Wikimedians of the Levant/Code of Conduct
Rules and regulations of conduct
Below is a Code of Conduct document for the Wikimedia Levant Group. It aims to regulate interactions among group members, preserve their privacy and comfort, and protect them from harassment and other abuse. Please note that these policies pertain to the internal operations of the Wikimedia Levant Group, which means they do not apply to the Arabic Wikipedia pages or any other Wikimedia project. Anything that occurs within these policies is dealt with according to the policies and controls adopted by those projects, and the group's administration does not interfere in them.
The goal
The Code of Conduct is an internal document of the Wikimedia Levant group, designed to protect group members and maintain a friendly and disciplined work environment. These rules apply across all social media platforms belonging to the group, including (but not limited to): the Wikimedia Levant mailing list, Messenger chat groups, the Facebook group, online audio and video meetings, and all other events, meetings, workshops, and in-person meetings. These rules are also enforced in other groups officially affiliated with all Wikimedia Levant teams, and in all its projects and activities on social media, including education program groups, competitions, and others.
Rules of Conduct
As a volunteer group working to spread free knowledge, Wikimedia Levant strives to maintain a comfortable, open, and inclusive volunteer environment for all, regardless of personal, intellectual, ideological, or ethnic differences. To achieve this goal, the following rules and policies apply to the communication channels listed above:
- Wikiproject disputes are not resolved in the group (or vice versa): The purpose of the Wikimedia Levant group is to discuss activities, organization, and general matters among members, as well as encyclopedia articles and wiki projects in general. However, it is not a platform for resolving issues related to Wikimedia project content (such as resolving a disagreement over the wording of an article, deleting a page, or banning a user "in wiki projects"). These should be resolved in the approved discussion areas of those projects and in the public domain. For example, a complaint about a user's behavior on the encyclopedia should be filed on the Administrator Issues page Wikipedia, while the group only resolves issues that arise on Wikimedia Levant's designated social media platforms. The opposite also applies: Wikimedia Levant issues should not be resolved in the discussion areas of Wikimedia projects, but rather by approaching the group's administrative body.
- Discussing controversial topics that are not related to encyclopedia articles is prohibited: It is prohibited to publish any promotional material or discuss a controversial topic on the digital and physical media of the Levant Wikimedia, whether the topic is religious, political, ethnic, intellectual, or other matters that could potentially incite controversy and tension. An exception to this rule is if the discussion relates to a controversial article on Wikipedia or other Wikimedia projects. In this case, it is permissible to discuss the article's content, provided it does not deviate from its scope. Group members may discuss a controversial article (such as its compatibility with the notability policy), but they should not engage in a discussion about their personal opinions on the topic. Discussions should preferably take place on the encyclopedia's dedicated pages.
- Personal attacks of all kinds are prohibited: No group member may attack another beyond the bounds of rational discussion regarding group affairs and work. This includes insults, slander, harassment, and criticism directed at the individual rather than their work. All members must be polite and respectful in their discussions, as customarily agreed. Responding to an insult or attacking with a counterattack is considered the same as the original attacker, and both are subject to penalties (regardless of who initiated the attack).
- Harassment, privacy violations, and personal space are prohibited: All Wikimedia projects in which the group is active are based on principles of respect for privacy, and Wikimedia Sham members must similarly respect and refrain from violating the privacy of their colleagues. It is strictly forbidden to publish any personal information about group members without their direct permission, nor is it permitted to publish images or quotes from private conversations between members without their permission and without a valid justification. You should avoid requesting personal information from other members (such as a phone number) unless clearly necessary, and you should not repeat such a request if it is declined out of respect for privacy and personal desires.
- Opinions are not imposed, but rather are taken by consensus: Like other Wikimedia projects, the Wikimedia Levant group relies on the principle of consensus-based decision-making. There is no preference for the coordinator over the board, nor for the board over the members, nor for seniority over juniority, and so on. Rather, consultation and consensus are required in every decision concerning the Wikimedia Levant group, without the imposition of opinions from one individual to another. Members may agree to resolve a disagreement by voting, provided they are satisfied with the outcome, regardless of its nature. However, voting is not the preferred method for resolving disagreements; rather, discussion is recommended until a compromise is reached, as is the practice in the encyclopedia.
Guidelines for Behavior
Members of the Wikimedia Levant group are expected to behave with their colleagues in a polite manner, including the following:
- Openness and Respect for Others: Many cultures, including diverse ethnicities, languages, beliefs, and sects, coexist in the Levant. Wikimedia Levant must embrace all of these people in their diversity and differences. Disagreement does not spoil friendships. The group does not have a single ideological orientation, and no one affiliation of any kind may be generalized to its members. The group is active in many religiously diverse and politically unstable countries, so we must expect others to disagree with us and accept this with open arms, regardless of the topic. We must absolutely respect all religions, beliefs, and intellectual currents, and refrain from bias toward races, nationalities, or other groups. The Wikimedia Levant group welcomes anyone who seeks to spread free knowledge on any topic, as long as they adhere to these rules of conduct and remain active in Wikimedia projects.
- Collaborative Action: The Wikimedia Levant group, like all wiki projects, is based on collaboration and collaboration. All members work toward one primary goal: disseminating free knowledge for the common good. We must always remember that group members are volunteers who donate their time to this cause. We are gathered to spread goodness, and we expect everyone to share this goal with us in good faith and with a passion that should be appreciated.
- Good faith: The presumption of good faith is one of Wikipedia's most well-known policies, but it should be implemented. It's natural for problems to arise in any organizational endeavor, especially if it's voluntary and one whose goal is to build the largest knowledge encyclopedia in the Arabic language, as is our case. Wikimedia Levant members should treat their colleagues with tolerance and good faith. Not every problem warrants a disagreement, and not every disagreement requires intervention. A modest apology can resolve most disagreements.
- Avoid Emotion: It's natural for disagreements and problems to arise between any group of people. These problems can be resolved through understanding or disagreement. Avoid emotions and don't pick on others' mistakes. Everyone is learning and sacrificing their time and personal lives to contribute to free knowledge. The least you can do is try to understand their behavior. If you see something that bothers you, ask about it politely and calmly, listen to the answer, and don't rush to judgment. It's possible that you are wrong and the other person is right. Even if you are right, getting emotional and picking on others may make you the one who is wrong.
Dealing with transgressions
The above rules and guidelines shall be strictly applied when agreed upon by the group members, without leniency with violations and transgressions if proven to have occurred:
- The group's governing body is responsible for enforcing the Code of Conduct, with the possibility of consulting with an expert or wiki project contributor if their expertise is needed.
- Violators should be notified of the violation they are committing before any further action is taken.
- Procedures may only be applied if there is clear and unequivocal evidence of violation.
- In the event of repeated violations, the following may be done, based on the consultations of the Administrative Board and the consultants:
- The offending member will be temporarily suspended from the group for a period of between one week and three months, in the event of a single blatant violation.
- Permanent expulsion of the offending member from the group, if the violation is repeated despite the warning and notification.
Report a violation
To report a violation, please do the following:
- Make sure that the violation occurred on a communication channel that is specific to the Wikimedia Levant group (if it occurred on wiki projects, it must be resolved there).
- To alert the violator that he has committed an act that violates the rules stipulated in this document, and to send him a link to it so that he can know the violation he has committed.
- If the violation continues, you can send a letter to the mail with details of the violation and specifying the item that was violated as mentioned above, attaching evidence if available (provided that it does not constitute a breach of privacy): wm-levant
wikimedia
org
Notes
The Wikimedia Levant Group also operates in accordance with the general policies and rules adopted by the Wikimedia Foundation, which may include additional provisions not mentioned above. These include:
This document was approved on July 10, 2020, after appropriate discussion in the group and amendments made as suggested by members.