Safeguarding
Guidelines for Safeguarding.
Guidelines for attending Rallies and Peace Vigils If attending rallies make sure you are never alone but always have someone with you. If carrying a flag, banner or notice board, ensure that any passersby have room to move freely and that your flag, banner or notice board is not in their way. If approached by someone with different beliefs, do not engage in a conflictual conversation with them. Guidelines for hosting speakers If hosting a speaker, make sure they are accommodated by someone of the same sex or by a married couple. If hosting a speaker at a hired venue ensure the organization you are renting the venue from, are fully aware of who the speaker is and what their topic will be. Be prepared for those who may be present and have conflicting ideas or views about what the speaker is presenting. Have people responsible for asking anyone who disrupts the meeting to leave quietly and have at least two people accompany them. If you have youth attending a meeting and they have been dropped off by an adult, ensure that they will also be picked up by that adult. Do not transport them yourselves unless it has been prearranged by the parent and yourself. Media: Do not engage with media unless it has been prearranged. Do not post photos on social media unless permission has been given. Guidelines for interfaith prayer meetings When holding interfaith prayer meetings for peace, invite those of other faiths to prepare a prayer to share. The person leading the time of prayer needs to emphasize that there is one God we are praying to, who is the creator of all and loves all. (A positive response to action on safeguarding)We had a guest speaker, who was a refugee from Palestine, and a woman attending was approached and asked quietly to leave the meeting because she was yelling out, “It’s lies, all lies, don’t listen to anything he’s saying.” A couple of members from Pax Christi spoke respectfully with her outside. She returned at the end of the meeting to apologise to those who had organised the meeting and then spoke at length to our speaker and apologised to him, too.