Code of Conduct

As members of the Caracol DSA Caucus, we commit ourselves to the following principles:

1) We will not prioritize Caucus work in non-Caucus DSA spaces.

We will prioritize the development of DSA generally, including work with DSA’s official structures and campaigns, above and before engaging in Caucus work.
We will not use DSA social media accounts to share caucus materials.
We will not use DSA lists to automate caucus outreach.
We will not overrun DSA spaces, meetings, or communications with caucus materials. Additionally, we will disclose our membership when promoting such materials.

2) We will make every effort to engage with fellow DSA members in good faith.

We will be positive representatives of organizational camaraderie.
We will not disparage other DSA members in public spaces, online or otherwise.
We will not publicly share information that casts DSA members in a negative light.
We will respect deliberative processes and not share drafts or private messages from internal discussions, regardless of intent.
We will endeavor not to assign motives to others, including assuming others’ reasons for taking or opposing a particular position.

3) We will strive to resolve internal conflicts through one-on-one conversations.

We will limit combative public engagement, whether political or personal.
We will offer to move combative public discussion to a private space—whether an in-person meeting, a video/phone call, or text channel—as feasible.
We will swiftly intervene in instances of petty bad behavior, as well as minor acts of racism, sexism, and other prejudices by taking the perpetrator aside and privately discussing their conduct using a restorative justice approach.
We will strive to distinguish political content from interpersonal content and articulate that distinction as needed.
We will avoid conflating political disagreement with interpersonal conflict.

4) We will use official DSA spaces and mechanisms to mediate conflict that cannot be resolved one-on-one.

We will bring political conflict and debate to official meetings of the Caucus.
We will refer instances of interpersonal conflict and/or harm for resolution through the official National grievance process as necessary after actioning them through the Caucus’s harm redress process.

5) We will take responsibility for how everyone in the Caucus experiences its spaces.

We will practice “take space/make space” or “step up/step back” by avoiding speaking when they have already spoken and encouraging the participation of those who have not yet participated. Additionally, we will refrain from taking up excessive virtual space—for example, on Slack or Discord—through posting and other means.
We will avoid cliques—small groups who relate to others with an “us vs. them” mentality. We will apply this principle both inside the Caucus and in DSA generally.
We will actively listen when others are speaking rather than passively waiting for their turn to speak.
We will avoid condescension, intimidation, or dismissiveness in our interactions.
We will debate principles and never oppose someone or something on the basis of a personal identity or affiliation.
We will acknowledge harm done by the actions and make amends. Additionally, We will forgive other members who have made amends and offer to help others reconcile their harm done.

6) We will respect the Caucus’s political goals and points of unity.

We will endeavor to make sense of these goals and points even when we personally disagree with them.
We will either defend these goals and points or derive the positive intention behind them when discussing them with non-Caucus members.
We will bring substantial disagreement with these goals and points to official meetings of the Caucus and advocate for their amendment.

7) We will do our due diligence to provide for the informational and operational security and safety of both the Caucus itself and each other.

We will apply the Chatham House Rule by avoiding naming our fellow members when referring to Caucus internal business.
We will exercise discretion by first thinking “Why Am I Talking/Sharing” (WAITS) before and whenever referring to Caucus internal business with anyone outside of the Caucus. We will only share what is absolutely necessary and refrain from sharing a piece of information when our better judgment indicates so.
We will not disseminate any internal Caucus materials except those expressly designated for sharing outside the Caucus.