Non-Violence Agreement

for this action

Written by Billy Ray Boyd and offered by the National Office of
NOHARMM, PO Box 460795, San Francisco, CA 94146

1. Our attitude will be one of openness and respect toward all whom we encounter, regardless of their attitudes or actions.

2. We will not be violent, abusive or insulting.

3. We will not damage property.

4. We will not run or use threatening motions.

5. We will carry no weapons.

6. We will not bring or use any drugs, including alcohol, other than with prescription and for medical purposes.

We don't expect you necessarily to agree philosophically with all these points, but we do expect you to follow them during this action. If you feel you can't, please respect the effort spent planning the action by leaving, and doing your own thing at another time.

Additional Points:

• Our nonviolence doesn't depend on our opponents being "nice."

• Everybody's a peacekeeper. If anyone violates these guidelines during the action, please talk with them yourself, diffuse their hostility or deflect it toward you. Go for a walk with them, etc.

• If talking doesn't work, simply distance from the violator, walk away, and encourage others to do the same.

• If absolutely necessary, as a last resort, we will dissolve the action until a future time or request authorities to make an arrest.

• If you find yourself in conflict with the monitors or organizers over the interpretation of these guidelines, please remove yourself from the action and discuss the differences later.

Confronting genital mutilation is emotionally difficult. We feel pain, anger, frustration, rage -- healthy signs of caring. Most of us "lose it" at one time or another. We need to be there for each other at those times, and make sure our hostility doesn't detract from our actions on behalf of vulnerable babies. We don't want our therapeutic expression to be at their expense.

If you like these guidelines, you may wish to inquire whether they will be clearly in effect before attending other actions in the future.

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