Introduction
The Wood Union is a union in the older sense; a loose association of people choosing to organise around shared concerns, to support one another, and to protect the cultural commons we all share. It’s not an authority, an arbiter, or a governing body. It doesn’t claim, or seek, to be ‘correct’. It simply craves a more kind and inclusive world than the one we’re hurtling toward, due to the rise of the Far Right and their White Supremacist and Fascist roots, in the UK and beyond.
This Charter is version1.0; a draft, we hope, of many. It aims to make our values visible, to open up the floor to self-reflection without judgement, toward the collective unlearning of harmful norms, and to empower increased discourse and connection as a community. The Charter is not a rulebook, a membership scheme, or a form of accreditation. It doesn’t certify best practice, nor does it offer any protection from criticism. It’s a statement of shared intent for those who seek to be and do better.
It is no longer enough to simply hold these values in our hearts, to glibly say “all are welcome” without reading the global room. These unprecedented times have reinforced the need to wear those hearts on our sleeves, in our voices, and in our actions.
If you feel that The Wood Union’s values align with yours, we invite you to sign and share our initial Charter, and participate in ongoing discussions and future revisioning and actions. And if, in our human fallibility and inevitable cognitive bias glitches, we have neglected something, or someones, which requires immediate attention, let us know now: connect@thewoodunion.org (and thank you for calling us in).
Charter
- WE CARE FOR LAND & ENVIRONMENT
Woodcraft, landscape, and humanity are inextricably linked, providing a precious intraconnection of physical and emotional benefits. The Wood Union upholds the basic human right to live, work and roam within the land under protected conditions. We respect our waterways and protect the right of all living entities to have ready access to clean water and nutrition. Human and Earth Rights coexisting in equitable harmony.
We support people and projects committed to protecting the environment as a limited resource, and to living and working with it responsibly and sustainably.
- WE KEEP WOOD CULTURE OPEN
Woodland based crafts have been passed down through generations, from the earliest co-maintenance of Common Lands and its resourcing of ancient cottage industries, to its resurgence as a treasured repository of making and makers today – with many skills endangered or already lost to over-industrialisation. Our curiosity, passion and generous desire to share these wisdoms are what define our community today. Knowledge is a gift which expands when shared.
We support people and projects which strive to keep woodcraft learning open, accessible, and inclusive to all.
- WE STAND AGAINST RACISM
Wood culture has been a predominately white male-led community, in part due to the privileges of land ownership or the economic resourcing to invest time and money into one’s craft. Racism can appear as covert, or overt; we often might not notice a casual harmful comment, normalised by a racist society.
The lack of overt welcome and anti-racist declarations can prevent Global Majority, Immigrant and Asylum Seeker members from reaching in, or staying. Equally, we tend to stay where we’re familiar, instead of reaching out to support Global Majority, Immigrant and Asylum Seeker makers and communities, meeting them where they are.
We support people and projects which foster open conversation and a commitment to improve our understanding of cultural differences and practices, with the aim of increasing the racial diversity of woodcraft makers.
- WE STAND AGAINST MISOGYNY, SEXISM, HOMOPHOBIA AND TRANSPHOBIA
Woodcraft has celebrated a considerable increase in women makers over recent years, and yet the community is still predominantly male-led. The recent politicisation of trans, intersex and gender-nonconforming peoples’ existences, and its resultant increase in homophobia, have added new complexities to the gender-balance discussion. Excessively-funded, largely overseas-based, gender-critical lobbyists have launched brutal attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community and all who support them – resulting in further threats against cis women’s rights, especially regarding bodily autonomy.
We support people and projects which celebrate the diversity of gender and sexuality expression, and stand firmly with our cis, trans, intersex and gender-nonconforming siblings in vocal support of the right for all gender expressions to exist, thrive, and make authentically.
- WE BELIEVE SOCIAL JUSTICE IS THE FOUNDATION OF COMMUNITY
Woodlands thrive when supported to be biodiverse, with the removal of invasive species, respectful consideration regarding shared access to clean water, healthy nutrients, and the sun, and a careful balancing of individual and collective need… and so do humans. Attacks against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion threaten us all. Our common ground is that we share the human condition: we all grieve, have needs, find ourselves stuck, and feel emotions. Many of us came to woodcraft because we sought the wellbeing it brings. Some of us live with physical or neurological conditions which make daily life more challenging, who require additional supports, adjustments, and safeguarding in order to participate.
We support people and projects which seek to understand each other, to respect boundaries and consent, and commit to removing barriers to inclusion and accessibility wherever they exist.
Signing the Charter
Anyone can sign the Charter if they broadly agree with its values and intend to work in its spirit. Signing is free. Signing the Charter doesn’t create affiliation, endorsement, partnership, or status. Names are never displayed.
By signing, you’re indicating that the values set out here are relevant to your life and your work, and that you’re willing to think about how they apply, or might be adjusted, to your own context.
Using The Wood Union Marks
The Wood Union marks are a simple way to show public agreement with the Charter. Once you have signed the Charter, you are welcome to use The Wood Union marks within your own materials. Our hope is that this will highlight you as a champion of woodland based craft’s diversity, equity, and inclusion. Those seeking a safely-brave space through which to enter or advance their own maker journeys can be reassured that, while you might not understand their lived experience or expressions, you’re open to learning about and accommodating them.
Through this shared journey, we aim to articulate and clarify the ethos of the woodcraft community, so that it can continue to grow and flourish in a spirit of togetherness.
A Note on Us and our Next-Steps
This is the first public draft of a living, evolving, Charter and movement. This first edition has been cocreated by a small group of woodcraft community members who are passionate about the protection of all people and the planet. We are cis and gender-diverse, straight and queer… and all white. As such, we recognise our privilege in being able to say the hard parts out loud – some of us with more protections available than others. We acknowledge that anti-fascism work is a journey which begins with the self, and that deconditioning ourselves from harmful societal norms is a long and frequently arduous path. Nevertheless, we persist in the belief that this work is vital, and is built upon courage and togetherness. Humanity is facing hostility from all directions, and the planet is kicking back against its over-extraction. We have a long road ahead.
Where you find disagreement, we invite you to pause and reflect before responding with aggression. Ask yourself why you’re angry, and reflect on where those narratives were picked up, and whether you truly believe them. If nothing here suits your own soul, there’s no need to announce your distaste. If you recognise there’s room for growth in your own life and work – and ours – you are welcome here.
Our next steps involve:
- ensuring our own practices remain true to our objectives;
- sharing this Charter and invitation across our networks, online and off;
- hosting events at woodcraft gatherings where we’ll share our own journeys so far;
- inviting Union co-conspirators to interrogate and improve this draft and future actions, to make them as inclusive and productive as possible;
- listening to understand what resources or support the community might need for their own progressions, and codesigning them to suit our collective needs;
- cocreating Charter version2.0 and beyond, with your help.
We look forward to receiving your curiosity, clarifications, and contributions to this necessary step toward a more ethical future, for all.