Our Power is Real is a one day event committed to creating an open, respectful and welcoming space for those with an interest in social justice to gather together. Our aim is for the day to strengthen collective movements and to connects different grassroots struggles.
We are mindful that people attending the event will be coming from many different communities, experiences, countries, backgrounds, educational levels and contexts and that we might not always have a shared language, vocabulary or understanding of what social justice or collective movements are. Throughout the day, we hope to foster a space where we can communicate with each other thoughtfully and respectfully of difference, while building a movement that supports grassroots and collective organising.
We recognise the value in learning and discussion, in acknowledging difference, and in being able to ask questions without fear of reprisal or humiliation, while also being able to listen to challenges and engage in active reflection. We wish to encourage and promote an environment of open-mindedness, willingness to learn, collaboration, and respect for each others’ experiences and perspectives. Our emphasis is on building connection and solidarity.
We do not consider targeted attacks or hostility due to race, gender, transition, sexuality, ability, religion, migration status, or class to be in the spirit of the good faith discussion, connection and solidarity that we wish to foster. With this in mind, the organisers of the event reserve the right to politely ask anyone participating in hate speech – or distributing materials that could reasonably be considered hate speech – to leave the event. We encourage all those attending to take collective responsibility for responding to instances of harm or violence if they occur, and to be thoughtful, calm, and considerate with each other while doing so.
Guidance on pronouns
You cannot identify someone’s gender identity or choice of pronouns simply from looking at them. If you feel able to do so, please feel free to introduce yourself with your own pronouns and ask others for their pronouns. If you mistakenly use the wrong pronoun for someone, please apologise briefly (an extended period of self-flagellation helps no one), correct yourself, and move on. If you need assistance understanding a pronoun set, Pronoun Island (www.pronoun.is) is a useful website that uses minimal data to load and contains illustrative examples of both traditional pronouns and neopronouns.