In Vitro Aboensis IVA ry has established guidelines for safe space principles according to the official guidelines of TYY, during the year of 2022.
In Vitro Aboensis IVA ry commits to follow these guidelines in their events and all the places where the organization operates. The guidelines are for IVA members and other people participating in the events organized by IVA.
In a safe space, everyone are allowed to express themselves freely and being a part of the group. In the safe space, all kind of harassment is absolutely forbidden. What is counted as harassment is all acts of oppression, creating a hateful and unpleasant environment, or harassing another person or an ethnic group.
In more detail:
- Treat others as you would like yourself to be treated. Respect that we are individuals and there are a lot of differences for instance how others define personal boundaries. Do not generalize your own preferences, be open and listen. Respect others beyond your prejudices. Do not question or judge others by their differences. You too deserve respect from others.
- Do not make assumptions of others identity, gender, sexual orientation, or any other features. You cannot know the experiences of others, their thoughts or current life situations, or their self-defined identity. We do assumptions all the time, so be aware of your own assumptions.
- Do not generalize your own experience on others. It’s not appropriate to define other’s experiences based on your own. Notice that everybody is different, with different experiences from you, unless proven otherwise.
- Respect boundaries and give space. Mind that everyone is heard in the conversation and can be a part of it. Use languange that is understandable also outside of a certain reference group. Do not use attacking statements or gestures towards other people, whether they are present or absent from the event. Use your voice and gestures rather to defend and uplift others whether they are present or absent from the event.
- Do not harass anyone verbally, physically, or by staring inappropriately. No means no. Stop or change your behavior if someone asks. What fells good for you, might not be the same for others. Try to understand the situation and the other person as well. The best way to act is ask, listen and respect.
If you encounter inappropriate treatment, you can give constructive feedback. If someone gives you feedback from your actions, listen to it. Accept the feedback with an open mind and try to mind your actions based on it in the future. If you need support in problematic situations, please ask support and do not be afraid to do so.
The social political representative, equality representative and harassment contact person of IVA help in solving internal conflicts. The event representatives and other present board members are for helping the members of IVA, so please contact them whenever you encounter harassment or other problems. You can find the contact information here:
As a new channel for feedback, you can give anonymous feedback for the board of IVA, through the feedback box. You can find it here: Ota yhteyttä / Contact us. The feedbacks are processed in the following board meeting.
If you feel that the IVA board members are not enough to solve the conflict or you are not willing to process the problem through the student organization, you can contact the harassment contact person of TYY.
You can also contact a support student from the On my mind -program, with a low threshold and discuss confidentially with them about your experiences and think about solutions for problematic situations. The support student can always be asked to take part in different events with you. They have been trained and wide support materials so they can guide you for professional help if needed. You can easily contact a support student trough Shall we talk? -form: https://sites.utu.fi/mielenpaalla/en/shall-we-talk/.