The eCaravan is an online volunteer-run and participant-led peer event where we build a space together to explore and share Nonviolent Communication. We (refers to the Caravan Team voluntary organisers throughout) have thought deeply about how we hold everyone’s needs with care online. We want to set out our boundaries and to be transparent with participants so that they can make choices about their involvement in the event. We will use NVC as our guiding principle to address any issues around these boundaries with heartfelt care for the needs of all parties involved. This policy includes the protective use of force, as set out in NVC principles, in service of upholding the values and purpose of our event. We hope that it will not be necessary to use the protective use of force.

• A team member or a workshop leader can directly and immediately remove a participant e.g from a Zoom call, in the moment if they believe the safety of the group is not being upheld.
• Examples where someone may be removed immediately include but aren’t limited to: direct verbal attacks on individuals, sexist or racist insults, nudity, sharing of pornographic images, financial scamming and so on.
• In situations where NVC has been used to engage but the presence of a participant or team member is now impacting the capacity of the team and/or group to reach the goals/uphold the values of the event, any team member or workshop leader can ask a person to leave and/or remove them.
• We want to hold everyone’s feelings with care and because of this have a team of volunteer Empathy Responders to support anyone who asks. However, this is not a counselling or therapeutic event and is not a substitute for crisis support. Where a participant is in crisis and/or in need of emotional support beyond the capacity of the team and participants, they may be asked to leave and seek support outside of the Caravan event.
• Where a team member has a request that the person is removed from the entire event, they will have a conversation with at least 2 other team members to make this final decision.
• We will consider if and how to restore connection (e.g. check in over Zoom) with anyone asked to leave or removed from the event and will also be open to other requests.
• People involved who are still participating may also request support, e.g. from Empathy Responders or the team.
• Each exclusion will be for the stated time – e.g. one session or the whole current event.
• The person can ask to rejoin by stating in writing what their understanding is of why they were removed and why they want to rejoin. A minimum of 3 team members will consider this request and make a decision based on the likely impact of group safety and trust if we were to include the person, with care for both the individual and the needs of anyone previously impacted by their actions.