Code of Conduct #FNF24
This document is adapted from and builds upon the Code of Conduct of the Tech and Society Summit co-hosted by EDRi, which was based on the the Berlin Code of Conduct and draws also from concepts used in Geek Feminism’s community anti-harassment policy and Equinox Initiative for Justice Community Agreement.
Purpose
The goal of this Code of Conduct is to ensure that the FNF24 is inclusive of a varied and diverse community of people. We are committed to providing a respectful, safe, just, and community-oriented environment for all. In particular, this requires a commitment not to replicate any form of harassment, discrimination or violence, with particular attention to groups experiencing discrimination on the basis of their age, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, health status, body size, ability, race, ethnicity, religion, migration status, class, socioeconomic and work status.
This Code of Conduct outlines our expectations for all those who participate in the event, as well as the consequences for unacceptable behavior. We invite all those who participate in the FNF24 to help us create safe(r) and positive experiences for everyone.
Expected behavior
Exercise consideration and respect in your speech and actions.
Attempt collaboration before conflict.
Respect the gender identity of all people we engage with, including the use of their correct pronouns.
Be actively conscious of people’s personal space, individual needs and consent.
Maintain a presumption of belief of anyone alleging to experience unacceptable behaviour.
Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech.
Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow participants. Alert safety team members if you notice a dangerous situation, someone in distress, or violations of this Code of Conduct, even if they seem inconsequential.
Acknowledging that each of us is in a process of growth, we commit to being open to discuss potential harmful conduct with patience, to receiving feedback about our conduct and committing to improve.
We understand that we are all humans who are not perfect. We all make mistakes from time to time and we all have been socialized in a society full of discriminatory patterns and behaviors. Let us all try to do our best.
Unacceptable behavior
Unacceptable behaviors include:
- intimidating…
- harassing…
- abusive…
- discriminatory…
- derogatory… or
- demeaning…
… speech or actions by any participant in our event.
Harassment includes:
- harmful or prejudicial verbal or written comments related to gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability, class, migration status;
- inappropriate or non-consensual use of nudity and/or sexual images;
- inappropriate depictions of violence (including presentation slides);
- deliberate misgendering;
- deliberate intimidation,
- stalking or following;
- harassing photography or recording;
- disruption of talks or other events;
- inappropriate physical contact, and
- unwelcome sexual attention.
Consequences of unacceptable behavior
We maintain a commitment to take seriously and investigate any instance of harassment, intimidation, discrimination or any other unacceptable behaviour when flagged.
Unacceptable behavior from any community member, including sponsors and those with decision-making authority, will not be tolerated. Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately.
If a community member engages in unacceptable behavior, the awareness team may take any action they deem appropriate, up to and including a permanent expulsion from the event. In case of disagreements, decisions of the awareness team can be flagged with the organising team for later review.
If you witness or are subject to unacceptable behavior
If you are subject to or witness unacceptable behavior, or have any other concerns, please notify a contact person of the Awareness team listed below as soon as possible. You can find the contacts of the Awareness Team at the end of this document. They will be presented at the opening of the FNF24. Organisers may also provide escorts as desired by the person experiencing distress.
Addressing grievances
If you feel you have been falsely or unfairly accused of violating this Code of Conduct, you should notify one of the event organisers with a concise description of your grievance.
Scope
We expect all event participants (attendees, speakers, moderators, contributors, paid or otherwise; sponsors; MEPs and other guests) to abide by this Code of Conduct during this event —online and in-person—as well as in all one-on-one communications pertaining to this event. The scope of the event includes all activities during Freedom Not Fear 2024, such as at the conference venue, the networking dinner or the European Parliament visit.
License and attribution
Berlin Code of Conduct is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license. It is based on the pdx.rb Code of Conduct.
Designated safety team
They will be presented at the opening of the FNF24 and be easily identifiable throughout the day. We will announce at the entrance more details on that.
You can contact the awareness team at fnf24-awareness (@) posteo.net (PGP Fingerprint: 5323 6597 0BD7 1B2F D791 D318 525E 0B30 54EA 95F0)