Community Guidelines

As a volunteer with Code for Pakistan, we truly value your commitment to doing good. All we expect from you is to share your knowledge with the volunteer community, support the communities you come from by working on solutions that can address the civic issues, and be engaged in the volunteer community.

Moreover, we expect all our members to adhere to Code for Pakistan’s Community Guidelines, Code for Conduct, and Anti-Harassment Policy described below, in order to ensure a respectful, positive, and inclusive environment for all.

Contribute to the group and engage in meaningful conversations regularly.
Keep discussions relevant to the purpose of the group. Avoid spamming, self-promotion, or sending unrelated content.
When sharing information in the group, verify its accuracy and provide credible sources where possible.
Please do not share content or media that may violate copyright or intellectual property laws.
Before sharing content from the group externally, seek consent from the author or creator.
Minimize one-on-one personal conversations within the group to maintain a group-oriented atmosphere.
Be patient with new members and offer support when needed.
Offer constructive feedback, but do so respectfully and with empathy. Feedback is better shared privately.
Avoid discussions about sensitive topics such as religion and politics to maintain a harmonious atmosphere.
Treat all members with respect and courtesy, regardless of their background, opinions, or ideas.
Use inclusive language that promotes a welcoming and diverse environment. Avoid discriminatory or offensive language and jokes. Refrain from using offensive language or an aggressive tone.
Do not engage in any form of harassment, bullying, or personal attacks against other members.
Respect the privacy of fellow members. Do not share personal information or conversations outside the group without consent.
If you encounter any issues or witness inappropriate behavior, report it to the group administrators privately.

Code of Conduct

The Code for Pakistan community expects that Code for Pakistan network activities, events, and digital forums:

Are a safe and respectful environment for all participants.
Are a place where people are free to fully express their identities.
Presume the value of others. Everyone’s ideas, skills, and contributions have value.
Don’t assume everyone has the same context, and encourage questions.
Find a way for people to be productive with their skills (technical and not) and energy. Use language such as “yes/and”, not “no/but.”
Encourage members and participants to listen as much as they speak.
Strive to build tools that are open and free technology for public use. Activities that aim to foster public use, not private gain, are prioritized.
Prioritize access for and input from those who are traditionally excluded from the civic process.
Work to ensure that the community is well-represented in the planning, design, and implementation of civic tech. This includes encouraging participation from women, minorities, and traditionally marginalized groups.
Actively involve community groups and those with subject matter expertise in the decision-making process.
Ensure that the relationships and conversations between community members, the local government staff and community partners remain respectful, participatory, and productive.
Provide an environment where people are free from discrimination or harassment.

Code for Pakistan reserves the right to ask anyone in violation of these policies not to participate in Code for Pakistan network activities, events, and digital forums.

Anti-Harassment Policy

This anti-harassment policy is based on the example policy from the Geek Feminism wiki, created by the Ada Initiative and other volunteers. This policy is based on several other policies, including the Ohio LinuxFest anti-harassment policy, written by Esther Filderman and Beth Lynn Eicher, and the Con Anti-Harassment Project. Mary Gardiner, Valerie Aurora, Sarah Smith, and Donna Benjamin generalized the policies and added supporting material. Many members of LinuxChix, Geek Feminism and other groups contributed to this work.

All Code for Pakistan network activities, events, and digital forums and their staff, presenters, and participants are held to an anti-harassment policy, included below. In addition to governing our own events by this policy, Code for Pakistan will only lend our brand and fund groups that offer an anti-harassment policy to their attendees.

Code for Pakistan is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of staff, presenters, and participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any Code for Pakistan event or network activity, including talks.

Anyone in violation of these policies may be expelled from Code for Pakistan network activities, events, and digital forums, at the discretion of the event organizer or forum administrator. Harassment includes but is not limited to: offensive verbal or written comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion; sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation; stalking; following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact; unwelcome sexual attention; unwarranted exclusion; and patronizing language or action. If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from Code for Pakistan network activities, events, and digital forums.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of the event staff or forum administrator immediately. You can contact them. Event staff or forum administrators will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event. If you cannot reach an event organizer or forum administrator and/or it is an emergency, please remove yourself from the situation. You can also contact Code for Pakistan about harassment at info@codeforpakistan.org. Code for Pakistan staff acknowledge that we are not always in a position to evaluate a given situation due to the number of events and the fact that our team is not always present.

However, we are hopeful that by providing these guidelines we are establishing a community that jointly adheres to these values and can provide an environment that is welcoming to all. We value your attendance and hope that by communicating these expectations widely we can all enjoy a harassment free environment.