Listserv & Discussion Guidelines

United for Peace and Justice Discussion Guidelines

Please read before posting.

 Welcome! UFPJ’s Listserv UFPJ’s Activist listserv helps keep you connected to the issues and events most relevant to our mission. A listserv is an easy way of distributing e-mail to a large number of people with similar interests. Individual members of the list send their messages to the listserv address and the message is then automatically distributed to all list members.  To join or to unsubscribe: https://lists.mayfirst.org/mailman/listinfo/ufpj-peacetalk

To keep the UFPJ-PeaceTalk list a useful resource and pleasant space for peace and justice activists, we ask that you help promote a respectful atmosphere where people feel free to share ideas and engage in constructive discussion. Politeness and respect for others are essential. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us by email at ufpjpeacetalk.mod(at)gmail.com.

By joining and using this list, you agree that you have read and will follow the UFPJ-PeaceTalk Guidelines, below. This list is moderated under the supervision of the UFPJ Coordinating Committee. Repeated violation of these Guidelines will result in suspension or permanent removal from the list.

 Please also read the UFPJ Unity Statement, which will give you a snapshot of the values and general perspective of the groups participating in UFPJ. If the Unity Statement does not encompass your areas of interest or if you do not generally agree with its viewpoint, this probably is not the list for you.

 Purpose and goals of the list. This list is maintained by UFPJ, a network of organizations, to provide a place for members of UFPJ organizations to inform other participants in the network about their events, publications, and the like. This list also may be used to circulate articles about issues within UFPJ’s areas of interest.

This list is open to individuals, not just members or representatives of UFPJ organizations. Participants nonetheless should keep in mind the purposes of this list, and how their participation in it is related to UFPJ’s efforts to advance our work together.

Posting Guidelines

 Provide a descriptive subject line when starting a new thread. When you are responding to a post, keep your messages relevant to the subject of the thread to which you are responding. Often, people hit “reply” without creating a new subject line despite the fact that their post has little to do with the original message. This makes it difficult for others on the list to read selectively should they choose to do so.

 Do not cross-post. Cross-posting is sending messages to other lists or off-list individuals at the same time you post to the list. All messages sent to the UFPJ-PeaceTalk list should be addressed only to that list, and not forwarded or cross-posted. Address blocks should not include other lists or individual e-mail addresses, aside from the individual whose message you are replying to.

Limit postings to a maximum of two a day and not more than 5 or 6 over the course of a week unless an item is especially urgent. An exception to this policy is for individuals who are posting informative articles that are relevant to the list participants. Expressions of opinion that add no new information or repetition of opinions already stated do not advance discussion and do not meet this criteria.

 Be aware of where your reply is going before sending it. When you hit the reply button you may be responding to the entire list. Only do so if your comments benefit everyone. Check your list of addressees before sending. Extended discussion on a particular topic involving only a few list members should be taken off-list and conducted privately among the individuals concerned.

Present your topic in a manner that makes all of our membership welcome to participate. Keep your comments relevant to the discussion at hand and bear in mind that there is a diversity of ages, races, genders and perspectives among the participants on this list. Keep in mind that we are all subscribed to the UFPJ-PeaceTalk list because we share common interests as peace and justice activists.

Intentional insults and personal criticism directed at an individual (often referred to as “flaming”) will not be tolerated. Rebuttals to another person’s opinions or beliefs should always be made in a respectful and thoughtful manner, whether made publicly or privately. Be careful to avoid misrepresenting positions taken by others or by the organizations they represent.

We hope this list will be largely self-moderating. Posts are not reviewed before publication. The UFPJ Coordinating Committee will, however, follow this list and enforce these guidelines. Posters who violate the guidelines in most cases will receive a warning, but particularly egregious violations will result in an immediate three-day suspension. Repeated violation of these guidelines—and particularly of the guidelines concerning cross-posting, over-frequent posting, off-topic posting, and “flaming”—will result in permanent removal from this list.

Recognizing that UFPJ is a network of organizations with diverse focuses and sometimes conflicting views, the Coordinating Committee will strive to avoid moderating according to viewpoint. However, the Coordinating Committee may, after warnings, remove participants whose posts frequently fall outside the scope of UFPJ’s work or are inconsistent with the UFPJ Unity Statement.

Share This