Draft

More than two months ago, I wrote the first draft of a letter addressed to Senior Staff--ultimately signed by two-thirds of the Council, a quarter of frontline staff, and numerous other members--outlining the concerns we shared about the Rule 2 implications of a then-recent tribunal ruling. I still have those concerns, and to this point Senior Staff have yet to share their response to the main points we raised, but I've had plenty of time for the emotion and turmoil of those weeks to subside.

I find myself writing again now not out of exasperation, but simply from exhaustion and disappointment that a dynamic which was in place long before I joined Staff continues to play out in SV forum governance. I think the frustrations of Councillors are reasonable and deserve to be taken seriously, but from my perspective as an Arb, I see this less as a Staff vs Council issue and more as a consequence of Senior Staff's nontransparent and frequently tone-deaf approach, which leaves both Council and frontline Staff blindsided by certain turns of events.

There are good reasons why frontline Staff are expected to not comment on policy issues in FN&SC. I had hoped that writing the letter would allow me to remain in my position while speaking my conscience. My plan had been to keep waiting for a reply before deciding whether to step down, but given the resignations of the past few days, I think this is the appropriate time for me to make my solidarity unambiguous. With no response in more than two months and little hope that a more productive dialogue between Senior Staff and Council is about to emerge, I feel the only way I can exercise my voice in a manner people will hear is to step down so that I can speak publicly once again.

I originally applied to be an Arbitrator because I wanted to help people. I am grateful to Senior Staff for the opportunity to try, and I can only hope I managed to improve at least one or two people's experiences. The SV community is very dear to me, and while I presently find myself with little left to offer and can no longer ignore the fact that I'm consistently happier when focusing on other interests, I hope for nothing but the best for everyone here.

With deepest regards,
@Eldy