# Values ## Be Considerate * There are different levels of digital literacy and language/localization in a global community. * Help each volunteer find roles that work for them and help them learn. * Be mindful of people's time. * Be respectful toward all time zones. * We agree to make this an environment where it is safe to ask for help. ## Be Respectful * Consider the ethics of data sharing/ownership. * Practice and contribute under the principle of "do no harm". * Recognize that we have potential to do harm and commit to constantly reassessing this risk. * Understand and work with the community and audience as to what "harm" means to them. * Be polite, friendly and patient in all forms of communication and value each other's ideas,styles and viewpoints. * Be careful in the words that you choose. ## Be Inclusive * Being inclusive means being kind and community focused. * Go out of your way and across cultures to include people and help new perspectives to be heard. * Avoid slang or idioms that might not translate across cultures, or be deliberate in explaining them to share our diverse cultures and languages. * Speak plainly and avoid acronyms and jargon that not everyone may have an understanding of. * Be an ally to others when you see a need. * Accomodate many cultural practises, attitude and beliefs. ## Be Collaborative * When we disagree, we consult others. * When we are unsure, we ask for help. * Give feedback. Good feedback is kind, respectful, clear, and constructive, and focused on goals and values rather than personal preferences. * We take care of ourselves and each other so we can make great contributions and be around for the long haul. * Hand off your work considerately by turning over remaining tasks to the coordinator, team lead or another contributor. * Ensure and create thorough documentation to protect resilience. ## Be Transparent * Maintain transparency of process and code. * Share your process, best practices, and lessons learned so others have opportunities to share with you, and to help build community. * The community is committed to a radically participatory ethic. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. No prerequisites exist to participate in the community. Inclusiveness in make-up, action, and participation. * **\(Prerequisites do have to be set. Depending on how a VTC is organized, their leadership may be assuming legal liability for actions of members. Those assuming risk have to be in a position to control their risk by setting rules.\)** * Seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and the reality of those around us, as well as participation in society. ## **Be Mindful of People's Privacy** * Be mindful of security and privacy considerations. Do not share sensitive data \(see the [ICRC Professional Standards on Protection Work](http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/publication/p0999.htm)\). * Follow verification and security guidelines for mapping – do not publish dangerous speech, personal names, and personal identifying information \(guidelines to be determined\). * Ushahidi adheres to and is compliant with GDPR. You can find out more about our GDPR compliance in our [Privacy Policy](https://www.ushahidi.com/privacy-policy) and [Terms of Service](https://www.ushahidi.com/terms-of-service). ## Committing to Self-Improvement None of us are perfect: all of us from time to time will fail to live up to our very high standards. What matters isn’t having a perfect track record, but owning up to your mistakes and committing to a clear and persistent effort to improve. If you are approached as having \(consciously or otherwise\) acted in a way that might make your teammates feel unwelcome, listen with an open mind and avoid becoming defensive. Remember that if someone offers you feedback, it likely took a great deal of courage for them to do so. The best way to respect that courage is to acknowledge your mistake, apologize, and move on — with a renewed commitment to do better.