Code of Conduct #FNF25
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 FNF25 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 behaviour. We invite all those who participate in FNF25 to help us create safe(r) and positive experiences for everyone.
Expected behaviour
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 behaviour and speech.
Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow participants. Alert the organisers 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 behaviours. Let us all try to do our best.
Unacceptable behaviour
Unacceptable behaviours include:
- intimidating …
- harassing …
- abusive …
- discriminatory …
- derogatory … or
- demeaning …
- … speech or actions by any participant.
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 behaviour
We maintain a commitment to take seriously and investigate any instance of harassment, intimidation, discrimination or any other unacceptable behaviour when flagged.
Unacceptable behaviour from any community member, including sponsors and those with decision-making authority, will not be tolerated. Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behaviour is expected to comply immediately.
If a community member engages in unacceptable behaviour, we may take any action we deem appropriate, up to and including a permanent expulsion from the event.
If you witness or are subject to unacceptable behaviour
If you are subject to or witness unacceptable behaviour, or have any other concerns, please notify us as soon as possible.
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 2025, 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.