Code of Conduct

To Report

If you've been a victim of, or a witness to, a violation of this Code of Conduct, report this event to a member of our organization listed below. During an event or activity, these can be called personally.

After receiving and reviewing a consise description of the situation, they'll inform you the next steps that'll be taken to resolve it. In addition to conducting an investigation, they can provide you support, including the aid from the community. But rest assured, they'll involve other people only so insofar as needed to address each situation.

contato(dot)paradigma(at)tuta(dot)io - PGP

Premise

We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in.
Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want.
Our knowledge has made us cynical.
Our cleverness, hard and unkind.
We think too much and feel too little.
More than machinery, we need humanity.
More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness.
Without these qualities life will be violent, and all will be lost.

- Charles Chaplin, The Great Dictator

To ensure our solidarity, as described in out Manifesto, we, of the Paradigma collective, are commited to maintain conditions were most, if not all, can attend to our activities, speak their mind, and participate uninhibited by our actions. We won't tolerate any form of harassment or disrespect between participants and organizers, therefore, we incentivize all to be excellent to each other.

And what is excellent?

To be welcoming. That is, to be inviting to people with different gender identities, special needs, sexual orientation, physical appearence, age, skill, merit, knowledge, ethinic background, nationality, political affiliation, religion and socio-economic conditions.

To be careful. Take decisions while being mindful of their impact on others, especially those that depend on you.

Be respectful. When faced with disagreements, try to understand the reasons behind them without being agressive, focusing on resolving conflicts. Misunderstandings are recurring, and everyone can become frustrated every once in a while, but this isn't a justification for insulting one another.

And what is not excellent?

To assault someone.
To rob or break someone's belongings.
To make gestures or declarations, display images or symbols, that are offensive, intimidating, or embarassing to someone. That is, if not when he or she has been, previously and properly, alerted of its controversial nature and has explicitly consented to hearing or seeing it (a practice known as trigger warning).
To make dishonest declarations, to disdain someone.
To stalk or harass someone.
To make an unwelcome physical contact.
To record or photograph someone in a way that clearly identifies them without their consent. Or to use such record for other ends than those agreed to.
To publish someone's personal information without their consent, to gossip.
To restrict someone's participation in an event or discussion that is either open to the public, or one in which he or she is personally affected by. That is to, for example, speak without pause or interupting other's speech insistently in a discussion.
To consume alcoholic beverages in excess, to use recreational drugs or smoke inside a public venue. Also, to attend such venue under the influence of narcotics.
To take a piece of equipment and not put it back in its place after using it. Or to give it back somewhat damaged.
To violate instructions conveyed by the organization for participation in an activity or event, in either verbal or written form, when these do not violate of this code.
To threaten, coerce, or instigate, someone to do any of the violations listed above.
To support individuals, groups, or organizations that promote or are conniving to any of the violations listed above. Even when such organization is this very collective.

How to proceed when confronted with abusive behaviour?

We encourage all to contest such behaviours on the spot. Preferably, with the aid of others. When this couldn't be possible or, for any reason, you don't feel inclined to do so, report it.

If you're unsure if a given behaviour consists in a violation of this Code of Conduct, we urge you to report it even so. We won't look down on you if it isn't. Quite the opposite, we see this as an opportunity for the improvement of this code.

All the more, you can withdraw your report at any moment, for whatever reason.

How to best report a problem?

Describe the nature of the situation, like in the examples listed above
Make a description of the incident, or incidents, that have taken place. Being as detailed and specific as possible.
Point out the person, or persons, responsible. Also, if applicable, other witnesses.
If you believe the incident, or incidents, are ongoing.
The kind of reparation or support that you seek.
If you believe that a member, or members, of the organization could be involved in what is being described. In such cases these shall be removed from the revie and management of its resolution process.

If you report the incident to a member of the organization presentially, you'll be invited to detail the itens listed above, but you'll not be obliged to do so.

Resolution process

When mediating a conflict, one should have in mind the most balanced way of doing so. As a general rule, an adequate response is one which:

Garantees the safety of those involved
Respects the judgement of those that report a case.
Promotes the responsability, cooperation, honesty, respect, and personal development of all.
Is case-specific, and seeks proper reparation to those negatively affected by it.

Here is some examples of responses that can be applied, depending on the context and nature of the violation:

A warning, either in written or spoken form, delivered either privately or publicaly, that may contain conditions for future participation of a person or group.
A request for an apology, in written or spoken form, to be delivered either privately or publicaly, to those that heve been negatively affected.
A mediated conversation between those involved.
A public alert notifying the participants of the Code of Conduct or of some aspect of it.
As a last resort, the temporary or permanent removal of one or more participants from a venue, or of a member of the collective from its organization. With or without previous warnings.
Otherwise, if the case isn't a violation of the Code of Conduct, to explain to the reporter why it isn't so, and offer him support where needed.

Confidentiality

All the information related to cases that are of no consequence to future activities or events will be automatically discardedby the end of the day.

In some cases, some information will be shared with the intent to resolve the issue. For example, if the reporter seeks an apology from those reported, these need to be aware of the implications of their atitudes.

Be that as it may, except in extreme cases where secrecy cannot be maintained without risking someone's safety, such information should never be shared with others without the explicit consent of the reporter.

Atribution and further improvement

This code of conduct was based on those of the Fórum Internacional de Software Livre (FISL), the CryptoRave, the Django Project, and The Citizen Lab. Also, it was written following orientations written by the Ada Iniciative and Otter Tech. It is licensed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, at version 1.1 or any other newer version published by the Free Software Foundation.

Suggestions and criticism to this Code of Conduct are welcome and encouraged. These are all recieved and read when sent to the emails listed above.