Code of Conduct

Introduction

PyCon Tajikistan brings together Python developers, students, researchers, teachers and companies from Tajikistan, Central Asia and beyond. We want every attendee to learn, share and feel safe, whatever their background or experience level.

By registering for, speaking at, sponsoring or volunteering at PyCon Tajikistan, you agree to follow this Code of Conduct. Organizers will enforce it throughout the event.

Our values

We pledge to make PyCon Tajikistan a welcoming experience for everyone, regardless of:

• age, body size, visible or invisible disability
• ethnicity, nationality, region or native language
• gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation
• level of experience, education, profession or socio-economic status
• personal appearance, religion or belief, or political views
• choice of programming language, framework, editor or operating system

We value openness, consideration and respect. In the Python community's words: we came for the language and stayed for the community.

Scope

This Code of Conduct applies to everyone at the event and in every event space, in person and online.

Who: attendees, speakers, workshop leaders, sponsors, exhibitors, volunteers, organizers, venue staff and media.

Where:

• the conference venue, talks, workshops and tutorials
• sprints, hackathons and lightning talks
• social events, dinners and after-parties, official or informal
• event chats and channels (Telegram, Discord, social media) and livestreams
• one-on-one communication related to the event, before, during and after it

Behavior outside these spaces may also be considered if it affects the safety of participants.

Expected behavior

All participants are expected to:

1. Be kind and respectful to others, in person and online.
2. Be welcoming to newcomers and students; there are no stupid questions.
3. Use inclusive language. Avoid jokes or comments about anyone's identity, region or religion.
4. Respect language choice. Talks and conversations happen in Tajik, Russian and English; be patient, speak clearly, and include others when you can.
5. Accept constructive criticism gracefully and give it constructively.
6. Respect personal space and boundaries. "No" means no, and "maybe" is not "yes".
7. Ask before taking close-up photos of people or posting them online.
8. Follow the instructions of organizers, volunteers and venue staff, and respect the venue rules.
9. Look out for each other. If you see someone in distress, offer help or alert an organizer.

Unacceptable behavior

Harassment and exclusionary behavior are not tolerated in any form. Examples include:

• offensive or demeaning comments about gender, ethnicity, nationality, region, language, religion, disability, age, appearance or any other personal characteristic
• sexual language, sexualized images or sexual attention in talks, slides, booths, chats or social events
• unwelcome physical contact, or physical or verbal intimidation and threats
• stalking, following, or deliberately sustained disruption of talks and other events
• photographing, recording or livestreaming people who have asked not to be recorded
• sharing someone's private information (address, phone, messages, photos) without consent
• unsolicited direct messages after a person has asked you to stop
• encouraging or covering for any of the behavior above
• retaliation against anyone who reports an incident or helps an investigation

Attendees asked to stop are expected to comply immediately. Saying "it was a joke" is not an excuse.

Guidelines for specific roles

Speakers and workshop leaders

• Talks, slides, code samples and demos must follow this Code of Conduct. Sexual or violent imagery and offensive jokes are not appropriate.
• If a topic needs sensitive material, contact the program committee before the event.
• Organizers may stop a talk that breaks this Code of Conduct.

Sponsors and exhibitors

• Booths, giveaways, recruiting and marketing materials must follow this Code of Conduct.
• Booth staff must not use sexualized clothing, uniforms or costumes, or create a sexualized environment.
• Sponsors are responsible for their staff's behavior at the event.

Photography and recording

• Talks may be recorded and published by the organizers.
• Attendees who do not want to be photographed can pick up a no-photo lanyard at registration. Please respect it.
• Ask before photographing children or taking close-up photos of anyone.

Online spaces

• Event chats and channels follow the same rules. Moderators may remove messages and members who break them.
• Keep discussions on-topic. No spam, advertising or political campaigning.

Reporting an incident

If you experience or witness a violation, or have any other concern, report it as soon as you can. Every report is taken seriously and handled confidentially.

How to report

• In person: find any organizer or volunteer wearing a STAFF badge, or go to the registration desk.
• By phone or Telegram: call or message the Code of Conduct hotline (see Contacts below).
• By email: write to the Code of Conduct team (see Contacts below).
• Anonymously: use the online report form. Anonymous reports may limit what we can do, but we will still review them.

What to include, if you can

• your name and contact details (optional)
• what happened, when and where
• who was involved, and any names, badges or descriptions
• whether there were witnesses, photos or screenshots
• whether the incident is ongoing

What happens next

1. A Code of Conduct team member listens to you and makes sure you are safe.
2. If you want, we will help contact venue security or local authorities, or arrange an escort or a quiet place.
3. The team reviews the report and decides on action, usually within 24 hours during the event.
4. We follow up with you about the outcome, while respecting everyone's privacy.

If you are in immediate danger, call emergency services first (see Contacts below), then tell an organizer.

Enforcement

Organizers decide what action is appropriate, guided by the safety of participants. Possible actions include:

• a verbal or written warning
• a requirement to stop contact with specific people
• ending a talk, workshop or booth activity
• removal from chats and online spaces
• removal from the event without a refund
• a ban from future PyCon Tajikistan events
• reporting to local authorities when there is a threat to safety or a breach of law

Organizers may also inform the person's employer or sponsor company when they acted on its behalf.

No one is exempt. Speakers, sponsors, volunteers and organizers are held to the same standard. Team members with a conflict of interest step aside from the case.

Appeals: a person who receives a sanction may appeal in writing to the Code of Conduct team within 14 days after the event. A team member not involved in the original decision reviews it.

Contacts

The Code of Conduct team can be reached throughout the event, including social events.

CoC email

coc@pycon.tj

CoC hotline (phone / Telegram)

Announced before the event

Anonymous report form

Announced before the event

CoC team members

Names and photos will be published here and in the attendee guide

Venue security

Announced before the event

Police

102

Ambulance

103

Fire

101

Attribution and license

This Code of Conduct is adapted from the PyCon US Code of Conduct and the Python Software Foundation Code of Conduct, which build on the Geek Feminism wiki's example anti-harassment policy.

It is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Other PyCon events are welcome to reuse and adapt it.