Code of Conduct
1. Purpose
This code of conduct sets out the expectations for behaviour for people within interalia’s network. This includes:
- interalia core staff;
- members of interalia’s Advisory Council;
- contractors or freelancers of interalia;
- people who are associated with projects hosted at interalia; (alternatively: hosted projects are welcome to develop their own Code of Conduct or similar document, and share it with the interalia core team for approval.)
- people who are employed by interalia as part of a fiscal hosting arrangement;
- people who attend any interalia events, or events organised by projects hosted by interalia.
Like any document, this Code of Conduct is imperfect and will evolve as we learn from experience. We welcome feedback on how it can better support our network.
2. Point of Contact
Your point of contact for any matter regarding the CoC is your direct contact from the interalia core team or hosted project leads – or if that is not possible, write to coc@interalia.host.
Your point of contact is also here to help you interpret and understand the CoC.
3. Expected Behaviour
Within a diverse group of people, conflicts, disagreements and difficult conversations are inevitable. Here, inspired by Allied Media Project’s ‘community agreements’ we have identified some behaviours that help us build towards shared understanding and healthy conflict resolution.
- Ask open questions before assuming. The best way to understand the choices, actions, or intentions of one another is by asking.
- Default to direct communication –that is, 1-1 communication –before a public “call-out.”
- Be clear about what you need; ask for what you need, and respect when others do the same.
- Take responsibility for your actions and choices.
- Allow for imperfection in yourself and others. We are all human and make mistakes.
- Meaningful accountability may include reflection, an apology, making amends to those harmed, and taking steps to prevent the behaviour from recurring.
- Be mindful of structural power differences, dependencies, and multiple roles or affiliations (e.g. employment relationships, funding contexts or project hierarchies). Actively reflect on how these may shape communication, expectations, and the ability to speak up.
4. Unacceptable Behaviour
Unacceptable behaviours include: intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory or demeaning speech or actions by any participant via online communications, in in-person meetings, and in one-on-one communications.
Harassment includes harmful or prejudicial verbal or written comments related to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion or disability; inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces (including presentation slides); deliberate intimidation, stalking or following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
5. Consequences of Unacceptable Behaviour
Unacceptable behaviour from any network member, including interalia staff, contractors and/or those with decision-making authority, will not be tolerated. Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behaviour is expected to comply immediately. If a network member engages in unacceptable behaviour, the interalia core team and hosted project leads may take any action they deem appropriate, up to and including a temporary ban or permanent expulsion from the network without warning (and without refund in the case of a paid event).
We seek to follow transformative justice principles in how we enforce this Code of Conduct: We aim to address harm through dialogue and accountability where possible. However, interalia may take immediate action, including temporary or permanent removal from the network, where necessary to protect participants.
If someone causes harm, they will be first addressed on a one on one basis, and asked to reconsider their actions, with clear examples of the impact of said harm. This means more than acknowledgement — we ask that the person takes meaningful steps to repair the harm caused. What that looks like will depend on the situation, and wherever possible, the person who experienced the harm will be centred in deciding what feels right to them.
5. 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 your direct contact from the interalia Co-Executive Directors (coc@interalia.host) or hosted project leads.
Additionally, in the context of online or in-person meetings, meetup hosts are available to help network members engage with local law enforcement or to otherwise help those experiencing unacceptable behaviour feel safe. In the context of in-person events, meetup hosts will also provide escorts as desired by the person experiencing distress.
6. Attribution
This Code of Conduct is based on the pdx.rb code of conduct, inspired by Allied Media Project’s Community Agreements, and is also distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license.