ÄNGSBACKA CODE OF ETHICS
1. INTRODUCTION
Ängsbacka course and festival centre is an invitation to step into presence and open-hearted connection - individually and collectively. From this place within, a field of togetherness and integrity, open-mindedness and a sense of freedom to be who we truly are, is created. This collective field is often referred to and known as the ‘Ängsbacka magic’. The open and inclusive energy merged with professional event management allows those who come in contact with Ängsbacka to explore the heights as well as the genuine depths of life.
Our intention is that we together support well-being at Ängsbacka through;
- openhearted communication and sharing, based on honesty and acceptance
- practices that encourage self-awareness, personal growth and community care
- consciously creating a life of presence, creativity and respect for all life on earth
GENERAL ETHICAL APPROACH FOR EVERYONE
Ängsbacka’s vision for ethical conduct in this shared space is that we, independently of what ‘role’ we may have (participant, volunteer, spaceholder etc,) align our actions with the principles of:
- avoiding any discrimination based on age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or national origin.
- resolving conflicts with open and accepting communication and if we can't do it by ourselves we ask for help.
- being able to, at any time, refrain from participation in any given practice without having to state a reason, including leaving workshop spaces or situations where we do not feel comfortable.
- staying sober; no one can be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs unless prescribed by a doctor.
- adopting a conduct of physical and emotional non-violence.
- allowing and respecting people’s autonomy over mind, spirit and body at all times.
- keeping ourselves and each other accountable for taking responsibility for any harm caused.
- allowing everyone the freedom to choose how much sexual intimacy they are exposed to, meaning we explore our sexual energies in private or in workshops with this purpose.
- informing ourselves regarding content of workshops or retreats that imply sexual intimacy (these will be labelled in a consistent and clear manner).
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FEEDBACK AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE FOR EVERYONE
Ängsbacka is committed to creating a culture where every person feels confident and empowered to give feedback fearlessly, express their concerns and report unethical behaviour. In case of the code being breached, the participant or informant is asked to follow the process outlined below. They are also aware that they can turn to Ängsbacka’s Safety & Wellbeing team for support and guidance.
If there is an incident on site where you feel that a boundary has been crossed and the code of ethics breached, or that you may have crossed someone’s boundary, and you need support to make the steps to communicate with the other person(s) involved, here is how to reach out for support: - Reach out to someone for support, this could be a friend or someone you trust. If it feels more appropriate for you, you can go directly to the next stage.
- For further support, if you are a participant you can contact the Safety & Wellbeing team and if you are a volunteer you can contact the Well-being Coordinators.
- For the summer festival season the Safety & Wellbeing team can direct you to the EMO team during No Mind, Tantra or Sexsibility, or to the Well-being Team during Yoga.
- With this support person, you are welcome to take some time to find your centre and express what you have experienced.
- You can choose what action you take next, this may look like one of the following:
- Do you feel you would like to speak to the person(s) involved by yourself?
- Would you like support in the form of a mediated/supported conversation with the person(s)?
- Would you like to report this incident to the police?
- Exploration of any other ways you can be supported within the capacity of Ängsbacka.
- Depending on the circumstances, the Well-being Team Leader or Coordinator may coordinate communication with the accused(s) to let them know that there has been a situation reported; to hear their experience and gather information.
- If it feels safe enough, there will be a mediation process.
- Whilst it is Ängsbacka’s preference to meet for a supported process, and this has been effective in the past, we value your right to choose how you approach this situation. If it does not feel appropriate to have a supported conversation, both/all parties and the process can be supported without this.
- If there is a clear breach of boundaries and the informant files an incident report to the police, the person accused may be asked to leave the site.
- Management has the freedom to ask people to leave Ängsbacka if they're disrupting the freedoms of others, including in circumstances when there is not one specific informant.
- Personal information will be recorded of individuals who have been asked to leave Ängsbacka and they will not be able to participate in events at Ängsbacka until further consideration of the circumstances.
*Please note that each incident is unique and that there is case by case discretion in the process*
Non-urgent and general feedback can be shared with your name or anonymously via wellbeing@angsbacka.se during the summer festival season and to info@angsbacka.se during the course season. |
GENERAL ETHICAL APPROACH FOR SPACEHOLDERS
Ängsbacka intends to collaborate with grounded, boundaried, integrated and ethically aware spaceholders for festivals, courses and retreats all year round.
Spaceholders are solely responsible for the full content and implementation of workshops on the program. They are expected to avoid any discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or national origin.
The highest priority of the program offered by Ängsbacka, and carried out by the spaceholder must be to support individual personal growth, empowerment, expansion and integration, as well as emotional, physical, mental, spiritual and sexual well-being. Ängsbacka is a space for learning and growing; it is acknowledged that this is not always easy or without challenge.
As part of establishing and maintaining an open-hearted and transparent environment of trust, fit for Ängsbacka’s program, all spaceholders - program coordinators, workshop leaders, session givers, apprentices and coaches - agree to follow the Ängsbacka Code of Ethics for the entire term of their agreement.
THE SPACEHOLDER’S AGREEMENT
Program coordinators, workshop leaders, musicians, bodyworkers, therapists and all session-givers are considered spaceholders at Ängsbacka. This agreement concerns all of the above.
§1. It is the individual responsibility of each spaceholder to aspire to the highest possible standards of conduct and respect, and protect human, civil and sexual rights, and to not knowingly participate in, or condone, unfair discriminatory practices. §2. Spaceholders must give highest priority and motivation to the welfare of the individual participant / client when serving at Ängsbacka. §3. Spaceholders provide clear and transparent information regarding the contents of a workshop in advance. This overview gives the participant a good grasp of the nature of the space so they can choose whether to attend and exercise enthusiastic consent. §4. Spaceholders take steps to actively inform participant(s) / client(s) that they are invited to leave the space or not participate in activities if they choose. §5. Spaceholders are expected to practise transparency within the framework and community of spaceholders during the event. This means to hold oneself and others accountable for adhering to the code and a dedication to repairing harm, when harm—intentional or unintentional—occurs. §6. Spaceholders are expected to recognize that teacher/student/client relationship is a power dynamic that makes certainty of authentic consent impossible to claim. Any consent given within a workshop space is not automatically Spaceholders do not engage in any kind of sexual conduct, nor do they enter a sexual relationship with a current participant or client for the full duration of the event, retreat, course, or any situation during which they are in a position of authority. |
FEEDBACK AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE FOR SPACEHOLDER’S AGREEMENT
Ängsbacka is committed to creating a culture where every person feels confident and empowered to give feedback fearlessly, express their concerns and report unethical behaviour.
In the case of the code being breached the informant can follow the section titled Feedback and Grievance Procedure for all, see above.
Incidents involving a Spaceholder have additional protocol which is outlined below.
- After the initial report and support for the informant, Ängsbacka Festival Manager will be informed that a Spaceholder at the event has acted in a way that breaches the Spaceholder Agreement.
- Appropriate action will be taken to meet the circumstances. This could include, but is not limited to, removing the Spaceholder from the ongoing event program, asking the Spaceholder to leave Ängsbacka, prohibiting that person from returning to Ängsbacka as a Spaceholder for future programs.
- It is the responsibility of the Festival Manager, in collaboration with the Management Team, to decide on and communicate the possibility to continue as a Spaceholder for the ongoing program and/or future events.
- Feedback about Spaceholders can be shared anonymously and these emails will be reviewed at the end of each festival/event.
2. CONSENT POLICY
ENTHUSIASTIC CONSENT PRACTICES
Ängsbacka operates under a consent policy of “enthusiastic consent”. If you choose to participate in workshops, courses or festivals that have intimate content you agree to conduct yourself with enthusiastic consent in both giving and receiving.
Enthusiastic consent is: - Willingly and freely given.
- Informed, all parties involved are aware of the intention and have actively and explicitly agreed to be involved.
- Free of force or coercion
- Explicitly communicated, verbally or with predetermined signals that have been agreed upon by all parties. Participants need to clearly demonstrate that they want to engage in sexual activity in order for it to be considered consensual.
- Enthusiastic! It is clear that those involved want to be so. If you sense a reluctance or hesitation even with a verbal yes, stop, check in, and give the person some space. If they still don’t seem to be wanting the encounter even if they say they do, end the encounter respectfully. It should not be an “I guess so” it needs to be a “full-body-yes”.
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SWEDISH LAW REGARDING CONSENT
Ängsbacka adheres to all Swedish laws; it is the responsibility of all people employed and participating here to act in accordance with the law.
Below is a quick guide to ‘Samtyckeslagen’; the Swedish law concerning consent that entered into force on July 1st 2018.
Sex with someone who is not voluntarily participating is illegal. The participants need to agree in words or clearly demonstrate they want to engage in sexual activity, with passivity not being considered a sign of voluntary participation.
- Force, threats or vulnerability no longer decisive
For rape convictions it is no longer a necessary decisive factor to prove that a perpetrator used force, threats, or took advantage of someone in a vulnerable situation.
- New offences created and penalties increased, with more protection for
minors
The law covers two additional offences of "negligent rape" and "negligent sexual abuse"; both carrying a maximum prison sentence of four years. Abuse convictions now cover more situations where there is not clear consent.
In addition, the minimum penalty for aggravated rape and rape of a child (younger than 16) has been increased from four to five years' imprisonment, with enhanced protections for sexual offences against minors where the perpetrator acted with negligence over the child's age. As a consequence it is more difficult for an accused person to build a defence based on excessive emphasis on the child's physical development.
3. ROUTINE FOR STATUTORY MEASURES
Ängsbacka management team will; when a person makes a police report for an action that has taken place at Ängsbacka - that is possibly considered a crime according to Swedish law - send the accused person off site to secure a safe event until further notice.
This policy is acted upon when:
- There are no witnesses to the incident.
- There is uncertainty whether a crime according to Swedish law has been committed or not.
This policy does not replace any other aspects of Code of Ethics, guidelines for living and working together or the possibility for a sharing circle as a tool for communication - these are still regarded as preferred tools for conflict resolution and decision making.
INTEGRITY AND REPORTING
- Ängsbacka will always act with the intention to protect the integrity of all parties involved (including Ängsbacka) and will encourage others to do the same.
- Incidents are typically reported to the management team via the Safety & Wellbeing team, Site team, EMO team or another member of Ängsbacka’s on-site support system. All of the above team members are informed of this policy and their role in relation to it.
- In the event of an ongoing and witnessed incident/crime, Ängsbacka is obliged to report to the police emergency number 112.
COMMUNICATION AND DETERMINATION OF THE TYPE OF INCIDENT
- Ängsbacka has no intention or mandate to determine or judge that an actual crime has been committed, unless witnessed, and will make this clear to the accuser and the accused at an early stage. If Ängsbacka is uncertain about how to relate to what has happened 114 14 is consulted.
- Ängsbacka will inform both parties that it is their personal responsibility to report the incident to Swedish police if this is their intention.
- Ängsbacka ensures sufficient communication with the accused to let them know that they have been accused and the nature of the accusation.
- Both parties will be informed of this policy and the procedures that will follow in a personal meeting and/or in writing.
CONSEQUENCES AND REFUNDS
- When there is a police report filed, Ängsbacka will proceed to have the accused person leaving the event and Ängsbacka property without delay. This is, if possible, done in a face-to-face meeting in a safe setting that preserves the integrity of the person that stands accused. Ängsbacka will clearly communicate that the person has not been found guilty of a crime but will still no longer have access to Ängsbacka until a new agreement is made. Potential refunds are handled case by case by the Team Leader. No refunds will be made for travel to and/or from Ängsbacka.
- In the case that the informant/accuser decides, or is encouraged to leave the event, refunds can be requested and this is handled case by case (unless the incident takes place on the very last day of the event ). No refunds will be made for travel to and/or from Ängsbacka.
FOLLOW-UP / DEBRIEF / DOCUMENTATION
- Ängsbacka will remain in contact with all parties as needed to follow up on their wellbeing during the week following the incident. Further contact as needed at Ängsbacka’s discretion.
- Involved team members will be present in debriefing session(s) as needed.
- Anonymised documentation of the incident and decisions will be kept in the Ängsbacka administration. Personal details of those who are asked to leave Ängsbacka will be stored according to our personal data policy.
- If the accused requests to return to Ängsbacka in the future, an assessment of circumstances will be undertaken and a decision made on a case by case basis to determine if there was sufficient resolution.
- Ängsbacka will always act with the intention to protect the integrity of all parties involved (including Ängsbacka) and will encourage others to do the same.
4. EXCEPTIONS TO THE CODE OF ETHICS
Please know that there is a special agreement regarding nudity and sexual interactions for the Sexsibility festival that will be shared with all attending that event.
5. REVIEW AND EVALUATION
The code of ethics is proposed to be valid from 2nd June 2022 and will be reviewed annually or as needed by the Management Team and/or the General Circle of Ängsbacka.