Principles of engagement
This is your ACF, and you are all welcome here.
ACF spaces bring together our wonderful and diverse community, and our intention is to create an atmosphere that is both inclusive and respectful.
We strive to engage with different ideas, voices and approaches that challenge and inspire us, both within our membership and beyond.
We are inviting you to join us in committing to make this a diverse, vibrant and inclusive space and to engage in a way that feels comfortable for you - whether that means active participation or thoughtful observation.
This is your space to:
- strengthen connections both within and beyond membership;
- share knowledge and engage in reflection; and
- challenge and support one another with respect and empathy.
Our Principles of engagement
- Welcome and include, equitably
Proactively make space for others to join the conversation. Invite, welcome and encourage contributions from all perspectives, especially those different from your own. Recognise that participation can take many forms, including observation and reflection.
- Share with honesty and humility
Diverse viewpoints enrich discussions. For those that feel comfortable doing so, we invite you to share your professional perspectives, authentic experiences, and ideas. Share openly, while being honest about your own limitations and uncertainties. Speak from your personal experience without presuming to speak for others.
- Listen empathetically
Listen with empathy, openness and with genuine curiosity. Seek to understand others’ perspectives before formulating responses or offering feedback.
- Challenge respectfully
Engage in supportive discussions with a spirit of constructive challenge. Respectfully question and probe ideas to deepen collective understanding and stretch thinking. Challenge ideas, not people.
- Celebrate diversity
Acknowledge and celebrate the diverse backgrounds and experiences in the conversation. Leverage the strength in diversity to explore different angles and solutions – new viewpoints can offer new insights and solutions.
This is your space — diverse, vibrant, and effective foundations, working together for social good.
If you have any concerns, or your expectations about this space are not being met, please contact a member of ACF staff.