SSF pledge

=Draft SSF pledge - Kev=

Context
Taken from e-mail, 8.7.04:

"But, perhaps more fundamentally, is the identity question: what has brought us together? what are we hoping to achieve? Well a partial answer might be that we were brought together by the idea of an open political space in which anyone is positively encouraged to participate, and hopefully empowered with a belief in their own value and skills. Another answer - not The Answer - but part of it, might be to use the pledge suggested back in February.  The idea was to have a pledge to sign as individuals that governs our behaviour together. I would suggest that we ask people participating in any SSF events also to heed the pledge, and possibly we could collect signatures on the wiki to show the connection between individuals working on different stuff to this overall vision of how people should work together.  It would also give us something to wave at people interested in SSF - say people in SSF believe in this way of working together, and are attempting to create spaces in Sheffield where people can talk about politics and we use this pledge to make sure everyone is valued. I suggested a draft text for the pledge, which I've amended below. At the time no one criticised it particularly, though I remember one suggestion that it should include a reference to non-hierarchical organisation. Anyways, here it is, could something like this be part of our 'identity'?

Draft pledge
Fundamentally, I agree to treat all peole, equally, with the respect due to them as human beings.

Consistently, I will behave in accordance with the belief that the people around me are rich with ideas and values that may improve my own.

I will interact always, therefore, in the spirit of faithfulness, respect and compromise.

Ultimately, my work is based on the desire to see a more just and peaceful world in which human rights are respected, individuals have the ability to choose freely their role in society, and destructiveness gives way to creativity.

Perpetually, in aiming for that goal, I endeavour to use means and methods consistent with the principles on which I believe a just world will be based; this requires that every stage toward the just world must be more just than the one before it.