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CODE OF CONDUCT AND FRIENDLY SPACE POLICY
This Code of Conduct and Friendly Space Policy (COCFSP) aims to ensure a friendly, safe, and non-discriminatory environment for all participants at Bahu Bhasa 2025, organised by the Open Knowledge Initiatives (OKI) and Language Technologies Research Centre (LTRC), at the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad on November 6-8, 2025.
This policy applies to all community spaces, both online and offline, including main and auxiliary events, meetings, mailing lists, and informal gatherings related to this event. VBold textiolations of the CoCFSP may invite sanctions, temporary ban or expulsion from community spaces.
Diversity Statement
We are committed to creating an open and inclusive forum for conversations through our events, and are available to listen to any concerns that may arise through the event.
Although this list cannot be exhaustive, we explicitly honour diversity in age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status and background, culture, ethnicity, language, national/sub-national origin, political beliefs, profession, race, religion, caste, tribe and bodily, intellectual and technical ability. We will not tolerate discrimination based on any of the protected characteristics above, including participants with disabilities.
General Community Guidelines
- Friendliness and mutual respect: Contribute to a pleasant atmosphere and a climate of friendliness and fairness. Strictly refrain from statements that are intimidating, degrading, offensive or discriminatory (especially towards marginalised and otherwise underrepresented groups) or that could be understood as such, even if you are talking about non-participants.
- Participation and Engagement: Respect all speakers and raise questions without interrupting others and the flow of the program. Refrain from talking over another member in a group conversation or deliberately ignoring their questions, but enable everyone to participate in the discussion. Express discomfort if you find yourself in an uncomfortable environment or conversation. Encourage participation by all present. Restrictions can be made for organisational or technical reasons.
- Identity: Do not attempt to impersonate another person. Do not misrepresent your affiliation with any individual or entity. Similarly, do not disclose another person’s identity or other private information without their consent (remember that disclosure of some identifying information is not consent to disclose other identifying information).
- Privacy: Respect the self-chosen degree of anonymity of all participants. Allow participation with audio only (without video) where requested. Use the names, affiliations and preferred pronouns of the participants, which they themselves indicate in introductions. If video and/or audio recordings and photography are planned, all participants will be informed of this, including the intended purpose, before the start of the meeting.
- Unacceptable Behaviour: Threats of, and/or incitement to violence, personal attacks, gratuitous or off-topic use of sexual language or imagery, inappropriate or unwanted public or private communication are unacceptable. Harming the discussion or community through sustained disruption, interruption, or blocking of community collaboration (i.e. trolling), using the COCFSP for purposes other than reporting genuine violations will invite strict action on grounds of non-compliance.
- Zero Tolerance of Sexual Harassment: Any behaviour or conduct posing a threat of sexual harassment and violence of any kind will not be tolerated and will result in immediate dismissal from the event.
Facilitation
The facilitator/moderator is expected to support compliance with these rules and coordinate additional measures if necessary. They may take any action to enforce these rules, including removing participants and terminating a session where needed. The facilitator shall exercise their rights strictly in good faith, as conducive to respectful discussions and keeping in mind the safety and privacy of all participants.
Enforcement and Complaint Resolution
Personal responsibility: All participants are responsible for compliance with these rules to the best of their ability.
Reporting: If you believe that someone is not following this policy, you have the following options:
- Point out the terms openly, and ask the person behaving unacceptably to stop;
- Inform only the facilitator and/or the conference organisers;
- Report the matter via email directly to the Response Team. The team comprises two members,
- Puthiya Purayil Sneha (sneha.pp
research.iiit.ac.in) and - Tanveer Hasan (tanveer.hasanresearch.iiit.ac.in)
- Puthiya Purayil Sneha (sneha.pp
If you have a complaint against someone on the organising team, they will recuse themselves from handling the reported incident. We will respond as promptly as we can to take note of your complaint, discuss the matter, and resolve the issue in a safe and respectful manner for all parties involved. We will accept good-faith reports of unacceptable behaviour, including harassment seriously and respond as promptly as possible. We will not name harassment victims without their affirmative consent.
Please note that this event prioritises marginalised people’s safety over privileged people’s comfort. The organisers reserve the right to not to act on complaints regarding:
- ‘Reverse’ -isms, including ‘reverse racism,’ ‘reverse sexism,’ ‘reverse casteism’ and ‘cisphobia’
- Reasonable communication of boundaries, such as “leave me alone,” “go away,” or “I’m not discussing this with you”
- Communicating in a ‘tone’ you don’t find congenial
- Criticising racist, sexist, casteist, cissexist, or otherwise oppressive behaviour or assumptions
In case of violations, the facilitator, organisers and/or Response Team can act immediately to expel or block participants from a session or the entire event, and seek the support of a third party to address complaints. The Response team and organisers will function in a confidential, swift and survivor-centric manner to address complaints.
Note
Note: This code of conduct was compiled and adapted from Wikimedia projects’ policies on friendly space and keeping events safe (text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License); and the Community Anti-Harassment Policy on Geek Feminism Wiki (available under the Creative Commons Zero licence) Please see: