[UbuntuWomen] Best Practices

[Susan Spencer]

Please have a look at the following draft for the Best Practices page.
The current page seems to touch on several topics: safety, harassment,
and recruiting and maintaining a diverse community.
I tried to make this as concise yet friendly as possible, and keep the
same topics.
'Mentorship' is included as an essential element to build into Ubuntu
events and meetings. The Ubuntu Women mentor program is still being
developed, right?
Further recommendations for 'recruiting and maintaining a diverse
community' can be created as another Wiki page.

- Susan

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Ubuntu Women -- Best Practices for Ubuntu meetings and events:

Ubuntu Women is dedicated to improving the diversity of membership
within the Ubuntu Community.
To achieve this goal, Ubuntu Women encourages the use of the following
guidelines
to quickly network new members into the Ubuntu Community,
 and prevent them being exposed to unsafe or harassing situations:

1. Schedule activities and events at publicly accessible locations.

2. At the beginning of each meeting or event:
	a. Remind everyone:
		-Follow the Ubuntu Code of Conduct
(http://www.ubuntu.com/project/about-ubuntu/conduct)
		-Follow the Ubuntu Anti-Harassment Policy (http://uds.ubuntu.com/harassment/)
		-Park in lighted areas
		-Go "off-campus" or away from meeting location in groups of 3 or more
		-Asking newbie members for a 'date' is considered a bit of bad manners,
		but asking newbie members to go for a beer and pizza with a group is
highly encouraged!
	b. Encourage everyone to respond to any social faux-pas with grace
and understanding (many of us don't get out much!)

3. During each meeting or event:
	a. Encourage ongoing participation from new members by introducing
them and inviting them to talk briefly about their skills and
interests.
	b. Refer to members/attendees as 'women' and 'men', and avoid using
stereotypes in meeting/event presentation and materials.
	d. Develop a mentor program for recurring events/meetings:
		-Assign new members to an existing member, or mentor, to develop
ideas for exploring the new member interests with events and projects
		-Ask mentors to contact their assigned members before each meeting.
		-Allow each mentor/newbies team the opportunity to present at each
meeting for group feedback and contributions (But schedule ahead of
time!)
		-Encourage networking outside of the meeting/event. (IRC meetings,
OSCon, beer nights once a month for Locos, etc.)
		-Refer everyone to check out this page: <URL of Ubuntu Women mentor
guidelines go here>

4. At the end of each meeting or event:
	Always thank the newbies for their attendance and participation!

5. Between meeting and events:
	Check with mentor/newby teams, or mentor website, if appropriate.

6. At all times, encourage every one to get out there, have fun and
meet new people. They might meet the next big contributor
to their favorite project, or they might find a new project or team to
work with. Remind everyone that open source is ultimately
about making a difference in the world!