Army of Chaos Ethical Guidelines
PREAMBLE
As professionals, officers and members of the Army of Chaos you have a unique opportunity and a special responsibility to contribute to the improvement of the Community of brothers and sisters of the Army of Chaos. As members of the Chaos you are subject to all the codes of conduct and ethical guidelines hereby listed below. This document provides general guidelines to inform the practice of professionals working in community development.
Ethical guidelines indicate a consensus among practitioners about the ideals that should inform their practice as professionals, as well as those behaviors that would constitute misconduct. Between the ideal of exemplary practice and misconduct lies a gray area where dilemmas arise: choices may seem equally right or wrong; different roles and/or responsibilities may place competing, if not incompatible, demands on developers; or certain behaviors may seem questionable but no consensus can determine that those behaviors are examples of misconduct.
It is our hope that these guidelines complement communal growth and promote general social happiness and prosperity. This document describes the ideals of practice, identifies specific behaviors that typify professional misconduct, and provides a model to think through situations which present conflicting choices or questionable behavior.
GUIDELINES FOR PRACTICE
Competence and Integrity
Aspects of competence and integrity discussed in these guidelines include the behavior of Officers and Members alike, the skills and the boundaries they should respect and enforce, and the need for them to assure the rights of other members. Officers should also interact competently and with integrity in relationships with their co-officers, supervisors, and the community.
1. Behavior. In order to assure evidence of competence and integrity, Officers should
a. clarify professional roles and obligations;
b. accept appropriate responsibility for their behavior;
c. make no false or intentionally misleading statements;
d. avoid the distortion and misuse of their work;
e. clarify their roles and responsibilities with each party from the outset when providing services at the behest of a third party;
f. accept appropriate responsibility for the behavior of those they supervise;
g. model ethical behavior with co-officers and those they supervise and in the larger community.
2. Skills and Boundaries. To practice effectively officers need an awareness of their belief systems, personal skills, and personal knowledge base and cognizance of their own and their community’s boundaries. Ethical practice requires that officers
a. be reflective and self-critical in their practice;
b. seek out knowledge, skills and resources continually to under gird and expand their practice;
c. consult with other officers when they lack the experience or training for a particular case or endeavor or if they seek to prevent or avoid unethical conduct;
d. know and work within the boundaries of their competence and time limitations;
e. know and act in consonance with their purpose, mandate, and philosophy, integrating the latter insofar as possible;
f. strive to be aware of their own belief systems, values, biases, needs, and the effect of these on their work;
g. incorporate diverse points of view;
h. allow no personal or private interests to conflict or appear to conflict with professional duties or community’s needs;
i. take care of their personal welfare so they can facilitate community development
j. ensure that they have the institutional freedom to do their job ethically.
3. Community Rights. Because officers work in a variety of settings with a variety of members and interact within different contexts, they must be sensitive to and respectful of intellectual, individual, and power differences. Officers should thus
a. be receptive to different styles and approaches to recruiting and management, and to others' professional roles and functions;
b. respect the rights of others to hold values, attitudes, and opinions different from their own;
c. work against harassment and discrimination of any kind, including race, ethnicity, gender, class, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, nationality, etc.;
d. be aware of various power relationships with members (e.g., power based on position or on information) and not abuse their power.
4. Confidentiality. Officers maintain confidentiality regarding member identity, information, and records within appropriate limits and according to ethical and legal regulations. Officers should
a. keep confidential private member information, as well as their professional observations, interactions, or conclusions related to specific members;
b. conduct discreet conversations among officers in supervisory relationships and never disclose private member information in public places.
5. Responsibilities to the Officers. Officers work with colleagues on a local, national, and international level. In order to assure the integrity of the Community, they
a. attribute materials and ideas to their creators;
b. contribute ideas, experience, and knowledge to colleagues;
c. respond promptly to requests from any and all officers ;
d. respect members and acknowledge collegial differences;
e. work positively for the development of individuals and the community;
f. cooperate with other units and officers involved in development efforts;
PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT
The professional misconduct of Officers would reflect gross negligence and disdain for the Guidelines for Practice stated above. Unethical, unprofessional, and incompetent behaviors carried out by Officers should be brought to the attention of the High Council. Individual officers should take responsibility if or when they become aware of gross unethical conduct by any officer.
ETHICAL CONFLICTS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Conflicts Arising from Multiple Responsibilities, Constituents, Relationships, and Loyalties
Officers may encounter conflicts that arise from multiple responsibilities, constituents, relationships, and loyalties. Because officers are responsible to their community, individual members, higher officers, and to themselves, it is inevitable that conflict will arise. For example, multiple responsibilities and relationships to various constituencies, together with competing loyalties, may lead to conflicting ethical responsibilities.
In such instances of conflict, officers need to practice sensitive and sensible responsibility. It is best that they
1. consult in confidence with other officers when they are faced with conflicting or confusing ethical choices.
2. inform the other person or persons of the standing issues and confusions
3. decide cases of questionable practice individually, after first informing themselves to the best of their ability of all the ramifications of their actions.
5. work to determine when they will act or not act, while being mindful of the rules and regulations of the Community.
Conflicts Arising from Multiple Role
Officers are expected to be communal models or even the conscience for good actions in their company. Another potential area for conflict arises from the fact that officers may serve both as commanding officers and as members. As commanding officers, they support members in their efforts to improve their company, while making sure that members adhere to the rules and regulations and code of ethics; in their role as members they often create personal relations with other members that may sometimes affect their other responsibilities. Either role may create conflict between members of staff and members of the community. While personal relationships with members are suggested, this must not get in the way of completing the duty of an officer of the Army of Chaos.
CONCLUSION
This document is an attempt to define ethical behaviors for the current practice of officers and members in the community. In creating this document the High Council has referred to and borrowed from the Ethical Guidelines of the American Psychological Association, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Guidance Counselors, the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in Canada, and the Staff and Educational Development Association in the United Kingdom. The High Council will continue to refine these guidelines in light of the changes and issues that confront the profession.
