The Ten Guiding Principles that started at Burning Man have been adopted by every regional Burn, including Kiwiburn. While some of these principles may be more exciting than others, they are all important, and they also function in balance with each other. In particular, the principle of Civic Responsibility balances the principle of Radical Self-Expression.
Many Burners are drawn to the principle of Radical Self-Expression – sometimes to the exclusion of the other nine – as it invites us to behave according to our own desires, rather than being shackled by the dictates of authority. This sounds a lot more exciting than, say, “Leave No Trace” i.e. spending an hour going through your campsite with a fine-toothed comb before departing! However, as is stated on Kiwiburn’s guide to the Principles, when offering a gift of one’s radical self-expression to others, “the giver should respect the rights and liberties of the recipient.”
Furthermore, the principle of Civic Responsibility encourages us to be accountable for the consequences of our expression, and consider the welfare of others. If members of our community choose to express themselves in ways that are hateful toward other members of our community, we all have a responsibility to oppose this; Radical Self-Expression can never be a justification for racism, or any other form of prejudice.
Being a Burner means being open to different points of view, however being a member of this community also means looking after one another, and considering the consequences of our words and expressions, especially as they impact upon less privileged members of our community. The way we express ourselves can, in fact, help us to lift one another up in the face of everything the world keeps throwing our way: Radical Civic Responsibility!
