Policies - MAPS Canada

Commitment to Anti-Racism and Reconciliation

MAPS Canada recognizes that most of our work, staff, volunteers and board are based on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil Waututh), Qayqayt, Katzie, Kwantlen, Kwekwetlem, Semiahmoo, and Tsawwassen First Nations. We are grateful to the Indigenous Peoples of these nations and across Canada who have originally and naturally cared for these lands since time immemorial.

We acknowledge the ingrained and systemic racism and xenophobia that has existed and continues to breathe throughout institutions, government structures, non-profit and for-profit organizations. This has included the intentional apprehension of Indigenous children from their families, the systemic erasure of Indigenous culture and traditions by means of residential schools and hospitals, and the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples, Black people and people of colour in correctional facilities.

We stand and applaud Black people, people of colour and Indigenous peoples, and thank them for their patience, resilience and strength. And in doing so we also acknowledge the challenges for those facing other inequalities including women, persons with disabilities, queer, trans, and two-spirit people.

We strive to do the work of anti-racism by:

Acknowledging that we are stronger, mission-aligned and more impactful when, at all organizational levels, our people are diverse and representative of the people we serve.
Prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion in our recruitment and employment policies, by recognizing and valuing varied experience and learning along with academic achievements.
Modifying relevant organizational policies, as well as program names and other conventions, to best live diversity, equity and inclusion within our agency; not accepting or ignoring racist comments or behaviours toward or by staff, volunteers or those we serve.
Recognizing, addressing and eradicating all forms of racism and ethnic oppression
Building our relationship with our local First Nations communities in a way that supports trust and healing.
Recognizing that a land acknowledgement is only a start to the required ongoing and intentional work of learning, unlearning, listening and reflecting; paying equitably our elders, facilitators and those who engage with our organization to teach us.

Our Commitment:

To individual and organizational exploration and examination of implicit bias and systemic disadvantage/oppression that our clients and staff face.
To develop and implement strategies and best-practices that dismantle racism within all aspects of our organization, community and society.
To work towards the recognition of the impact of colonial practice and more importantly, its disruption, by centering the experiences of Indigenous Peoples and learning from Indigenous knowledge and practices to increase accountability and to be in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples.

Respectful Communication Policy

1. Introduction

A respectful working environment is one in which people work-together collaboratively, efficiently and effectively to meet the goals of MAPS Canada. How we communicate with each other is a critical ingredient for MAPS Canada’s success. A respectful working environment is foundational for a healthy culture that nurtures everyone’s physical and psychological well-being, participation and potential.

This policy applies to all persons involved with MAPS Canada including board members, employees, contracted workers, and volunteers.

2. Policy

2.1 Behavioral Expectations

All persons associated with MAPS Canada are accountable for their own behaviour and must conduct themselves in a civil, respectful, professional and non-discriminatory manner in the workplace along with events, volunteer meetings and other work-related gatherings.

Regardless of position, showing mutual respect is a core value and expectation. Think before you speak and do not talk or behave in a way that might intimidate, embarrass, offend, or otherwise bother someone.

MAPS Canada does not tolerate bullying, harassment, accusations or other inappropriate comments or conduct towards a person that reasonably causes humiliation, intimidation, or embarrassment. Nor will MAPS Canada condone any reprisals for persons who report a concern or file a complaint.

A MAPS Canada representative will contact the contract worker, or volunteer where:

the employee, worker, or volunteer reports a concern/complaint to a lead volunteer, volunteer coordinator, or Executive Director regarding the behaviour of other(s);

the employee, worker or volunteer may contact them, email, or phone to make a formal complaint.

The MAPS Canada representative will update the parties every 20 business days until the complaint investigation is complete

2.2 Definition

Bullying and harassment inappropriate comments or conduct targeted towards a volunteer or staff member which the person knew, or reasonably ought to have known, would cause the staff member to be humiliated or intimidated.Inappropriate comments or conduct can occur in many different settings, including one to one; group communication, or electronically (i.e. text, email, zoom calls, and on social media).

2.21 Inappropriate Comments and Conduct Include:

actions (e.g. touching, pushing), comments (e.g. jokes, name-calling), or displays (e.g. offensive posters, cartoons);

statements, actions, or incidents regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority.

incivility which includes rude or discourteous comments that display a lack of regard for others;

humiliating a person through criticism, accusation or insults; shouting or yelling at individuals;

recording staff or volunteers without their knowledge (consent to record the individual must always be requested and, while requests to be recorded should be thoughtfully considered, refusals to be recorded must be respected);

sexual harassment

slandering

posting disrespectful comments or private information to one’s social media (private information includes meeting content and what others have said in those meetings).

gossiping, name calling, cyber-bullying;

ignoring or excluding a person; rolling eyes, glaring or other non-verbal behaviour intended to intimidate;

and discriminating or harassing behaviour based on a protected ground per the B.C. Human Rights Code which include race, colour, ancestry, gender identity, place of origin, political belief, religion, etc.

Management actions communicated respectfully are not considered bullying and harassment, such as:

expressing a difference of opinion in a calm manner;

assigning clear work duties, setting workloads and deadlines;

work instruction, correction or supervision;

work performance evaluation; imposition of discipline; and

transfers, lay-offs, dismissals and reorganizations.

2.3 Witnesses Responsibility

We all play a part in creating a safe and healthy work environment through respectful communication. MAPS Canada expects anyone who witnesses inappropriate comment or conduct, to support their colleague(s), intervene where appropriate (e.g. speak up and say the others person’s behaviour is not acceptable) and report the incident to the volunteer coordinator or the executive director, who are accountable to act upon any situation involving inappropriate comment or conduct in accordance with this policy.

2.4 Guidelines for Respectful Communication

Listening: Being a good listener is one of the best ways to be a good communicator. When we feel heard, we feel understood.

Nonverbal Communication: Your body language, eye contact, hand gestures, and tone of voice all colour the message you are trying to convey. A relaxed, open stance (arms open, legs relaxed), and a friendly tone will make you appear approachable and will encourage others to speak openly with you.

Clarity and Concision: Good verbal communication means saying just enough—don’t talk too much or too little. Try to convey your message in as few words as possible. Say what you want clearly and directly, whether you’re speaking to someone in person, on the phone, or via email.

Friendliness: Through a friendly tone, a personal question, or simply a smile, you will encourage your co-workers to engage in open and honest communication with you.

Empathy: Using phrases as simple as “I understand where you are coming from” demonstrate that you have been listening to the other person and respect their opinions. Active listening can help you tune in to what your conversational partner is thinking and feeling, which will, in turn, make it easier to display empathy.

Open-Mindedness: A good communicator should enter into any conversation with a flexible, open mind. Be open to listening to and understanding the other person’s point of view, rather than simply getting your message across.

Respect: People will be more open to communicating with you if you convey respect for them and their ideas. Simple actions like using a person’s name, making eye contact, and actively listening when a person speaks will make the person feel appreciated.

Feedback: Being able to give and receive feedback appropriately is an important communication skill. Managers and supervisors should continuously look for ways to provide employees and volunteers with constructive feedback, be it through email, phone calls, or weekly status updates. Feedback should be given in a calm manner and if concerns are expressed, specific examples of the concerning behaviour help bring clarity to the conversation. Sometimes feedback includes asking an individual to leave the organization and this should be done calmly and respectfully.

2.5 Communication process

As in-person communication tends to be more constructive that texts or emails, concerns and disagreements will always be communicated in-person where possible. Social media is not the appropriate platform to deal with concerns, as escalation is the norm in this environment and our goal is resolution and maintenance of positive connections.

3. Options for Responding to Inappropriate Conduct

No information will be disclosed by any person during an investigation or resolution of a complaint under this policy except as necessary to enable due process.

3.1 Having a Conversation

If someone (including volunteer, employee, or contract worker) behaves in a way that you feel is offensive do not assume the problem will go away. Sometimes the person may not be aware their behaviour is offensive, and many individuals will change their behaviour once they are made aware of the problem.

If you are comfortable, have an informal conversation by approaching the other person(s), explain how the behaviour impacts you and ask them to stop. Do this calmly in a private setting.

3.2 Report the Incident(s) to Your Lead Volunteer, Volunteer Coordinator, or Executive Director.

If you are not comfortable having a conversation directly with the person(s), then please contact your Committee Lead, the Volunteer Coordinator, Support Group Lead, or Executive Director.

3.3 Contact a Member of the MAPS Canada Board of Directors

If you do not feel comfortable reporting the incident to any of those individuals, contact any one of the board of directors to ensure your voice is heard.

3.4 Resolving Complaints of Inappropriate Conduct and Comments

3.41 Mediation

Options to resolve the conflict/behaviour including advice on how to have a difficult conversation with the other person(s) in order to maintain the working relationship, are available, if appropriate or wanted by you.

If this is inadequate, you have the option to meet with the Volunteer Coordinator and Executive Director and arrange a meeting with the parties involved to resolve the behaviour.

3.42 Consequences for Violating the Policy and Confidentiality

Any staff, contracted worker, or volunteer found engaging in inappropriate comment or conduct (such as bullying, name calling or discrimination) or who retaliates against the complainant, will be subject to remedial and/or disciplinary action such as: a warning, direction to issue a written apology, transfer, dismissal, or cancellation of contract.

3.43 Other Resolution and Appeal

If you are dissatisfied or otherwise disagree with the results of an investigation conducted pursuant to this policy, you are not precluded from advancing complaints through relevant professional bodies, or the BC Human Rights Tribunal.

4. Conversation Guidelines

The following are some conversational guidelines that we like to try and keep in mind during interactions with our community:

Use ‘I’ statements instead of ‘we,’ ‘you’ or ‘they’ statements.

Listen actively. Be mindful and attentive. Fully focus on the speaker and allow them to finish before jumping in.

Be mindful of the impact of your words. Your intentions may be good, but your impact can be harmful.

Share air time – try not to dominate the conversation.

Express concerns in a way that invites others to hear, not in a manner that invites defensiveness.

Use considerate language. Avoid using labels whenever possible.

Feel free to ‘pass’ if you are not ready or willing to speak. Try not to pressure others to speak.

When there is a disagreement – inquire instead of arguing. Ask open-ended questions that gather more information without judging (i.e., “What led you to think that?”).

When there is a disagreement, explore it instead of shutting down. Search for areas of agreement (common ground).

Feel free to express your feelings when you have been offended or hurt.

Inquire rather than assume you know. Ask clarifying questions when you are inclined to make assumptions; ask genuine questions when you are inclined to persuade or argue.

Be open to changing your mind. This will help you empathize with and understand others’ views.

Respect confidentiality. This is a safe space. If you talk about your dialogue experience to people outside of the group, refrain from using people’s names or sharing their personal experiences.

Privacy Policy

MAPS Canada is concerned about the security of your private information, and we do everything possible to protect it. This Privacy Policy describes how we might use some Personally Identifiable Information, such as your name, e-mail address, street address, telephone, within the context of this Privacy Policy. But you can rest assured we will never sell, rent, loan, exchange, or in any way share your e-mail address with any unauthorized party.

How information is collected

Information is gathered in several ways, depending upon how you are using the website. When registering to use this site, you are asked to provide your name and related details. And if you sign up for newsletters or similar interactive feature, or make a donation, we need to know who you are.

Information is also collected automatically using electronic tools. Most web sites use ‘cookies’ to recognize you and your information, and may store data such as a username and password so you won’t need to enter it each time you visit. It might determine how often you’re exposed to a specific advertisement. It also may note your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

As technology evolves, we may use other methods to collect information. There may be times when you can refuse to provide information, such as by setting your browser to refuse ‘cookies’, but doing this may make it impossible to access sections of the web site, or you may need to enter your user details each time, and the site won’t be customized for your preferences.

What we do with your information

The information we gather is to make your visit to our site the best experience possible. It enables us to customize things such as content which might be of interest to you. Your information is never shared, and your private information remains private.

Any information that doesn’t personally identify who you are might be used in conjunction with similar information from others to improve our web site and the services we offer. This gives us knowledge about which features are most popular, or what our visitors are looking for.

However, we may use personal information to contact you for specific reasons, such as to solicit donations or anything else we think you might find useful. Your personal information is also used to administer the site, to troubleshoot, and to process donations.

Your information is used only as legally permitted. We may divulge your information when presented with a court order or when legally required or when requested by law enforcement agencies. In these circumstances, it may be unnecessary to notify you of this. Some third parties, such as our web hosting service, which provides specific support, may also access this information.

Affiliated/linked sites and advertisers

MAPS Canada is mindful of our donors’ privacy and expects all its partners, affiliates, and advertisers to respect our Policy. We realize, however, that these and other third parties we may associate with have their own privacy policy and data gathering practices. Even while on our site, you may decide to click on a link created or hosted by a third party, where you can gain access to information, contests, sweepstakes, and related material that is not part of MAPS Canada. We are not responsible for anything presented by a third party. It is necessary for you to check the specific company in question for their privacy policies, which may differ from ours.

‘Cookies’ may be used by some of our affiliates or partners in order to determine what you might like, or the type of advertising that’s presented to you. MAPS Canada cannot determine what is used by these third parties or how it is gathered. Therefore, we are not responsible for anything taking place by these third-party companies, including their policies.

Please be aware that any personal information disclosed on blog posts can be considered public. As such, it can be used by third parties without the knowledge of MAPS Canada, as this is outside our control. If you do not want to receive unsolicited messages, please be careful what you disclose and where you do it.

Policy regarding children

MAPS Canada cares about the privacy and welfare of children and will never knowingly gather Personally Identifiable Information from anyone younger than 18 years old. If we find that such data has been collected, it will be promptly removed from our databases. You can contact us at the address below if you feel we have such information.

Contact Us

Our contact information is as follows:

Website: http://www.mapscanada.org
Email: michael@mapscanada.org

Policy changes

From time to time our Privacy Policy may change, so it is a good idea to check back occasionally to review the current policy. By continuing to use http://www.mapscanada.org after any changes have been made, this constitutes your agreement to those changes. Any data gathered before changes were posted is under the agreement in effect at that earlier time.

Governing Law

This Privacy Policy and the use of http://www.mapscanada.org are governed by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, and any disagreements will be adjudicated under this law if mediation, the first course of action, should fail to resolve the issue. All costs for mediation, other than attorney fees, will be equally divided among all parties.

LEGAL BASIS FOR PROCESSING PERSONAL DATA UNDER THE GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION (GDPR)

If you are from the European Economic Area (EEA), MAPS Canada’s legal basis for collecting and using the personal information described in this Privacy Policy depends on the Personal Data we collect and the specific context in which we collect it.

MAPS CANADA MAY PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA BECAUSE:

* We need to perform a contract with you
* You have given us permission to do so
* The processing is in our legitimate interests and it’s not overridden by your rights
* For payment processing purposes
* To comply with the law

RETENTION OF DATA

MAPS Canada will retain your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.

MAPS Canada will also retain Usage Data for internal analysis purposes. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of our Service, or we are legally obligated to retain this data for longer time periods.

TRANSFER OF DATA

Your information, including Personal Data, may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from your jurisdiction.

If you are located outside Canada and choose to provide information to us, please note that we transfer the data, including Personal Data, to Canada and process it there. Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by your submission of such information represents your agreement to that transfer.

MAPS Canada will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of your data and other personal information.

DISCLOSURE OF DATA

Disclosure for Law Enforcement

Under certain circumstances, MAPS Canada may be required to disclose your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency).

Legal Requirements

MAPS Canada may disclose your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

* To comply with a legal obligation
* To protect the personal safety of users of the Service or the public
* To protect against legal liability

SECURITY OF DATA

The security of your data is important to us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

YOUR DATA PROTECTION RIGHTS UNDER GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION (GDPR)

If you are a resident of the EEA, you have certain data protection rights. MAPS Canada aims to take reasonable steps to allow you to correct, amend, delete, or limit the use of your Personal Data.

If you wish to be informed what Personal Data we hold about you and if you want it to be removed from our systems, please contact us.

IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING DATA PROTECTION RIGHTS:

The right to access, update or to delete the information we have on you. Whenever made possible, you can access, update or request deletion of your Personal Data directly within your account settings section. If you are unable to perform these actions yourself, please contact us to assist you.

The right of rectification. You have the right to have your information rectified if that information is inaccurate or incomplete.

The right to object. You have the right to object to our processing of your Personal Data.

The right of restriction. You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information.

The right to data portability. You have the right to be provided with a copy of the information we have on you in a structured, machine-readable and commonly used format.

The right to withdraw consent. You also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time where MAPS Canada relied on your consent to process your personal information.

Please note that we may ask you to verify your identity before responding to such requests.

You have the right to complain to a Data Protection Authority about our collection and use of your Personal Data. For more information, please contact your local data protection authority in the European Economic Area (EEA).

SERVICE PROVIDERS

We may employ third party companies and individuals to facilitate our Service (“Service Providers”), to provide a Service on our behalf or to perform Work-related services.

These third parties may have access to your Personal Data only to perform certain tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.

PAYMENTS

We use third-party services for payment processing (e.g. payment processors).

We will not store or collect your payment card details. That information is provided directly to our third-party payment processors whose use of your personal information is governed by their Privacy Policy. These payment processors adhere to the standards set by PCI-DSS as managed by the PCI Security Standards Council, which is a joint effort of brands like Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. PCI-DSS requirements help ensure the secure handling of payment information.

The payment processors we work with are: Eventbrite, PayPal, Square, Fundrazr

Links To Other Sites
Our Service may contain links to other sites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party’s site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit.

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third-party sites or services.

Opt Out

To have your contact information removed from the MAPS Canada database or to have MAPS Canada “forget” and delete all your personal data (or change your data), please contact us.

MAPS Canada operates and is controlled by the laws of the Canada Revenue Agency Acts and Regulation. Judgment may be brought by any court having jurisdiction.

Last updated on Jan 14, 2021

You can also visit our Privacy Policy page here.

MAPS Canada's Commitment to Anti-Racism and Reconciliation

Read Here

We recognize the roots of oppression embedded in patriarchy and colonialism. We recognize the use of coercive and discriminatory policies and laws as a tool to continue the oppression of marginalized groups.

We acknowledge the ingrained and systemic racism and xenophobia that has existed and continues to breathe throughout institutions, government structures, non-profit and for-profit organizations. This has included the intentional apprehension of Indigenous children from their families, the systemic erasure of Indigenous culture and traditions by means of residential schools and hospitals, and the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples, Black people and people of colour in correctional facilities.

We strive to do the work of anti-racism by:

Acknowledging that we are stronger, mission-aligned and more impactful when, at all organizational levels, our people are diverse and representative of the people we serve.
Prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion in our recruitment and employment policies, by recognizing and valuing varied experience and learning along with academic achievements.
Modifying relevant organizational policies, as well as program names and other conventions, to best live diversity, equity and inclusion within our agency; not accepting or ignoring racist comments or behaviours toward or by staff, volunteers or those we serve.
Recognizing, addressing and eradicating all forms of racism and ethnic oppression
Building our relationship with our local First Nations communities in a way that supports trust and healing.
Recognizing that a land acknowledgement is only a start to the required ongoing and intentional work of learning, unlearning, listening and reflecting; paying equitably our elders, facilitators and those who engage with our organization to teach us.

Our Commitment:

To individual and organizational exploration and examination of implicit bias and systemic disadvantage/oppression that our clients and staff face.
To develop and implement strategies and best-practices that dismantle racism within all aspects of our organization, community and society.
To work towards the recognition of the impact of colonial practice and more importantly, its disruption, by centering the experiences of Indigenous Peoples and learning from Indigenous knowledge and practices to increase accountability and to be in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples.

MAPS Canada's Respectful Communication Policy

Read Here

1. Introduction

This policy applies to all persons involved with MAPS Canada including board members, employees, contracted workers, and volunteers.

2. Policy

2.1 Behavioral Expectations

A MAPS Canada representative will contact the contract worker, or volunteer where:

the employee, worker, or volunteer reports a concern/complaint to a lead volunteer, volunteer coordinator, or Executive Director regarding the behaviour of other(s);
the employee, worker or volunteer may contact them, email, or phone to make a formal complaint.
The MAPS Canada representative will update the parties every 20 business days until the complaint investigation is complete

2.2 Definition
Bullying and harassment: inappropriate comments or conduct targeted towards a volunteer or staff member which the person knew, or reasonably ought to have known, would cause the staff member to be humiliated or intimidated.Inappropriate comments or conduct can occur in many different settings, including one to one; group communication, or electronically (i.e. text, email, zoom calls, and on social media).

2.21 Inappropriate Comments and Conduct Include:

actions (e.g. touching, pushing), comments (e.g. jokes, name-calling), or displays (e.g. offensive posters, cartoons);
statements, actions, or incidents regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group such as a racial or ethnic minority.
incivility which includes rude or discourteous comments that display a lack of regard for others;
humiliating a person through criticism, accusation or insults; shouting or yelling at individuals;
recording staff or volunteers without their knowledge (consent to record the individual must always be requested and, while requests to be recorded should be thoughtfully considered, refusals to be recorded must be respected);
sexual harassment
slandering
posting disrespectful comments or private information to one’s social media (private information includes meeting content and what others have said in those meetings).
gossiping, name calling, cyber-bullying;
ignoring or excluding a person; rolling eyes, glaring or other non-verbal behaviour intended to intimidate;
and discriminating or harassing behaviour based on a protected ground per the B.C. Human Rights Code which include race, colour, ancestry, gender identity, place of origin, political belief, religion, etc.

Management actions communicated respectfully are not considered bullying and harassment, such as:

expressing a difference of opinion in a calm manner;
assigning clear work duties, setting workloads and deadlines;
work instruction, correction or supervision;
work performance evaluation; imposition of discipline; and
transfers, lay-offs, dismissals and reorganizations.

2.3 Witnesses Responsibility

2.4 Guidelines for Respectful Communication

Listening: Being a good listener is one of the best ways to be a good communicator. When we feel heard, we feel understood.
Nonverbal Communication: Your body language, eye contact, hand gestures, and tone of voice all colour the message you are trying to convey. A relaxed, open stance (arms open, legs relaxed), and a friendly tone will make you appear approachable and will encourage others to speak openly with you.
Clarity and Concision: Good verbal communication means saying just enough—don’t talk too much or too little. Try to convey your message in as few words as possible. Say what you want clearly and directly, whether you’re speaking to someone in person, on the phone, or via email.
Friendliness: Through a friendly tone, a personal question, or simply a smile, you will encourage your co-workers to engage in open and honest communication with you.
Empathy: Using phrases as simple as “I understand where you are coming from” demonstrate that you have been listening to the other person and respect their opinions. Active listening can help you tune in to what your conversational partner is thinking and feeling, which will, in turn, make it easier to display empathy.
Open-Mindedness: A good communicator should enter into any conversation with a flexible, open mind. Be open to listening to and understanding the other person’s point of view, rather than simply getting your message across.
Respect: People will be more open to communicating with you if you convey respect for them and their ideas. Simple actions like using a person’s name, making eye contact, and actively listening when a person speaks will make the person feel appreciated.
Feedback: Being able to give and receive feedback appropriately is an important communication skill. Managers and supervisors should continuously look for ways to provide employees and volunteers with constructive feedback, be it through email, phone calls, or weekly status updates. Feedback should be given in a calm manner and if concerns are expressed, specific examples of the concerning behaviour help bring clarity to the conversation. Sometimes feedback includes asking an individual to leave the organization and this should be done calmly and respectfully.

2.5 Communication process

3. Options for Responding to Inappropriate Conduct

No information will be disclosed by any person during an investigation or resolution of a complaint under this policy except as necessary to enable due process.

3.1 Having a Conversation

aware of the problem.

If you are comfortable, have an informal conversation by approaching the other person(s), explain how the behaviour impacts you and ask them to stop. Do this calmly in a private setting.

3.2 Report the Incident(s) to Your Lead Volunteer, Volunteer Coordinator, or Executive Director.

If you are not comfortable having a conversation directly with the person(s), then please contact your Committee Lead, the Volunteer Coordinator, Support Group Lead, or Executive Director.

3.3 Contact a Member of the MAPS Canada Board of Directors

If you do not feel comfortable reporting the incident to any of those individuals, contact any one of the board of directors to ensure your voice is heard.

3.4 Resolving Complaints of Inappropriate Conduct and Comments

3.41 Mediation

If this is inadequate, you have the option to meet with the Volunteer Coordinator and Executive Director and arrange a meeting with the parties involved to resolve the behaviour.

3.42 Consequences for Violating the Policy and Confidentiality

3.43 Other Resolution and Appeal.

4. Conversation Guidelines

The following are some conversational guidelines that we like to try and keep in mind during interactions with our community:

Use ‘I’ statements instead of ‘we,’ ‘you’ or ‘they’ statements.
Listen actively. Be mindful and attentive. Fully focus on the speaker and allow them to finish before jumping in.
Be mindful of the impact of your words. Your intentions may be good, but your impact can be harmful.
Share air time – try not to dominate the conversation.
Express concerns in a way that invites others to hear, not in a manner that invites defensiveness.
Use considerate language. Avoid using labels whenever possible.
Feel free to ‘pass’ if you are not ready or willing to speak. Try not to pressure others to speak.
When there is a disagreement – inquire instead of arguing. Ask open-ended questions that gather more information without judging (i.e., “What led you to think that?”).
When there is a disagreement, explore it instead of shutting down. Search for areas of agreement (common ground).
Feel free to express your feelings when you have been offended or hurt.
Inquire rather than assume you know. Ask clarifying questions when you are inclined to make assumptions; ask genuine questions when you are inclined to persuade or argue.
Be open to changing your mind. This will help you empathize with and understand others’ views.
Respect confidentiality. This is a safe space. If you talk about your dialogue experience to people outside of the group, refrain from using people’s names or sharing their personal experiences.

Privacy Policy

Read here