Code of Conduct and Membership Rules

Our commitment

We are committed to providing a professional, safe, and welcoming environment where people can participate and exchange knowledge without harassment, discrimination, or threats. Reports will be handled fairly, confidentially, and without retaliation. Differences of opinion or experience are acceptable; abuse and attacks on another person’s dignity are not.

Conditions of membership and participation

• Provide accurate, non-misleading information and use one personal account unless the administration has approved an exception.
• Follow this code, the Privacy Policy, the Platform Terms, and event policies.
• Do not impersonate others or claim to represent YTC without written authorisation.
• Respect the confidentiality of conversations and non-public data, and do not share them outside their original context.
• General membership is available to people aged 18 or over. Participation by minors will not be permitted until a safeguarding policy and parental or guardian consent are in place.

Expected conduct

• Communicate respectfully, listen in good faith, and give and receive professional criticism without personal attacks.
• Welcome beginners and avoid mocking anyone’s experience, language, connectivity, or working conditions.
• Credit ideas and content to their owners and respect intellectual property and source terms.
• Use the designated opportunity, recruitment, and promotion channels and clearly disclose any commercial interest.
• Report risks or misconduct instead of escalating them publicly in ways that could harm affected people or compromise an investigation.

Prohibited conduct

• Harassment, threats, stalking, bullying, insults, discrimination, or hate speech.
• Sexual comments, inappropriate images, or repeated private contact after being asked to stop.
• Publishing personal information, private correspondence, or images of people without permission, including phone numbers and addresses.
• Personal attacks, defamation, or incitement, including political and partisan attacks within collective spaces.
• Partisan campaigning, recruitment, or fundraising, or using the YTC name to endorse an authority, group, or candidate.
• Spam, multi-level marketing, fraud, collection of member data, or unwanted commercial contact.
• Fraud in registration, attendance, or selection; sharing access or identity codes; or circumventing moderation decisions.
• Disrupting events or the platform, attempting unauthorised access, or harming security and privacy.

Reporting and protection

Send reports to conduct@yementc.org or through the confidential reporting channel published on the website. Where safe, include a description of the incident, its date and place, and any available evidence without putting the affected person at risk. Anonymous reports may be accepted where possible, although anonymity may limit verification. Retaliation against a reporter, witness, or anyone who participates in good faith in an investigation is prohibited.

Handling reports

• Receive the report, restrict access to it, and acknowledge receipt when a safe contact method is available.
• Assess risk and take an interim measure where needed, such as separating parties, restricting an account, or requiring someone to leave an event.
• Conduct an impartial review by at least two authorised people who have no conflicts of interest, and hear from the parties to the extent possible and safe.
• Make a reasoned and proportionate decision, and tell the parties which outcomes can be shared without breaching confidentiality.
• Allow one appeal within 14 days to a reviewer who did not participate in the original decision.

Levels of action

• Private guidance or a reminder for a minor, correctable breach.
• A written warning with clear conditions for continued participation.
• Temporary restriction from a channel, event, or platform feature.
• Removal from an event, team, or representative role.
• Suspension or termination of membership, which may be permanent for serious or repeated misconduct.
• Referral to the appropriate authorities when there is a genuine risk or legal obligation, with due regard for the affected person’s safety.

Duties of leaders and organisers

Leaders and organisers are held to a higher standard of conduct. They must disclose conflicts of interest, preserve confidentiality, and never use their authority for retaliation or favouritism. A person must not handle a report involving themselves, a relative, an organisation they work with, or any interest that could affect their impartiality.

Fairness and limits

Investigation confidentiality does not justify concealing patterns of harm or tolerating misconduct. Where possible, YTC publishes aggregated data on the number of reports and types of action without identifying individuals. This code does not prevent anyone from seeking legal, medical, or security assistance when needed.