The Association for Progressive Communications is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for discussing issues related to its community. The APC Community comprises members of the network, all APC staff and team and its larger network of partners, friends and allies.
The code of conduct and ground rules apply to this member meeting, all APC hosted events, conference-related social events, such as parties or gatherings at restaurants or bars and spaces, and includes our mailing lists, wikis, platforms, websites and any other spaces that APC hosts, both online and off.
Some APC spaces may have additional rules in place, which will be made clearly available to participants. Participants are responsible for knowing and abiding by these guidelines.
All APC meetings are intended to be SAFE spaces and we ask participants to be guided by the following:
Be respectful Listen actively Be respectful of others view even when you disagree Be collaborative Recognise diversity Respect privacy of participants Ask for consent for photography, audio-visual recordings or quotes Be aware of language diversity Handle disagreement constructively Act fairly, honestly, and in good faith with other participants
It is vital that discussions include and acknowledge a diversity of opinions and experiences, and that the community ensures harassment of any kind, is not tolerated.
We expect the members of the APC community to treat one another with respect and to acknowledge that everyone can make a valuable contribution. We may not always agree, but the space and conversation must always have openness to positions that may not be aligned or in agreement. Frustration cannot turn into a personal attack. It's important to remember that a community where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive one, and that the meeting conduct and ground rules are anchored in the APC values we have all committed to uphold. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that we create a safe, creative, productive and welcoming space that can hold us in all of our diversity.
We will take action in response to harassment related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion. APC does not tolerate harassment of participants in any form.
Definitions
Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
- Offensive comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion.
- Unwelcome comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices, including those related to food, health, parenting, drugs, and employment.
- Gratuitous or off-topic sexual images or behaviour in spaces where they are not appropriate.
- Physical contact and simulated physical contact without consent or after a request to stop.
- Deliberate intimidation.
- Sustained disruption of discussion.
- Unwelcome sexual attention.
- Continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease.
Please refer to APC’s sexual harassment policy for how APC responds to sexual harassment.
Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment Policy Response Process
When a complaint is made or an incident occurs that breaches this code, the APC Anti-Harassment Team will confidentially review and respond to any participant who has experienced harassment or inappropriate behavior.
The APC Anti-Harassment Team is composed of APC board members and the Executive Director.
Any member of the APC Anti-Harassment Team should be contacted with any questions or concerns participants may have throughout the duration of an APC event. Anonymous complaints can be reported to APC Operations Director or submitted via email.
Consequences
If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the APC Anti-Harassment Team may take any action they deem appropriate, up to and including expulsion from all APC spaces and other action in with accordance with APC’s Sexual Harassment Policy and APC principles. Participants who are asked to stop any kind of harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.
This code of conduct and ground rules draws on several sources including APC values; Ada Initiative; Geek Feminism Code of Conduct; Conference Code of Conduct; Internet Freedom Festival Code of Conduct and Guide to Communication; RightsCon Code of Conduct; Ubuntu Code of Conduct.