Check out their fantastic pledge card. We’d love to hear from you: does your organization have something similar? Is this something you’d like to adopt at your own group?

Here it is:

As a member of _________________, I pledge to challenge violence in all of its forms, including sexual and domestic violence, racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, harassment, homophobia, ableism, ageism, adultism, hate speech, and all other forms of oppression, as well as the hierarchies that oppression both depends upon and maintains.  I understand that these forms of violence are issues of power and privilege that impact the lives of all people including women, men, youth, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer, two-spirit, and gender non-conforming people.

I pledge to stand by those who are survivors of violence, meaning that I will believe their words, support them, and advocate with them if I am asked. I will work with them to honor their wishes for confidentiality and/or to seek accountability of those responsible.

I understand what it means to be complicit within larger structures of violence. I recognize the impact of state and institutional violence. I pledge to acknowledge, resist, and educate with the understanding that I must hold myself accountable for my own complicity within these structures of violence. I pledge that I will not perpetrate acts of intentional, interpersonal, individualized hate, violence, or harassment against others and understand that if I do I will be held accountable for my actions and behavior through a group process. I also understand that if I refuse to participate in this process of accountability, I am no longer welcome to work with this group.

I pledge to be committed to education around issues of violence, understanding that linking all forms of oppression will further our work toward ending violence. This commitment also aids in the process of accountability when we are complicit and when we are directly responsible, whether or not this complicity or responsibility is intended. I understand that this process is continual, and will allow me to recognize what I can change about my role in maintaining systems of oppression.

I pledge to believe that change is possible.

Ed:  Many thanks to Elisa for bringing up the question of the development of this pledge card (comments, below).  We should have mentioned that REVOLT did develop the card based on the work of the GABRIELA Network.  The Gabnet pledge card was featured in the Women & Girls CAN report, Communities Engaged in Resisting Violence (available on this website for free downloading) as an example of strategies for creating safe communities and organizations, and REVOLT did draw upon that work in developing their own pledge.  In fact, we at Women & Girls CAN are having similar discussions now to develop our own pledge card, and we appreciate Gabnet’s leadership in this!