About Us

Mission

Public international law professionals are united by a common mission and endure shared, unique challenges. From navigating confronting content to managing demanding work environments, many of us have faced similar obstacles.

The Collective is a dynamic space to fortify our community and impact. We empower each other to:

Connect: Share in peer support and practical tools

Exchange: Share expertise and workshop ideas in a low-pressure and informal space

Catalyze: Drive innovative and systemic change in and beyond our field

No topic is off-limits, from trauma to identity to professional aspirations. With each other as our greatest resource, we can mitigate obstacles and celebrate successes. Together, we cultivate resilience to build more enjoyable, impactful, and durable careers.

Guiding philosophy

Inspired by the central tenant of ubuntu philosophy, which was at the center of Desmond Tutu's anti-apartheid rhetoric -

Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu . . . "a person is a person through other people"

"Ubuntu is the essence of being a person. It means that we are people through other people. We cannot be fully human alone. We are made for interdependence, we are made for family. When you have ubuntu, you embrace others" (Tutu, Recipe for Peace)

At the Collective, we believe that our personhood evolves through the course of a lifetime, and each encounter we have facilitates our human development and, therefore, our impact on humanity.

Policies

confidentiality

The Collective has a strict confidentiality policy. Unless the sharing member provides consent, no matter discussed in a gathering may be shared elsewhere. This is specifically relevant to sharing personal experiences, anecdotes, and works-in-progress.

This is necessary in order for the Collective to effectively sustain its supportive and respectful community, and requires the active efforts of all members. This solidarity and commitment to confidentiality is the foundation of the Hedera Collective.

active engagement

Gatherings provide an informal space for members to express themselves and support each other. No member is ever required to share or participate. At the same time, active participation is fundamental to the Collective’s mission. For this reason, we hope members, regardless of their participation in gatherings, will feel encouraged to provide topic suggestions, comments, or feedback by emailing us at info@hederacollective.org.

respect

Members come from different backgrounds (cultural, religious, national, racial, ethnic, gender, professional, etc.). It’s important for members to be conscious and respectful of each other's differences.

We also ask that members respect each other’s time. Every member attending a gathering should have the opportunity to participate if they so choose.

reporting

As sensitive topics will be discussed during gatherings, the Collective encourages any member who would like to report discriminatory or otherwise inappropriate behavior to do so by emailing us at info@hederacollective.org. Each report will be handled both confidentially and anonymously, unless the reporting member requests otherwise.