PART III: How to Develop a DE&I Initiative for #Web3
How to Develop a DE&I Initiative for #Web3 Pt III
The DAO DE&I Workgroup should determine if there are any barriers impeding the assignment of roles, opportunities, or inclusion of Community Members from different demographic groups. The DAO DE&I workgroup may need to put forth proposals to the Community to eliminate certain standards and practices that can impede DE&I efforts, such as:
Member referral programs - Community referral programs can result in "like me" referrals that have adverse effects on those seeking to enter the Community. DAOs might want to limit the use of these or supplement them with other sourcing methods in order to better promote diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Unconscious biases: There may be certain Work Groups that are underrepresented in relation to the DAO constellations as a whole. Is it possible that DAO Leadership is selecting Community Members for roles or workgroups based on an unconscious bias? If a particular leader's Work Group is significantly less diverse, equitable, or inclusive than other Work Groups and the DAO Constellation as a whole, then it may be time for the DE&I Workgroup to have an evaluative review of that leader's methods.
#Web3 culture: A DAO's culture is often defined by the beliefs of its Community Members. If a DAO has an espoused stance on a very specific spectrum of the political scale, for example, it can unintentionally attract or repel prospective members who are not like-minded. It will produce, an echo chamber, and everything that DAO does will be to further entrench their own ideas and beliefs, even to its own detriment and liability.
To avoid this situation and be more inclusive, DAO DE&I Work Groups and Leadership should consider holding events where everyone can come together in a FUN environment and create togetherness and celebrate how the differences of perspectives (outside an echo chamber) are what keep the DAO and the DAO Constellation healthy.
Political Preferences - An DAO Community may discourage a specific individual with different political views from participation in the Community, specific Work Group, or Role if the Community posts political signs and/or messages and/or inferences (watch that unconscious bias) on its NFTs, webpages, Discord, or other Social Media.
A popular slogan on a Community Member's bio or social media handle supporting a political symbol, specific candidate, party, or ideology that differs from Leaders’ choice can affect how that person is viewed by Leadership and other Community Members, as well as what kind of decisions are made about equity, performance, and role opportunities.
A DAO must consider the fact that differing opinions create disadvantages for both Prospective Community Members and current Community Members without taking appropriate actions to eliminate those barriers like removing any potentially offensive signs in the Community or educating Community Members about respecting others' differences through training and providing resources.
Here at Moon Chime Family Business Services, we can provide professional Community Management training and Resources. The DAO should take disciplinary action against Admins or Workgroup Leaders who act intolerantly towards people with different opinions when it comes to religion, race, sexual orientation, etc., even though this might include your friend or someone who has higher DAO permissions than you.
Which brings us to....
Ethical Considerations, Arguments, and Fallacies
It is important to remember for Ethical reasons, and the protection of all Community Members, that there is a formal scientific structure for arguments when disagreements arise and to study the science of fallacious arguments. Respect is imperative, because once Respect is lost, trust is lost, and then attacks follow. Once the argument goes outside the bounds of these scientific structures, it's no longer a disagreement, but an attack. It is imperative that the science of argument and fallacies is adhered to and that Respect and Civil Discourse are held as a rigid standard, even during a disagreement. That should be a strict Community Rule, at all times.
DAOs should provide resources, but insist that it is the individual's responsibility to educate themselves on the science of constructive argument and that if they fail to do so, and/or they enter into an attack, that a proposal can be submitted to the Community for Removal from said Community.
It is my professional opinion, that it is unethical that a Community Member is Summarily Excommunicated from a Community without a Fair Hearing from the Community. Instead, they ought to be provided an opportunity, a Community Hearing, where they can debate the facts and provide evidence within the structure of a sound argument and that then the Community put it to a vote, after a Fair Hearing, what their fate shall be. If they fail to produce a convincing argument, fail in the structure of their sound argument, or fail to produce convincing facts, in all likelihood they will be voted out. However, it is my opinion, that civility and respect encompass a Due Process and Fair Hearing.
Orginal was posted on our Ko-Fi, here.