Prevention

Human contact in castells
All members of the Colla, whether they have just arrived or not, have to be aware of the fact
that there is a lot of human contact, both physical and otherwise. Each person has his or her
personal limits regarding contact and we have to respect them.
There are personal experiences that can have a great influence on the way of perceiving the
acceptable limits of physical contact: socialisation as a woman, transphobia, cultural
differences, etc. The activity within the Colla has to be adapted to the level of contact that
each person is willing to assume: from playing the gralla (zero contact) to being part of the
core of the pinya (high contact). When someone joins the Colla, we have to make explicit
both the physical contact involved in making castells and our commitment against
discrimination, abuse and aggressions of any kind.
On the other hand, we cannot forget that not only physical contact can be violent. Other
forms of contact, both verbal and non-verbal, can be equally harmful. Within the sphere of
the Colla, all these attitudes will be considered aggressions.
The Colla doesn’t remain silent
So that the Colla is a safe space, all members need to keep our eyes open and show an
attitude that does not tolerate discrimination, abuse or aggression. The Commission commits
itself to transmit this attitude to all members of the Colla and also to train itself in the field of
prevention of discrimination and violence. We will not respect any kind of aggression, be it
sexist, LGTBIphobic, fatphobic, racist or ethnicist. We will pay special attention to the
canalla, which can be very conditioned by the situation of dependence on adults.

Working group and commission

Any woman who is a member of the Colla and who is interested can be part of the working
group. From this group, three women will be chosen in order to form the Commission that
will be in charge of managing abuses or aggressions. Suggestions from all the people that
form the Colla will be accepted at all times.
The objectives of the Commission are:

• prevent any kind of discrimination;
• prevent the recurrence of possible aggressions;
• face any kind of aggression that may occur during rehearsals, performances and
  social activities of the Colla;
• intervene at the moment that an aggression happens;
• accompany the victim, if necessary with specialised help (e.g. Landessportbund
  Berlin), and inform about external resources;
• make all members of the Colla feel comfortable.
  The Commission can be approached by anyone who has witnessed an aggression or by the
  person who has been aggressed.

Protocol of action

In order to meet these objectives, the following action protocol has been established in the
event of situations of abuse and aggression of any kind that are perceived or reported:

1. The person reporting the aggression will be listened to carefully in order to
   understand what has happened and how. If necessary, we will talk to the person who
   has been aggressed and take into account their will regarding the treatment of the
   case.
2. The caps de Colla will be informed of the presented situation so that it can be taken
   into account in the rehearsals and performances. Moreover, they will be responsible
   for informing the Presidency.
3. One or more members of the Commission will talk to the aggressor. The person
   making the complaint will be able to decide whether they wish to take part in the
   conversation with the aggressor. During the conversation, the aggressor will be told
   the facts presented by the complainant in order to make him/her understand the
   effects of his/her behaviour.
4. During the conversation, the facts presented by the person making the complaint will
   be explained to the aggressor in order to make him/her understand the effects of
   his/her behaviour.
5. When deciding on the sanction, the following aspects will be taken into account:

• intentionality of the aggression;
• explanations and reactions of the aggressor;
• repeated aggressions and
• will of the assaulted person as to the consequences that may be applied to
  the aggressor.

6. If the aggression has been committed by mistake or due to a lack of technical
   knowledge, Tècnica will be in charge of instructing the person who committed the
   aggression.
7. If the aggressor is not receptive or does not collaborate in response to the
   Commission’s warning, they will be removed immediately until they change their
   attitude and accept their responsibility for the acts.
8. If the aggressor repeats his or her attitude or behaviour, he or she will be expelled
   and the Colla will be informed.