Collaboration guidelines

TITiPI Collaboration guidelines

These Collaboration Guidelines will be regularly updated (10/01/2022).

Purpose and scope

These Guidelines outline our expectations for all those who collaborate with The Institute for Technology in the Public Interest (TITiPI). They also explain what will happen if these guidelines are transgressed.

We invite collaborators (paid or otherwise; sponsors; members; participants and other guests) to commit to the Collaboration Guidelines when participating in TITiPI activities, both online and in-person.

How do we treat each other?

   Mutual considerateness and supportive collaboration, solidarity, and respect. Attentive and appreciative interaction with each other.

   No discrimination, for example based on gender, gender identity, age, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic situation, language, religion, physical attributes or sexual orientation.

   Respect the dignity, experiences, and perspectives of the communities impacted by extractive Computing Infrastructures and recognize that not all communities are impacted equally. Some are likely to benefit economically, socially, or otherwise, while others are likely to suffer from these systems.

   Recognize that there are multiple forms of evidence of what extractive Computational Infrastructures are, and of their effects.

   Be cognizant of the role power plays in shaping how we inhabit rooms, speak up, shape urgencies and commit to challenging unjust existing power structures such as (but absolutely not limited to) racism, sexism, ableism, anti-transness, anti-trans oppression and queer antagonism.

   Understand that language is sensitive and everyone has their own preferences

   Use gender-neutral, non-discriminatory language and respect individual pronouns

   Avoid ableist and other harmful language - learn more here https://www.selfdefined.app/

   Recognize the difference between identity-first and person-first language, especially when discussing disability ("people with disabilities" vs. "disabled people"). Note: many activists from the disability community prefer using identity-first language

   Be attentive to our surroundings and other participants, and alert organizers if we notice a dangerous situation, someone in distress, or transgressions of these Collaboration Guidelines, even if they seem inconsequential.

   Avoid making assumptions.

   Ask before touching anyone. That includes hugging – so please ask first

   Affirm the value of asking questions and requesting clarification, but also know that not all questions need to be answered.

How do we resolve conflicts?

TITiPI is commited to practicing restorative and transformative justice during conflicts. 

Harassment

Harassment is unacceptable by anyone collaborating with TITiPI, including organizers and those with decision-making authority; whether online, during live events or in one-on-one communications.

Harassment includes:

   intimidating, abusive, discriminatory, intentional misgendering, derogatory or demeaning speech or actions

   harmful or prejudicial verbal or written comments related to gender, trans status, sexual orientation, physical appearance, body size, technical choices, lack of technical knowledge, ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion (or lack thereof) and other personal conditions and choices

   trolling, i.e. sustained disruption of conversations, talks or other events

   nonconsensual photography or recording

   nonconsensual use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces (including presentation slides)

   deliberate intimidation, stalking or following

   nonconsensual physical contact

   unwelcome sexual attention

   microaggressions, i.e. small, subtle, often subconscious actions that marginalize people from oppressed groups

   minimizing other people’s experiences

In case of harassment

If we notice harassment, we will take collective responsability to respond, and we try to avoid focusing on judging and being or feeling judged.

Anyone asked to stop harrassing behavior, is expected to stop immediately.

We will have no discussion about how behaviour was meant. What we care about is how it makes someone feel. Please respect that if someone signals they are hurt by certain behaviour, we will be asked to change that behaviour or step out. Please also be aware that many of us have had to explain ourselves a lot and it’s not fair to assume that everybody has time and energy to give us extended explanations about how they feel.

Immediate intervention (help is needed now!)

If we are feeling unsafe or we notice someone in distress, we can immediately alert an organiser, or a member of TITiPI. They will do their best to help, or find the correct assistance if relevant and necessary.

Non-immediate intervention (a situation that requires more time)

If we feel comfortable or able to, we discuss the issues with the involved parties. We prefer to constructively resolve disagreements together, when it is possible and safe to do so. However, if the problems still persists, please find a TITiPI member who will do their best to unlock the situation. You can also contact TITiPI afterwards by email at xxxxxxx if acting in the moment does not feel right or safe. Information will be handled with sensitivity.

We should add some lines here with an email to contact us. [yeah needs a separate email address I guess?]

TITiPI is a small structure so in case the harassment involves the organizers, or it does not seem possible to address organizers directly, please reach out to a designated member of Varia, a closely related association with who we agreed to be mutually accountable. This person can be reached via email at xxxxx; the email will be read by the designated caretaker only.

Licence and Attribution

These Collaboration Guidelines combine the Queer Code of Conduct, The Constant Guidelines for Collaboration, the Commitment read at Optimization and Its Miscontents: Counterpolitics of Surveillance Capitalism (Berlin, 2019), CODE OF CO-LIVING, HYPERWERKINSTITUTE IXDM and 2022 hybrid Allied Media Conference - How-to. Each of these documents themselves are relying on the important work by communities committed to creating safer environments. They are released under The Collective Conditions for Re-Use. 

These Guidelines are open to suggestions and criticism info@titipi.org

References: 

https://queer-code.org/coc

https://constantvzw.org/wefts/orientationspourcollaboration.en.html

https://archive.transmediale.de/content/optimization-and-its-miscontents-counterpolitics-of-surveillance-capitalism

https://constantvzw.org/wefts/cc4r.en.html

CODE OF CO-LIVING, HYPERWERKINSTITUTE IXDM HGK FHNWSEPT 2022

2022 hybrid Allied Media Conference - How-to