Accountability

Issue sketch

We are men, talking about what we can do better for other people’s sake. Good intentions pave the road to hell, and there have been real issues of shitty allyship that were only good for the privileged and very harmful for those already marginalized. What are some of the realistic risks we need to avoid, and how can we manage these risks?

Risks

We are sometimes speaking for other people’s experiences. Since these are not our own experiences, it is possible that we misunderstand the experiences. That would mean that we teach other men things that are not true, and if these men start basing their actions on these things that could be harmful.

We are asserting our voice, and could thereby take away space from other voices that are more important.

We might miss or de-prioritize some things that are said in groups, that are actually very harmful. Not addressing these statements is not similar to endorsing them, but leaving them unchallenged can lend them an air of legitimacy.

Considerations

We need to be aware of free labour, emotional labour, division of labour, and mutual benefits / disadvantages.

Any accountability approaches have to fit the goals and methods of our organization. We have to take a nuanced and creative approach, actively developing different and new options and possibilities.

Risk management strategy

The lived experiences of certain groups are key to managing these risks.

• Leadership

We benefit from working together with OCTEVAW, and when necessary the exec team can solicit strategic advice. Our accountability committee will also be in a position to provide strategic advice and reflection.

• Schooling

We continue to educate ourselves, and when possible, follow trainings etc from organizations that are rooted in these lived experiences.

• Transparency

We are building transparency in our decision making process, by making meeting minutes and ensuring that documentation is present for our accountability committee. Also we will work on strategies to communicate the work that the exec team does to the membership, including which choices are made why.

• Invite outside experts

We will continue inviting outside experts, who have lived experiences. A serious consideration is compensation, as we now have funding we can fairly compensate expertise and labour.

• Accountability committee

We are in the process of setting up an accountability committee.