Transparency is the fourth element of the RAFT. To be open and above-board about what we do and why and how we do it is to demonstrate respect. We can provide sufficient information to communities that they can see whether we are accountable to our principles and our claims or not. We can demonstrate that we care about fairness and want to be open about how our actions and behaviors have impacts on different groups of people.

An unwillingness to be transparent also sends the message that we think others are unimportant. Acting as though others are unimportant makes them angry and suspicious. Hidden decision making processes, whether intentional or not, send a message of disregard. When no input or feedback is allowed, people have no reason to trust decisions. They cannot expect that conversations behind closed doors (perhaps unannounced and to which they are not invited) will be made with their wellbeing in mind. Because their potential insights and contributions are unrequested, they do not expect that much attention will be paid to their concerns. Lack of transparency indicates that we do not think “you” are important, that we do not respect you enough to include you and your ideas and judgments in our systems.

Fighters and those inciting conflict work in secret with only the “trusted” in-group. They do not want their strategy sessions or their plotting to be open to all. Their plans must be secret, and when they emerge, people should follow them because the fighters know best.

When people are included in decision-making, or even when they understand how and why decisions are made, they do not need to be concerned that their voices will be ignored. Transparency allows people to find leverage points to inject themselves into decision making where they feel their interests are at stake.

Transparency reinforces a sense of connectedness. [ref]An organization made transparency their core organizational value. They made everything they did public through multiple channels. They articulated their goals publicly. They announced their activities well in advance, inviting both feedback and participation. They met specifically with people who said they opposed the goals in order to discuss common ground (they looked for Connectors with people who opposed them!). They made their notes of every meeting, both internally and with local authorities, public to show who they had met with, what agreements had ben made (or not made), and simply what the organization was doing at all times. The organization soon found themselves trusted by everybody, even their opponents. They were asked to mediate between other groups. They also had great success very quickly, because the community understood exactly what they trying to accomplish and why. The community took ownership of the goals and celebrated their own success. The organization was happy to fade into the background.[/ref] Secrecy reinforces a sense of division.

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Related Topics
Using the RAFT
Respect
Accountability
Fairness
Patterns of Behavior and Mindsets
Three Spheres of Behavior
Messages through the RAFT