Code of Conduct

Why we have a Code of Conduct (CoC)

We are dedicated to create an event where everybody can learn, teach, share, network and have a good time. This can only work if we are inclusive and if we create an environment where everybody feels safe and welcome.

We value discussion and disagreement. And discussions can become heated. But there have to be rules, and there has to be a red line.

In this code of conduct, we lay out those rules and red lines.

Safe Environment

We are committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and religion (or lack thereof).

We invite all participants, and the community, to help us create safe and positive experiences for everyone. With your help, this event can be a great experience for everyone!

• Treat everyone with human decency. Everybody at the conference is a human, no matter their background or identities. Human rights are non-negotiable. The conference opposes fascism, surveillance, and any form of discrimination.
• Treat all participants as peers. We’re all here to learn and contribute. You can’t know what background, knowledge and skills the other person has, what experiences they made. Therefore, ask before you teach and explain things. The person you are talking to right now might know more, or different things about the topic than you!
• Be welcoming, kind, and patient. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Ask questions before jumping to conclusions. If you have feedback to give, feel free to offer it to the other person, and accept if they don’t want to receive it.
• Be respectful. Not all of us will agree with each other all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for poor behaviour and poor manners. We might all experience some frustration now and then, but we cannot allow that frustration to turn into a personal attack.
• Be aware of the impact your words and actions may have on others. We are all humans, and unfortunately, even with the best intentions, our words and actions might cause harm. For example, think of internalized microagressions that we all need to unlearn. When you notice this happened, acknowledge the impact your behavior had on others, apologize, and try to do better next time.
• Use inclusive language. For example, instead of “guys”, choose to address a group of humans as “folks”, “people”, “everyone”, “all” or any other beautiful variation. Be mindful that some people use pronouns that may differ from those you might assume. Just ask them. When in doubt, you can use the “singular they” (English is great with this). If you misspeak, don’t worry - just apologize, learn from it, and do better next time.
• Be careful with jokes. We do not tolerate any CoC violations, even if “it was just a joke”. Especially those jokes that only work by putting down a group of people.
• Admit when you do not know something. None of us knows everything, and that’s okay. When you’re open about what you don’t know, you can make it safer for others to admit as well when they do not know something. We are all here to learn.

CoC Violations

If you think someone has violated our code of conduct — even if you were not directly involved, like you just overheard a conversation — please:

• If you feel safe enough to do so, let the person know that what they did is not appropriate and ask them to stop.
• Contact the organisers. We’ll handle it from there.

Please give people the benefit of the doubt. If there is even a slight chance that this was a misunderstanding (e.g. the person did not speak in their native language, and did not find the right words), or they were not aware of the impact of their words or actions but are open to learning, we encourage you to try to sort it out amongst yourselves in a friendly, constructive way.

When we learn about a CoC violations, organisers will hear both sides, and then take action we deem appropriate, such as:

• Give a warning
• Have a longer talk about our values
• Expel the perpetrator from the conference without a refund
• Call the authorities

Unacceptable Behaviour

Unacceptable behaviour includes, but is not limited to:

• Harassment, and other exclusionary behaviour. Deliberate intimidation and threats.
• Aggressive or sexualized language and content. Unwanted sexual advances.
• Insulting or putting down other participants.
• Publishing or telling others that a participant belongs to a particular identity channel without asking their consent first.
• “Well-actuallies”: Telling people what they “actually meant to say”.
• Other conduct which could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a professional setting.

Need Help?

If you need help, have any further questions or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff immediately.

Credit

This Code of Conduct is based on the SoCraTes Conference Values - credit and kudos to them!