International Feminist Speaker's Collaborative Protocol

IFSC was launched to meet the following objectives:

• Further the scholarship and intellectual dialogue of feminist scholars and activists around the world.
• Encourage regional, international and generational diversity in the invitation of feminist speakers through the following means:
• Providing opportunities for junior scholars and activists to receive exposure through personal and institutional networking, and online listing
• Encouraging scholars and activists of senior status to accept speaking engagements at less prestigious institutions and/or less progressive regions
• Pooling of resources among institutions in local areas of the same region to facilitate invitations for international speakers
• Promote collaboration among local institutions for invitation of feminist speakers  
• Assist hosting institutions to engage feminist praxis in communication with speakers and interaction with the local town and campus communities
• Facilitate mentoring activity between invited speakers and the students and faculty at hosting institutions.   Mentoring may occur on many levels: for example, senior scholars at a host institution might mentor the speaker, even as the speaker herself mentors their students.

In keeping with feminist praxis, members of IFSC request the following of hosting institutions:

Hospitality

• Candor in communication
• Full disclosure of expectations for visit, including issues of schedule, honorarium, and housing
• Open conversation about the political environment of the hosting institution as it relates to the speaker's topic and commitments
• Equitable treatment in the negotiation of honorarium
• Consideration of physical and family needs affected by invitation:
• Attention to dietary needs
• Sufficient periods of rest during scheduled visits
• Attention to disabilities and other health concerns/issues
• Attention to child and/or elder care needs
• Cultural sensitivity:
• Consideration of special needs or limitations due to religious holidays, observances and celebrations
• Attention to possible differences in etiquette expectations
• Appreciation of speaker's cultural distinctiveness without commodifying or exploiting the person and/or the person's culture

Community Connections

• If requested by the speaker, inviting representatives from the local native/ indigenous peoples' community to be present at the engagement
• If requested by the speaker, inviting representatives of a particular racial or ethnic group
• Opportunities to work with and/or speak at multiple institutions within a single region
• Publicity to and meetings with other faculty members interested in feminist theory and praxis (especially in religion)
• Publicity to and meetings with individual students and/or student organizations that are interested in feminist theory and praxis (especially in religion)
• The presence of local activists and representatives of non-governmental organizations engaged in activity related to the topic of the speaker's lecture/the commitments of the speaker