Wikimedia Brasil/Friendly Space Policy

Friendly Space Policy

This Friendly Space Policy establishes behavioral expectations at remote and in-person events and activities organized or supported by Wiki Movimento Brasil. The goal is to promote a safe environment for everyone that encourages broad, respectful, and diverse participation. The policy outlines expected and unacceptable behaviors in these spaces, as well as corrective and reconciliation measures in case of infractions. The policy has been developed in alignment with the Universal Code of Conduct of the Wikimedia Foundation.

Key Principles

Our common goal is to collaborate in producing and disseminating free knowledge. At the heart of this work are individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and demographic profiles. The Friendly Space Policy is a protocol to promote community safety and health, ensuring the participation and welcoming of all who wish to contribute to our objectives. The policy applies to all participants and organizers, regardless of hierarchical level, in environments promoted by Wiki Movimento Brasil. Everyone is responsible for their own behavior and must abide by the guidelines of the Friendly Space Policy in a commitment to the common well-being. The policy serves to uphold the pillars of Wiki Movimento Brasil's agency in communal spaces:

• Collaboration & Sharing;
• Sustainability;
• Diversity & Decoloniality;
• Interconnection & Partnerships;
• Social relevance;
• Learning; and
• Reception & Belonging.

Expected Behaviors

We want environments promoted by Wiki Movimento Brasil to be welcoming, so everyone is expected to:

• Be friendly and courteous, maintaining a collaborative and empathetic posture, assuming good faith of other participants
• Respect the preferences, sensitivities, traditions, and needs of others, including individual boundaries and the pronouns by which they want to be addressed
• Avoid assuming you know about the identities or experiences of other people and remember that everyone is a complex individual
• Honor the right of others to have opinions and perspectives different from yours.
• Communicate from a non-violent stance and practice active listening
• Assume and accept responsibility for your own actions and their consequences, even when unintentional; acknowledge and apologize when necessary to those you have harmed
• Report to the individuals responsible for enforcing the Friendly Space Policy in case of suspected infractions

Unacceptable Behaviors

Unacceptable behaviors in spaces promoted by Wiki Movimento Brasil, both remote and in-person, include, among others:

• Offensive behaviors or comments and insults in general
• Offensive behaviors or comments related to gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, physical appearance, age, nationality, political affiliation, religion, or community status
• Threats of any kind
• Physical violence or encouragement of violence
• Sexual harassment, sexual attention, or unwanted physical contact
• Varied forms of harassment and stalking
• Taking photos, videos, or audio recordings of people without their permission or consent
• Disclosing third-party private information without their explicit permission (doxing)
• Deliberate interruptions of conversations, presentations, or other activities with the aim of aggravating situations and provoking emotional reactions (trolling)

This policy can be applied to other forms of inappropriate behavior based on the context of the infraction, in addition to the items listed above. Attacks, discrimination, and disruptions of all kinds will not be tolerated.

Application and Enforcement

The Friendly Space Policy applies to all platforms and channels managed by Wiki Movimento Brasil, as well as during all its remote and in-person events and activities promoted or supported by WMB. All individuals in these spaces, regardless of their positions, knowledge, and skills, are subject to the Friendly Space Policy. Non-compliance with the Friendly Space Policy may result in actions and resolutions at different levels, taking into account the principle of subsidiarity. The Friendly Space Policy does not apply when WMB associate members organize events without WMB involvement or without using WMB resources. However, organizers are welcome to use this policy in their activities.

General Guidelines

• The application of the Friendly Space Policy aims to maintain safe and pleasant spaces, seeking to restore trust for all parties involved after an eventual infraction
• Depending on the context, before actions are taken, the offending party may be initially warned about their undesirable behavior, with the goal of restoring the communal environment
• In case of a possible violation of the Friendly Space Policy, all parties involved, including the affected party, the offending party, and others, will be approached respectfully
• Wiki Movimento Brasil will work to promote mutual understanding and prevent repetitions in case of infractions

Actions

When a person fails to comply with expected behaviors, Wiki Movimento Brasil may take appropriate measures considering the context of the infraction. This includes, but is not limited to, one or more of the following measures:

• Warnings or reprimands (verbal and written)
• Exclusion of an individual from further participation in the event or activity in question
• Prohibition from addressing others during WMB events or activities or on WMB platforms and channels
• Exclusion of an individual from one, several, or all events, activities, platforms, and channels for a fixed or indefinite period
• Reporting the incident to the Trust & Safety sector of the Wikimedia Foundation to review the issue under the Office Actions Policy
• In cases of possible criminal offenses, WMB may report to law enforcement or judicial authorities or support victims in filing their own complaint.

Additionally, as a preventive measure, WMB may individually address people who have registered before the event to inform them specifically about the expectations regarding their behavior at the event. This may include:

• Individuals who behave (or have behaved) clearly contrary to the Friendly Space Policy, including behavior in other projects, platforms, and channels, or during events and activities of third parties unrelated to WMB
• Individuals actively involved in a serious conflict in a Wikimedia project

Based on the discussion, WMB may, as a preventive measure, decide to prohibit someone from participating in an event or activity

Reporting Violations

In cases of Friendly Space Policy violation, individuals can report the incident directly to the designated contact persons available at the event or activity. Both those involved in the incident and those who observed it can report incidents. The Friendly Space Policy should be explicitly communicated at all Wiki Movimento Brasil events, as well as the process for reporting potential violations. The process should be simple, accessible, and flexible to contexts, providing maximum privacy for the parties involved. False reports will be punished and treated as violations of the Friendly Space Policy. Wiki Movimento Brasil commits to investigating all reports and addressing them in a reasonable time to restore a safe environment for everyone.

Responsibilities

The board of Wiki Movimento Brasil is responsible for maintaining this Friendly Space Policy, delegated by the General Assembly. During events and activities, specific individuals will be appointed as points of contact for the application of the Friendly Space Policy. The Diversity Committee of Wiki Movimento Brasil may be called upon to resolve infractions.

Development

This Friendly Space Policy is an updated version from 2023 of the document organized by Wiki Movimento Brasil in 2019, taking into account the Universal Code of Conduct (UCoC) of the Wikimedia Foundation. The policy was also inspired by the Friendly Space Policy published by Wikimedia Nederlands and the Safe, Brave Space Policy published by Art+Feminism. This policy was approved by the General Assembly in November 2023.