Code of Care

The following Code of Care describes how we expect all members to show up in New Know How programs and the alumni community with respect, compassion and integrity.

This set of four commitments was inspired by those of the Co-design Club and Co-Design Practitioners, grounded in Design Justice Principles, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and decolonising and trauma-informed practices.

Community members are welcome to make suggestions on additions or improvements (please email them to hello@emmablomkamp.com).

Last updated: 2 December 2024.

1. We accept and support each other in inclusive ways

We hold space for difference, understanding that each of us is coming from a different place with different communication styles, learning needs and ways of contributing. 

We acknowledge and validate each other’s perspectives and experiences, and recognise we don’t know everything about one another. We don’t challenge each other’s identities, and we use someone’s chosen pronouns when referring to them. We are open to changing our words and actions to be more inclusive and respectful, and helping others to do so if needed.

We avoid generalisations as much as possible by anchoring perspectives in direct experience or personal observation. It should go without saying, but to be clear: racist, homophobic, transphobic and ableist comments or behaviour are not tolerated. 

2. We share and attribute with care and respect

We appreciate and encourage members and participants taking initiative and generously offering time, wisdom and resources to support each other’s learning and development. We achieve belonging through reciprocity. Community members may promote their work through this network, but we will not accept the use of our platforms for solely profit-driven activities.

We balance respect for intellectual property and privacy. We acknowledge the source of anything we share, including program materials – unless the author/creator/speaker has requested anonymity. If something is shared confidentially, or exclusively for a particular group or program, we keep it that way.

3. We recognise and take responsibility for power and privilege

We acknowledge that mainstream design and related disciplines have been dominated by a focus on Anglo-European and patriarchal ways of seeing, knowing and acting in the world. We are committed to examining assumptions about the nature of our practices and acknowledging where our group has and lacks diversity.

We give consideration to equity and power, acknowledging where we hold privilege, but being careful to not inadvertently reproduce reductive and binary constructs. This includes a commitment to decolonising and anti-racist practices. We acknowledge the traditions, lands and waters on which our work is based. We recognise we are in a climate emergency, and that social and ecological injustices are interconnected. 

We understand this work will challenge some of us. We offer respect and patience at every stage of another’s learning journey.

4. We are gentle and generous with each other

We recognise that we are all affected and limited by the systems we’re part of, but not all equally affected by systemic injustices. We allow time and space for people to process and recover from the impacts of systemic injustice. We honour the strength, power and resourcefulness of historically oppressed people, and the unique wisdom they offer.

We may be critical of harmful systems and approaches, but we are gentle with individuals within them. We challenge each other with care and curiosity, making it constructive and not personal, to help one another unpack beliefs and attitudes and expand our learning. 

We are not here to be competitive or compare ourselves. Everyone has something to learn and something to share. 

Upholding the Code of Care

We expect all community members, collaborators and participants in our programs to follow this Code of Care.

If you notice that something you have said or done has affected anyone in the group negatively, please take the opportunity to acknowledge your impact.

If you notice that someone else has transgressed this Code of Care, please say something. This could be a private conversation where you aim to come to an agreement about the best way to address the issue. If the person who experiences or notices the transgression doesn't feel comfortable doing this, or an agreement is not reached, they can raise this with the Convenor.