GNSI NW Statement of Equity, Culture, and Values
GNSI NW seeks to build a community culture that welcomes anyone interested in natural science illustration. We value authenticity, and believe that all members, regardless of identity, should be free to bring their full selves to their work, to collaborative partnerships, and to member gatherings. At GNSI NW, we strive to foster an environment of mutual respect where all of our members are comfortable and safe from judgement and abuse.
As members of the GNSI NW, we commit to:
We hope that these values promote a culture that allows all members to thrive. This is a living document, intended to be altered at any point to accommodate new ideas of equity and inclusion. We believe these commitments will help create a more just learning community; a deeper, richer, more expansive understanding of the natural world; and ensure that the benefits of science are shared more widely. We hope that taking these steps will help us foster an organizational culture that is actively anti-racist and safe for all who want to join us in making scientific art.
As members of the GNSI NW, we commit to:
- Equity, inclusion, anti-racism, decolonization, and trauma-informed practice
- GNSI NW will not tolerate discrimination against members or partners regarding their race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, ability, or any other identity.
- GNSI NW strives to be accessible, and will provide accommodations for members so that all feel welcome in our group
- GNSI NW will reflect on and review organizational culture and recruitment practices in response to new information and ideas
- GNSI NW recognizes that our education is never complete and will provide opportunities for members to learn about the history of institutional racism and colonization in scientific illustration, STEM, and the academic community. This way, we can conduct our work through an equity-minded lens.
- GNSI NW members and leadership will listen to, learn from, and partner with diverse organizations and experts. All artwork and collaborations will be equity-minded to avoid harm to any person or community. When appropriate, artwork should favor solutions that alleviate existing inequities.
- Any artwork that depicts sensitive subject matter will serve as educational tools and will be contextualized appropriately.
- GNSI NW welcomes all ages. Content warnings should be included for any artwork that is explicit, depicts targeted violence, oppression, or trauma.
- Fostering a community free of harassment and abuse
- GNSI NW does not tolerate harassment, aggression, or abuse of any kind. Any verbal or physical conduct that threatens, offends, demeans, or coerces individuals or groups in our community will be immediately and appropriately addressed by leadership.
- GNSI NW members have full agency to identify any behavior that is unwanted or unwelcome, regardless of the intent of the perpetrating party. These behaviors may include, but are not limited to, hostile or violent behavior, sudden outbursts of anger or profanity, discrimination or hate speech, and blatant insults.
- GNSI NW board leadership is committed to community safety and encourages members to share their concerns if they experience or observe any incidents of harassment or abuse. In such cases, members are welcome to reach out to any member of the board, who will consider the situation with intention and care. Retaliation against a member for making a good-faith report of harassment or abuse is not permitted.
- In addition to the above, the GNSI NW conforms to the standard federal guidelines on abuse and harassment.
- Any GNSI NW member found to be in violation of any of the above behaviors will lead to direct consequences as deemed appropriate by the community and by community leadership
- A joyful community of mutual respect
- As a community of volunteers, GNSI NW values the time and agency of all members. Members and leadership are under no obligation to perform any services and may retract from situations as they wish.
- GNSI NW members will respect the boundaries set by individuals and by the community.
- GNSI NW believes that critique is an essential part of our creative and collaborative process, and allows us to broaden our perspectives and make meaning of our world.
- Members will practice open-minded, constructive, and encouraging critique that honors diverse ways of thinking and being. Positive critique asks thoughtful, open-ended questions; is framed as suggestion rather than advice; and is most often directly solicited by the artist.
- Any critique that demoralizes or causes harm to the artist in any way does not align with our values and will not be tolerated.
We hope that these values promote a culture that allows all members to thrive. This is a living document, intended to be altered at any point to accommodate new ideas of equity and inclusion. We believe these commitments will help create a more just learning community; a deeper, richer, more expansive understanding of the natural world; and ensure that the benefits of science are shared more widely. We hope that taking these steps will help us foster an organizational culture that is actively anti-racist and safe for all who want to join us in making scientific art.