The Samvera community is dedicated to providing a welcoming and
positive experience for all its members, whether they are at a formal
gathering, in a social setting, or taking part in activities online.
The Samvera community welcomes participation from people all over the
world and these members bring with them a wide variety of
professional, personal and social backgrounds; whatever these may be,
we treat colleagues with dignity and respect.

Community members communicate primarily in English, though for many of
them this is not their native language. We therefore strive to express
ourselves simply and clearly remembering that unnecessary use of
jargon and slang will be a barrier to understanding for many of our
colleagues.  We are sensitive to the fact that the international
nature of the community means that we span many different social norms
around language and behaviour and we strive to conduct ourselves,
online and in person, in ways that are unlikely to cause offence.

Samvera conversations are often information-rich and intended to
generate discussion and debate.  We discuss ideas from a standpoint of
mutual respect and reasoned argument.

Community members work together to promote a respectful and safe
community. In the event that someone’s conduct is causing offence or
distress, Samvera has a detailed
[Anti-Harassment Policy and Protocol](https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/hydra/Anti-Harassment+Policy)
which can be applied to address the problem. The first step in dealing
with any serious misconduct is to contact a local meeting organizer,
the
[Samvera community helpers](https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/hydra/Hydra+Community+Helpers)
([email](mailto:helpers@projecthydra.org)), a community member you
trust, or the
[Samvera Steering Group](https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/hydra/Samvera+Steering+Group+membership)
immediately; at Samvera events, these people can be identified by
distinctive name badges. The
[Policy and Protocol](https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/hydra/Anti-Harassment+Policy)
should be consulted for fuller details.