NEAMA Allies Program
The NEAMA Allies Program is aimed at building a community of volunteers within the movement arts who support NEAMA’s mission and want to help redefine how our industry as a whole engages with physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. NEAMA Allies join us in the movement to push for spaces that are rooted in respect and consent.
For the time being - as NEAMA pilots this program - Allies are recruited directly by NEAMA leadership. However, we want to expand this program going forward in the spirit of inclusivity. We believe that everyone can be an Ally so long as they are passionate about NEAMA’s mission, and open to aligning themselves with our work.
What do NEAMA Allies do?
Allyship to NEAMA is not one size fits all. We honor the fact that advocating for our mission can happen in a variety of forms and/or mediums, including but not limited to:
- Redirecting members of local communities and spaces to NEAMA’s resources;
- Providing members of the community with basic information on the organization if asked;
- Participating in NEAMA’s community-wide programs or NEAMA’s projects internally;
- Creating thoughtful ways to expand NEAMA’s mission - we encourage Allies to be self-driven and to take initiatives into their own hands; and
- Resharing or posting NEAMA’s content on social media.
NEAMA values the diversity of our Allies. We create a space where we are not afraid of real difference and disagreement.
Clarification on our use of 'ally'
We want to make a clarification regarding the use of 'ally' and 'allyship', terms that can be misused in contemporary language and social justice frameworks.
NEAMA Allyship means, narrowly, allyship to our mission. It does not equate to allyship at large to the community, or to all survivors. We honor the fact that other community members, particularly people who have been harmed, may not see our work as allied to their journey, and that should be honoured.