A galactic Congress welcomes all lifeforms

Anyone who ever experienced the distinct feeling of „wow!“ on the first Congress knows: There’s an outside world and then there’s Congress. Even though the event copes with challenges that come with growth, we think we’ve built a space that promotes tolerance, curiosity, fun, open-minded communication, friendliness and cooperation. Unlike traditional conferences, where visitors receive full service for paying an entrance fee, CCC events are run by volunteers. The whole event is organized by people who buy their own tickets and spend their holidays to make it happen. Visiting 34c3 means to participate rather than assuming everything is taken care of for you. This means that everybody attending the 34c3 shares the responsibility to keep the event safe, secure, and enjoyable to all. So Be excellent to each other! is not just a slogan, but the event’s very soul.

The Congress stands upon 34 years of liberal and tolerant tradition to enjoy technology and culture, regardless of people’s background. We are dedicated to keep this tradition going by continuous improvement. Over the past years we have learned a lot, developed new methods and initiatives – by volunteers, of course –, improved many details, and generally put a stronger emphasis on our guiding principles. If you have suggestions for further improvement, please do not hesitate to contact the organisation team.

The Chaos Computer Club is, both by its chapter and common consent, a galactic organization that welcomes all lifeforms. As such, we are dedicated to providing a safe, secure and enjoyable experience for everybody attending our events, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, origin, or physical appearance. Lifeforms who refuse to share this openness towards others are not welcome at our events. Sexism and racism contradict the preamble of the CCC statutes and our extended anti-discriminatory statement published in 2005.

We stand for freedom of expression, but will not condone any form of sexism, group-focused enmity, violence or harassment. The Chaos Computer Club and the organizers of the Chaos Communication Congress are committed to continue to fill our statutes and principles with life.

But even in our hacker’s utopia we can not prevent each and every problem – after all, there’s way over 10.000 of us coming together now. So, since the Congress is the sum of its participants, we count on all of you: If you witness a violation of our principles, please act responsibly and also call on those participants around you to help as well. If this turns out to not be sufficient, please contact the appropriate teams directly via phone or ask any Congress volunteer to do so. Volunteers are called „Angels“ at CCC events and can be recognized by their badges. They are literally hundreds, willing to help.

During a large event like the 34C3 many things can happen that require attention or intervention. Sickness, escalation of unpleasant interactions with misbehaving participants, fire hazards or personal crises are just a few of the problems where assistance needs to be provided by trained professionals. Just as in previous years, three dedicated teams of volunteers are available in person around the clock and reachable by phone to assist you in matters of safety and security. When you feel you cannot solve the problem at hand on your own or with the help of the people around you, let them know immediately. To familiarize everyone with our initiatives, teams and efforts to make the 34C3 a safe, secure and enjoyable and open event for all, we will introduce them in more detailed posts over the next couple of weeks:

The Awareness Team provides a point of contact for people to process experiences, resolve conflicts, and to create a safe and enjoyable atmosphere, especially for underrepresented groups.

The Safety and Security Team is dedicated to preventing any conflict or escalation thereof. It will be there in case of conflicts or people misbehaving substantially but also to prevent hazards. In most cases, a firm but friendly reminder of our principles is sufficient. Don’t be the exception that gets shown the door.

The CERT (Chaos Emergency Response Team) consists of trained doctors, medics, firefighters and crisis intervention specialists. It provides aid in all cases and emergencies that require professional attention. The CERT will be there for sickness and injuries of all kinds but also to make sure the fire prevention and escape paths codes are observed.

Pictures: miguel, CC BY-NC 2.0