Sydney Cohousing Knowledge Base

Sydney Cohousing aims to be a diverse community bringing together across many different divides to live more collaboratively and sustainably.

Diversity is one of our huge strengths, but it can also lead to communication issues and unhappiness. To that end, we have a few ground rules that we ask people to adhere to. This code applies to all members of the community equally, no matter their position or length of involvement.

This isn't an exhaustive list of things that you can't do. Rather, take it in the spirit in which it's intended – a guide to make it easier to enrich all of us and the technical communities in which we participate.

The following behaviours are expected and requested of all community members:

• Participate. In doing so, you contribute to the health and longevity of the community.
• Exercise consideration and respect in your speech and actions.
• Attempt collaboration before conflict. Assume good faith.
• Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing actions and speech.
• Take action or alert community leaders if you notice a dangerous situation, someone in distress, or violations of this code, even if they seem inconsequential.
• Community event venues may be shared with members of the public; be respectful to all patrons of these locations.

The following behaviours are considered harassment and are unacceptable within our community:

• Jokes or derogatory language that singles out members of any race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, colour, immigration status, social and economic class, educational level, language proficiency, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, size, family status, political belief, religion, and mental and physical ability.
• Violence, threats of violence, or violent language directed against another person.
• Disseminating or threatening to disseminate another person’s personal information.
• Personal insults of any sort.
• Posting or displaying sexually explicit or violent material.
• Inappropriate photography or recording.
• Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following (online or in person).
• Unwelcome sexual attention. This includes sexualized comments or jokes, inappropriate touching or groping, and unwelcome sexual advances.
• Sustained disruption of community events, including talks and presentations.
• Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the behaviours above.

Harassment and other code of conduct violations reduce the value of the community for everyone. If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it to the President of Sydney Cohousing using the email address hello@sydneycohousing.au as soon as possible. Complaints involving the President may be addressed to the Vice President or Secretary. You can make a report either personally or anonymously.

If a community member engages in unacceptable behaviour, the community organisers may take any action they deem appropriate, up to and including the disciplinary process outlines in clauses 10 and 11 of the Sydney Cohousing Constitution.

The nature of reporting means it can only help after the fact. If you see something you can do while a violation is happening, do it. A lot of the harms of harassment and other violations can be mitigated by the victim knowing that the other people present are on their side.

All reports will be kept confidential. In some cases, we may determine that a public statement will need to be made. In such cases, the identities of all victims and reporters will remain confidential unless those individuals instruct us otherwise.

We expect all community participants to abide by this Code of Conduct in all community venues, online and in-person, as well as in all private communications pertaining to community business.

This Code of Conduct and its related procedures also applies to unacceptable behaviour occurring outside the scope of community activities when such behaviour has the potential to adversely affect the safety and well-being of community members.

This Code of Conduct is adapted from the Zulip Code of Conduct, which itself descends from the Django Code of Conduct, and is under a Creative Commons BY-SA license.