SweetWood Temenos policy RE: Harassment

SweetWood Temenos cultivates a community of Friends and Friends of Friends who regard one another as Kin. Part of this cultivation and kinship is a growing closer, a sense of intimacy, trust, honesty, sensuality and freedom to be whom one is. This requires everyone to be excellent to one another, to respect the sovereignty and autonomy of all who are present at SweetWood Temenos and to treat each other as dear ones or friends.

This policy recognizes that when humans gather together in friendship and kinship that there can be awkward suggestions or contact, misunderstood intentions and self-centered behavior that can be annoying. Polite, respectful yet assertive discussion of the problem with the other person(s) and/or the use of another person as a mediator can resolve the issue. SweetWood encourages this problem solving approach. Sometimes ignoring the problem will allow the issue to resolve itself. However if ignoring and/or discussing the issue first does not bring about resolution, please seek out Jack Ingersoll, AKA Iacchus, or other designated SweetWood mediator to help resolve the issue.

However there are behaviors that are felt to threaten or violate one’s sense of sovereignty or autonomy. An individual who feels this way needs to clearly tell the other person(s) that this is what they are feeling and ask or demand those others whose behavior are felt to threaten or violate one’s sense of sovereignty or autonomy to Stop. NO IS NO. For individuals to continue in such behaviors that are felt to threaten or violate a given person’s sense of sovereignty or autonomy, after they have once been told to STOP or NO, is to engage in what is considered to be harassment by SweetWood Temenos.

For the purpose of SweetWood Temenos’ policy concerning harassment, this second NO needs to be reported to Jack Ingersoll (AKA Iacchus) or other designated SweetWood mediator in order for the SweetWood Temenos policy on harassment to be enforced. The mediator will warn the harasser that any further violation and they will have to leave SweetWood Temenos. There will be no refunds and they will not be allowed access to SweetWood or its festivals until the Board of Directors of SweetWood and the parties concerned come up with an acceptable resolution to the issue.

The Harasser, the individual who received a second “NO”, must camp at least two campsites away from the offended individual, be at least 5 persons away from the offended individual in any celebration or circle being held at SweetWood and for the remaining time at SweetWood Temenos not attempt any kind of interpersonal contact with the offended individual.

Harassment at SweetWood Temenos gatherings or festivals can lead an individual to be permanently banished from SweetWood Temenos gatherings, festivals and membership.