Code of Conduct

Welcome to the Code of Conduct page of ESN Nijmegen! Here you can find the Code of Conduct as well as a Link towards a Google Form where you can inform us about any violations of the Code of Conduct.

Erasmus Student Network Nijmegen is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all, and to ensuring that no individual is discriminated against in the planning and delivery of any of our projects or activities.

1) AIM OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT

This Code of Conduct sets out to ensure that every person feels safe, included and respected during their involvement with ESN Nijmegen. We make clear our zero-tolerance policy towards any kind of discrimination or threatening behaviour. We reaffirm the importance of our core values, those of unity in diversity, openness, tolerance and respect. We demonstrate our dedication to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity among our members and volunteers.

We recognise our responsibilities as an international youth organisation and are committed to meeting them in full. An organisational culture that embraces equality and values diversity will help us to ensure that everyone feels involved and included in our plans and activities.

2) PERSONS TO WHOM THIS CODE OF CONDUCT APPLIES
This Code of Conduct applies to any individual, organisation or group participating in any activity of ESN Nijmegen and covers conduct at:

All meetings.
All events.
All ESN-related online activities.
All external representation of ESN Nijmegen.

3) DISCRIMINATION, HARRASSLMENT AND VIOLENCE

ESN Nijmegen is an environment which respects and welcomes everyone, and in which no form of bullying, harrassment, violence, disrespectful or discriminatory behaviour is tolerated. Our policy extends to, but is not limited by, discrimination on the basis of:

Age
Disabilities or impairments of any kind.
Education and socio-economic background.
Ethics and values, political or religious beliefs.
Gender including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
Language and literacy.
Physical appearance.
Race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin.
Role or experience within ESN.

4) BEHAVIOURS

All persons participating in the activities of ESN Nijmegen must act in accordance with these values and work to cultivate an inclusive and accessible network. Individuals should be respectful and constructive in their communication and engagement with others. ESN Nijmegen will not tolerate any instance of verbally or physically aggressive behaviour. Violations of this Code should be reported to the designated Point of Contact (6.1.) and will be dealt with according to the relevant procedure (6.1–6.4.).

4.1 Alcohol

ESN Nijmegen values the health and safety of all those involved with the organisation and to safeguard this during all its activities. ESN Nijmegen takes its responsibility to create a safe and inclusive environment at all of their activities. The consumption of alcoholic beverages at activities shall always be done in a responsible way and in accordance with the Dutch law. The legal age to consume alcohol in the Netherlands is 18 years old. If an activity takes place in another country, the legal drinking age of that country applies. If alcohol is served during an activity, non-alcoholic beverages will always be available and promoted. It is expected from all involved with ESN Nijmegen to act responsible and safe with regards to the consumption of alcohol. The Executive Board of ESN Nijmegen can act according to the relevant procedure (6.1-6.4) to any violations or irresponsible behaviours regarding alcohol.

4.2 Drugs

ESN Nijmegen has a zero-tolerance policy regarding drugs at any of their activities. This applies to the use, possession and distribution of drugs, as well as being under the influence of drugs during activities. This applies to all drugs that are prohibited by the Dutch Law, both ‘soft drugs’ and ‘hard drugs’. Violation of this section will result in the automatic exclusion for the remainder of the event and possible exclusion from one or more future activities, as described in sections 6.1-6.4.

4.3 Dangerous objects

It is forbidden to bring any dangerous object to any of the activities. Dangerous objects include, but are not limited to: fire works, fire arms, knives, other sharp objects, or an imitation of any of these objects. The Executive Board of ESN Nijmegen determines if an object is dangerous. Violation of this section will result in the automatic exclusion for the remainder of the event, and additionally, possible exclusion from one or more future activities, as described in sections 6.1-6.4.

5) EVENTS AT EXTERNAL LOCATIONS

ESN Nijmegen hosts many of its activities at external locations, which have their own rules and regulations. In case of a conflict between the rules and regulations of the activity’s location and this Code of Conduct, the rules and regulations of the location take precedence. ESN Nijmegen will actively avoid locations whose values, rules and/or regulations conflict with this Code of Conduct. In addition to following the guidance and rules of the Executive Board of ESN Nijmegen at the location, participants are obligated to obey the directions, rules and regulations of the location and their staff. Should one not comply with these directions and/or regulations, the relevant authority can act based upon their own rules and regulations. The Executive Board of ESN Nijmegen can also act according to the relevant procedure (6.1-6.4.).

6) PROCEDURE

6.1. Point of Contact
The Board of ESN Nijmegen is responsible for ensuring that all volunteers are aware of their rights and obligations under this Code of Conduct.

Any violations of the Code of Conduct as stated in 3. Discrimination, harassment and violence and 4. In case of witnessing or experiencing any kind of bullying, degradation, harassment, verbal, non-verbal discriminatory behaviour, you should report it to the present board member, provided you feel comfortable doing so. They will act according to the relevant procedure (6.3.). In case this does not prove to be sufficient or if you do not feel comfortable reporting it to the present board member, the team members or victims themselves are encouraged to contact the Internal Affairs Manager ([email protected]). In cases where you do not want to approach the Point of Contact directly, it is possible to share what you’ve experienced anonymously by means of this form. The submission is confidential and you have the right to remain anonymous if preferred.

6.2. Privacy procedure
In order to protect the privacy of the people affected, all parties involved are expected to remain discrete on the matters that occurred. The Executive Board of ESN Nijmegen shall not disclose the identity of an affected individual without their consent.

6.3. Disciplinary actions
In case of witnessing or receiving any complaints, the Executive Board of ESN Nijmegen is required to take the following steps, based on their best judgement and depending on the severity of the action:

Inquire with the victim and/or witness about the violations of the Code that have occurred.
Remind one of their obligations to act in accordance with the Code of Conduct.
Engage in a one-on-one conversation with the offender to make sure that there is an understanding of the reason for the violation.
If applicable, ask the offender for an explanation and an apology and/or retraction of the action.
Demand the offender to leave from the remainder of the activity.
If needed, the Executive Board can take disciplinary actions in accordance with this Code and the Statutes of ESN Nijmegen. This extends to: exclusion of future events or meetings, temporary suspension from the organization, or permanent expulsion from the organisation.

If the code of conduct has been violated with respect to a group that is present, the same procedure as described above applies. Any of the present members of the group have the right to demand an excuse and/or a mediation procedure as described above. The offended group also has the right to nominate one of its members to exclusively represent its interests in the mediation process. If the Code has been violated with respect to a group that is not present, any participant of the meeting can bring the incident to the Point of Contact.

6.4 Relevant authorities
If the Point of Contact feels at any time that there is a risk of injury to any person, they should ensure that the venue is safe for all participants and contact the relevant authorities if necessary and possible according to the laws of the country.

7) PRIVACY

In order to protect the privacy of the persons affected, all parties involved are bound to silence, except if any legal procedure requires disclosure or for the safety of an individual, and discretion about any facts they come to know during the mediation process. The Point of Contact shall not disclose the identities of the parties concerned without consent.

8) EXCEPTIONS

We acknowledge that some countries or communities may permit or require some form of segregation (e.g. based on gender for certain activities/trips), which goes against the spirit of our code of conduct. In this situation, we would not expect anyone acting on behalf of ESN Nijmegen to violate local laws, or expose themselves to any risk of legal or physical harm. Any restrictions of this nature should be communicated to the Point of Contact prior to the activity.