Respect Charter: 
Our cooperation in all activities

‘Human dignity shall be inviolable.’

(Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany of 24 May 1949, Section 1)

‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.’
(Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948, §1)

The Landesverband Amateurtheater Baden-Württemberg e.V. (Baden-Württemberg Amateur Theatre Association) is committed to democratic values, in particular the inviolability of human dignity and human rights, as enshrined in the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Mutual respect is our guiding principle in our activities and in our daily interactions with one another. The following Respect Charter serves as a basic principle and guide.

Respect means:

Respecting diversity and equality
All people are different – all people are equal. Every person has their own needs and a natural longing for security. Theatre is a means of recognizing and promoting each person's personal strengths.

Treating each other with appreciation, attentiveness and solidarity
We recognize the value of every human being. We treat others as we would like to be treated. We show solidarity with those who need support. Acceptance and empathy are the basis for respectful coexistence. Physical/mental and linguistic limitations play a subordinate role. They enrich our interaction with one another. 


Respecting self-determination
We recognize the right of every person to determine for themselves who they are, how they want to perceive themselves and how they want to be perceived by others. We accept personal boundaries, for example regarding sensitive topics or physical proximity: No means no. Only yes means yes.

Take responsibility for your own actions
How we behave and express ourselves towards others matters. Words can hurt, even if they were ‘not meant that way’. A sincere apology is a welcome gesture.

Learn from each other
We are aware of our own perspectives and ‘blind spots’. We question ourselves, because no one knows everything or has experienced everything. We are open to other points of view. We accept criticism that is expressed respectfully. We reject attitudes that devalue others. In the spirit of freedom of expression, discussions and different views are welcome – as long as they remain within the framework of human rights enshrined in the Basic Law and remain objective.

Racism and discrimination will not be tolerated
We do not tolerate the devaluation of people based on their origin, gender, faith, sexual orientation, physical appearance or other social conventions. We resolutely oppose group-relatedr hostility towards people based on their actual or perceived membership of a group or social category.

We resolve conflicts with respect
In conflicts, all parties involved should be able to keep face. No one should be harmed. Not only actions, but also feelings deserve respect. We deal with mistakes in such a way that we can learn from them together. We recognize that conflicts and contradictions cannot always be resolved. We tolerate contradictions. Dealing with this challenge is part of the democratic educational work of the Landesverband Amateurtheater Baden-Württemberg e.V. (Baden-Württemberg Amateur Theatre Association).

Preserving artistic freedom
We recognize that it is part of the self-image and mission of theatre to address social issues and processes. We respect that provocative formats may be developed to negotiate this on stage. We are aware that the way in which we conduct these discussions also determines whether and how we contribute to promoting social cohesion. Respectful interaction within the framework of artistic freedom includes being aware of possible misunderstandings in advance and creating a framework that enables respectful discourse.