actively work to provide a more impartial and meaningful process to recommend remedial action, conditional participation, or exclusion of people at official SideBurn events based on direct reports (Incident Reporting Form) to the SideBurn Conduct and Consent Committee.
The Conduct and Consent Committee only recommends actions to the FlameON Board: it remains the responsibility of the FlameON Board to enact those recommendations as is appropriate.
While some mediation is likely to occur during assessments, it is not the primary goal of the Conduct and Consent Committee, and participants are encouraged to seek help from friends, loved ones, and mentors to obtain the support they require.
Conflict of Interest Policy
1.0 Purpose
All Conduct and Consent Committee members have a duty to ensure that the integrity of the decision-making processes of conduct and consent reports are maintained, by ensuring that they are free from conflict or potential conflict in their decision-making. It is important that all Conduct and Consent Committee members understand their obligations when a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest arises.
All Conduct and Consent Committee members are also required to understand the process should an Incident Report include allegations against a Conduct and Consent Committee member or Flame Ontario Board Member (referred to as Board Members thoughout).
2.0 Application
This policy applies to all Conduct and Consent Committee members and Board Members.
3.0 Policy
Conduct and Consent Committee members must be forthcoming about declaring any conflict of interest or perceived conflict of interest.
The process set out in this policy shall be followed when a conflict or potential conflict arises, or if an incident report includes a Conduct and Consent Committee member or Board Member.
4.0 Description of Conflict of Interest
A conflict of interest arises in any situation where a Conduct and Consent Committee member’s duty to review a conduct report is compromised or impeded by any other interest, relationship, or duty.
A conflict of interest may also arise if an incident report involves a Conduct and Consent Committee member and/or Board Member.
The situations in which potential conflict of interest may arise cannot be exhaustively described.
Conflicts generally arise in the following situations:
a. Conduct and Consent Committee member or Board Member is directly involved in the incident being reported, either as the reporter, a witness, or the subject of the report.
b. Conduct and Consent Committee member is unable to remain unbiased in decision making relating to an incident reported for any reason.
5.0 Disclosure of Conflicts
A Conduct and Consent Committee member who is in a position of conflict or potential conflict shall immediately disclose such conflict to the other committee members, and notification will be made to the Flame Ontario Board to determine if a representative is required. The disclosure shall be sufficient to fully explain the nature and extent of the interest. Disclosure shall be made at the earliest possible time and, where possible, prior to any discussion and vote on the matter.
Should the conflict involve a Board Member, notification will be made to the Flame Ontario Board.
6.0 Abstain from Discussions
The Conduct and Consent Committee member who has declared a conflict shall not be present during the discussion or vote in respect of the matter in which the member has a conflict. They shall not attempt in any way to influence the voting.
7.0 Process for Resolution of Conflicts
If the Conduct and Consent Committee member declares a conflict of interest, the Conduct and Consent Committee will vote to decide if the member:
a. May continue in their role (while abstaining from the identified conflict);
b. Be temporarily suspended from their duties with the Conduct and Consent Committee.
If the Conduct and Consent Committee member’s behaviour or conduct is the source of a report, the member will be immediately (temporarily) suspended from their duties with the Conduct and Consent Committee. All access to reports, documentation, and meetings will be suspended until the incident is reviewed. At the conclusion of the investigation, a vote will take place to determine if the involved party should remain in their role with the Conduct and Consent Committee.
The Flame Ontario Board must be notified of the conflict and must designate a representative to oversee the incident investigation and review. The Board representative is to remain in an oversight role to ensure the integrity of the review is maintained as it relates to the Incident Report. The reporter of the incident must be notified of the chosen Flame Ontario Board representative.
If an incident report is made regarding a Flame Ontario Board Member’s behaviour or conduct, the Conduct and Consent Committee will immediately call for an emergency meeting within seven [7] days to review the report and put forward recommendations to determine if the Flame Ontario Board Member:
a. May continue in their role until the incident is fully investigated and reviewed, or
b. Be temporarily suspended from their duties with the Flame Ontario Board until the incident is fully investigated and reviewed.
A full report must be submitted to the Flame Ontario Board about any conflict of interest, the immediate actions taken, and the recommendations put forth by the Conduct and Consent Committee.
8.0 Perceived Conflicts
It is recognized that the perception of conflict or breach of duty may be harmful to the event even where no conflict exists or breach has occurred, and it may be in the best interests of the event that the Conduct and Consent Committee member or Flame Ontario Board Member is asked to abstain from discussions, votes or resign.
9.0 Amendment
This policy may be amended by the Flame Ontario Board and the Conduct and Consent Committee on an as needed or annual basis.