COLETIVO BORA VADIAR
CODE OF CONDUCT
last updated: February 2025
Coletivo Bora Vadiar is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving and positively impacting the local community. In order to ensure a supportive and empowering environment for all, we have established a comprehensive Code of Conduct, which must be formally adhered to by all participants within the collective, including teachers, visiting instructors, students, community members, families, and observers.
Our commitment is to provide a space that is fair, equitable, safe, and inclusive, while honoring the rich traditions of Capoeira and respecting the pioneers who have shaped this art form. Every individual involved in the collective is expected to uphold their own self-worth, treat others with dignity and respect, and foster a spirit of fellowship and collaboration.
By participating in Coletivo Bora Vadiar, you acknowledge and agree to adhere to the following terms, which are non-negotiable:
You are expected to treat all participants—teachers, visiting teachers, students, community members, families, and observers—with the utmost respect. Discrimination or harassment of any kind, whether intentional or unintentional, will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, discrimination based on sex, race, age, mental or physical ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical appearance, political beliefs, economic status, or length of experience in Capoeira.
Examples of harassment (either in-person or online) include, but are not limited to:
If you observe or become aware of any form of discrimination or harassment in any Coletivo Bora Vadiar classes, events, social media, email communications, or social gatherings involving any member(s) of the collective (including teachers, visiting instructors, students, community members, families, and observers), you are highly encouraged to report the incident to Dinguêra (Carla Locatelli), Batata (Emerson Andrews), or Aroêra (Hope Gale-Hendry), either anonymously or non-anonymously. Further details on the reporting process can be found below.
2. Strengthening Community Bonds:
You are expected to contribute to the strengthening of the Capoeira community, fostering connections that are grounded in a shared love for the art, the pursuit of personal and collective enrichment, and a deep appreciation of community values.
3. Commitment to Personal Growth and Equity:
You agree to commit to your personal growth and to engage in research focused on creating safe and equitable communities. This includes taking actionable steps from your own perspective. Additionally, you are expected to attend workshops organized by Coletivo Bora Vadiar that focus on inclusion, diversity, and safety, which will be provided for all members.
4. Self-Respect and Accountability:
You are expected to treat yourself with compassion and respect. If you make a mistake, you must take responsibility for the outcomes and their impact on others. You are encouraged to seek and integrate any necessary feedback to restore safety within the collective and to improve your future actions.
5. Respect for Physical and Emotional Boundaries:
Aggression or violence, whether physical or psychological, will not be tolerated. While Capoeira inherently involves physical and mental challenges that promote growth, excessive aggression or any form of intimidation is neither acceptable nor appropriate. You must respect both your own and others’ physical and emotional integrity, adhering to the boundaries set by fellow participants, both within and outside the classroom.
6. Acknowledging the Legacy of Capoeira:
Capoeira is an Afro-Indigenous Brazilian art form that serves as a tool for survival and resistance. As members of the Bora Vadiar Collective, we aspire to embody the legacy of Capoeira by proactively supporting one another in difficult situations. We strive to lead by example, maintain a positive and constructive attitude, and inspire the best from one another. We must all be conscious of how our behavior impacts others and take responsibility for it.
7. Commitment to Learning and Participating in Capoeira:
Participating in Capoeira is a responsibility that involves an in-depth understanding of its Afro-Indigenous Brazilian roots. At Coletivo Bora Vadiar, we are dedicated to studying Capoeira in its entirety, including movement, musicality, language, culture, history, social impacts, and traditions. This process requires patience and dedication. Members are expected to set individual and collective goals that include these elements, ensuring our collective commitment to the study, research, learning, and respectful sharing of Capoeira’s rich history and values.
We must also be aware of the risks of cultural appropriation, which occurs when elements of a marginalized culture are adopted or misrepresented in ways that strip them of their meaning or significance. Coletivo Bora Vadiar's responsibility is to ensure that our practice honors Capoeira's roots and contributes to a broader, more inclusive understanding of its history, rather than appropriating, simplifying or distorting it for personal gain.
8. Privilege, awareness & commitment:
Bora Vadiar is committed to fostering a safe and community centered environment that honors the Afro-Indigenous roots of Capoeira while addressing the dynamics of privilege many of us hold within our practice. For those of us who hold privileged identities such as being white, U.S. citizens, or benefit from socio-economic leverage, it is our responsibility to approach Capoeira as guests with awareness, humility, and respect. We commit to participating in the process of decolonization by engaging with Capoeira through recognizing her lineage and leaving behind ideas such as appropriation, perfection, ownership, and isolation. This means listening, stepping back from the spotlight, and refraining from claiming, altering, or appropriating Capoeira's original essence. We commit to actively listen, learn and support Black and Indigenous voices within the Capoeira community, to acknowledge our own privilege, and to work towards dismantling systems of oppression within our practice.
9. Restorative Justice:
While we actively work to prevent harm from happening, we understand that communities might still experience it. Whenever needed and appropriate to the case, we engage in a form of restorative justice where we seek to repair and prevent future harm. We start by centering the needs of those who have been harmed, while inviting those who have caused the harm into active accountability. It's important to note that this approach heavily relies on the those who have cause harmed to fully commit to restoring safety and transforming harmful actions and poitns of view.
In conclusion, Coletivo Bora Vadiar requires all participants—including teachers, visiting instructors, students, community members, families, and observers—to adhere to the Coletivo Bora Vadiar Code of Conduct during classes, events, social media, email communications, or social gatherings involving any member(s) of the collective. This includes gatherings at off-site locations, as well as interactions within related online communities and social media platforms.
REPORTING
If you have any concerns or need to report an issue, please bring it to the immediate attention of Dinguêra (Carla Locatelli), Batata (Emerson Andrews) or Aroêra (Hope Gale-Hendry), either anonymously or non-anonymously, through phone, in person or email.
Dinguêra (Carla Locatelli): (801) 608-8217 [email protected]
Batata (Emerson Andrews): (801) 518-8638 [email protected]
Aroêra (Hope Gale-Hendry): (801) 368-6034 [email protected]
Alternatively, you can report any issues through our website contact form also either signed or anonymously.
All reports will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Coletivo.
We thank all members of Coletivo Bora Vadiar for your commitment to maintaining a safe, welcoming and respectful space for everyone. We look forward to continuing to grow and strengthening our community with your support.
Sincerely,
Coletivo Bora Vadiar
Our commitment is to provide a space that is fair, equitable, safe, and inclusive, while honoring the rich traditions of Capoeira and respecting the pioneers who have shaped this art form. Every individual involved in the collective is expected to uphold their own self-worth, treat others with dignity and respect, and foster a spirit of fellowship and collaboration.
By participating in Coletivo Bora Vadiar, you acknowledge and agree to adhere to the following terms, which are non-negotiable:
You are expected to treat all participants—teachers, visiting teachers, students, community members, families, and observers—with the utmost respect. Discrimination or harassment of any kind, whether intentional or unintentional, will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, discrimination based on sex, race, age, mental or physical ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical appearance, political beliefs, economic status, or length of experience in Capoeira.
Examples of harassment (either in-person or online) include, but are not limited to:
- Derogatory comments, jokes, inferences, gestures, or taunts that are sexist, sexually suggestive, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate
- Unsolicited and unwelcome sexual advances, propositions, or favoritism
- Sharing, posting, or distributing sexual or degrading images or content
- Engaging in harassing photography, recording, or filming without consent
- Stalking or unwanted surveillance
- Inappropriate or invasive physical contact intended to intimidate or harass
- Retaliation or repeated harassment following a complaint or in response to a refusal of unwanted advances
- Assault or any other unlawful behavior
If you observe or become aware of any form of discrimination or harassment in any Coletivo Bora Vadiar classes, events, social media, email communications, or social gatherings involving any member(s) of the collective (including teachers, visiting instructors, students, community members, families, and observers), you are highly encouraged to report the incident to Dinguêra (Carla Locatelli), Batata (Emerson Andrews), or Aroêra (Hope Gale-Hendry), either anonymously or non-anonymously. Further details on the reporting process can be found below.
2. Strengthening Community Bonds:
You are expected to contribute to the strengthening of the Capoeira community, fostering connections that are grounded in a shared love for the art, the pursuit of personal and collective enrichment, and a deep appreciation of community values.
3. Commitment to Personal Growth and Equity:
You agree to commit to your personal growth and to engage in research focused on creating safe and equitable communities. This includes taking actionable steps from your own perspective. Additionally, you are expected to attend workshops organized by Coletivo Bora Vadiar that focus on inclusion, diversity, and safety, which will be provided for all members.
4. Self-Respect and Accountability:
You are expected to treat yourself with compassion and respect. If you make a mistake, you must take responsibility for the outcomes and their impact on others. You are encouraged to seek and integrate any necessary feedback to restore safety within the collective and to improve your future actions.
5. Respect for Physical and Emotional Boundaries:
Aggression or violence, whether physical or psychological, will not be tolerated. While Capoeira inherently involves physical and mental challenges that promote growth, excessive aggression or any form of intimidation is neither acceptable nor appropriate. You must respect both your own and others’ physical and emotional integrity, adhering to the boundaries set by fellow participants, both within and outside the classroom.
6. Acknowledging the Legacy of Capoeira:
Capoeira is an Afro-Indigenous Brazilian art form that serves as a tool for survival and resistance. As members of the Bora Vadiar Collective, we aspire to embody the legacy of Capoeira by proactively supporting one another in difficult situations. We strive to lead by example, maintain a positive and constructive attitude, and inspire the best from one another. We must all be conscious of how our behavior impacts others and take responsibility for it.
7. Commitment to Learning and Participating in Capoeira:
Participating in Capoeira is a responsibility that involves an in-depth understanding of its Afro-Indigenous Brazilian roots. At Coletivo Bora Vadiar, we are dedicated to studying Capoeira in its entirety, including movement, musicality, language, culture, history, social impacts, and traditions. This process requires patience and dedication. Members are expected to set individual and collective goals that include these elements, ensuring our collective commitment to the study, research, learning, and respectful sharing of Capoeira’s rich history and values.
We must also be aware of the risks of cultural appropriation, which occurs when elements of a marginalized culture are adopted or misrepresented in ways that strip them of their meaning or significance. Coletivo Bora Vadiar's responsibility is to ensure that our practice honors Capoeira's roots and contributes to a broader, more inclusive understanding of its history, rather than appropriating, simplifying or distorting it for personal gain.
8. Privilege, awareness & commitment:
Bora Vadiar is committed to fostering a safe and community centered environment that honors the Afro-Indigenous roots of Capoeira while addressing the dynamics of privilege many of us hold within our practice. For those of us who hold privileged identities such as being white, U.S. citizens, or benefit from socio-economic leverage, it is our responsibility to approach Capoeira as guests with awareness, humility, and respect. We commit to participating in the process of decolonization by engaging with Capoeira through recognizing her lineage and leaving behind ideas such as appropriation, perfection, ownership, and isolation. This means listening, stepping back from the spotlight, and refraining from claiming, altering, or appropriating Capoeira's original essence. We commit to actively listen, learn and support Black and Indigenous voices within the Capoeira community, to acknowledge our own privilege, and to work towards dismantling systems of oppression within our practice.
9. Restorative Justice:
While we actively work to prevent harm from happening, we understand that communities might still experience it. Whenever needed and appropriate to the case, we engage in a form of restorative justice where we seek to repair and prevent future harm. We start by centering the needs of those who have been harmed, while inviting those who have caused the harm into active accountability. It's important to note that this approach heavily relies on the those who have cause harmed to fully commit to restoring safety and transforming harmful actions and poitns of view.
In conclusion, Coletivo Bora Vadiar requires all participants—including teachers, visiting instructors, students, community members, families, and observers—to adhere to the Coletivo Bora Vadiar Code of Conduct during classes, events, social media, email communications, or social gatherings involving any member(s) of the collective. This includes gatherings at off-site locations, as well as interactions within related online communities and social media platforms.
REPORTING
If you have any concerns or need to report an issue, please bring it to the immediate attention of Dinguêra (Carla Locatelli), Batata (Emerson Andrews) or Aroêra (Hope Gale-Hendry), either anonymously or non-anonymously, through phone, in person or email.
Dinguêra (Carla Locatelli): (801) 608-8217 [email protected]
Batata (Emerson Andrews): (801) 518-8638 [email protected]
Aroêra (Hope Gale-Hendry): (801) 368-6034 [email protected]
Alternatively, you can report any issues through our website contact form also either signed or anonymously.
All reports will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Coletivo.
We thank all members of Coletivo Bora Vadiar for your commitment to maintaining a safe, welcoming and respectful space for everyone. We look forward to continuing to grow and strengthening our community with your support.
Sincerely,
Coletivo Bora Vadiar