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I Stand Beside Terms and Conditions

Code of Conduct

We envision I Stand Beside as a sanctuary for courageous creativity, ecological empathy, and peaceful action. This Code of Conduct supports those aims.

1. Principles

As a participant in ISB spaces (online or in-person), you agree to:

  • Treat all beings — human and more-than-human — with respect
  • Honour difference and diversity (species, culture, belief, identity)
  • Create from a place of peace, not domination
  • Participate with care, imagination, and sincerity

2. Online Participation

This applies to forums, profiles, galleries, and online events:

  • Be kind, even in disagreement
  • No spam, self-promotion, trolling, or off-topic rants
  • No violent, sexual, or explicit content
  • Use respectful, accessible language where possible
  • If you’re posting on behalf of another being, be clear and thoughtful in your voice

You may be removed or banned for:

  • Hate speech, abuse, or threatening behaviour
  • Repeated disregard for the values or purpose of ISB
  • Severe violations (e.g. child sexual abuse material) will result in immediate and permanent ban, and may be reported to authorities

3. In-Person Gatherings

At any ISB event or assembly, you agree to:

  • Respect physical and emotional boundaries
  • Follow local laws and event guidelines
  • Notify organisers if conflict or harm arises
  • Embrace peer support and peaceful resolution where possible

Conflicts will be addressed case by case, with the aim of restoring safety, learning, and integrity — not punishment for its own sake.

Content Submission Guidelines

I Stand Beside invites submissions of art, writing, ritual, reflection, science, and story — especially those offered on behalf of another being or habitat.

We believe every voice has a place in the assembly. These guidelines help ensure the space remains creative, respectful, and safe for all.

1. What You Can Share

We welcome:

  • Artwork, poetry, writing, music, and short films
  • Essays or research from scholars, scientists, and thinkers
  • Testimonies, manifestos, or declarations from the more-than-human world (real or imagined)
  • Projects, offerings, and acts of interspecies solidarity

2. Your Rights and Ours

  • You retain full copyright of your submission.
  • By sharing it, you grant ISB a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to feature it on our platform(s), in print, or in outreach, for purposes aligned with our mission.
  • You can request removal of future use at any time (previously published items may continue to circulate).
  • If you wish to remain anonymous or attribute your piece to a non-human voice, that’s encouraged and fully supported.

3. Community Standards

All contributions must:

  • Avoid hate speech, violence, discrimination, or harassment
  • Respect the dignity of all beings, named or unnamed
  • Avoid infringing on the rights of others (e.g., don’t submit copyrighted material without permission)

We currently operate a community self-moderation model. If you see content that concerns you, use the REPORT button (when available) or email: info@istandbeside.life

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 16th June 2025

We at I Stand Beside (ISB) are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights under UK GDPR law.

1. What We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to provide our services, such as:

  • Your name, email address, and contact preferences (for membership and mailing list)
  • Profile content (if you choose to create one)
  • Your contributions (e.g. stories, art, or media)
  • Basic engagement data (e.g. email opens, clicks)

We do not collect or store any sensitive (“special category”) data such as political views, health, or ethnicity.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use your data to:

  • Manage your membership and participation
  • Send you updates (you can unsubscribe at any time)
  • Share your contributions, if submitted for that purpose
  • Improve our offerings by tracking engagement trends (aggregated, non-identifiable)

Your data will never be sold or shared with third parties without your explicit permission. In the future, we may use a secure third-party email platform (e.g. Mailchimp) to manage our mailing list — we’ll update this policy accordingly.

3. Your Rights

Under GDPR, you have the right to:

  • Request access to your data
  • Correct or delete your data
  • Withdraw consent at any time
  • Lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

To request changes or removal, please contact: info@istandbeside.life

Terms and Conditions of Membership

I Stand Beside (ISB)
Version 1.0 – Draft for review

By becoming a member of I Stand Beside (ISB), you agree to the following Terms and Conditions. These safeguard the integrity of our community and ensure respectful use of our platform and message.

1. Purpose and Scope of Membership

By joining ISB, you align yourself with a shared mission to foster peaceful, creative, and compassionate reconnection between humans and the more-than-human world.

While ISB welcomes a diversity of approaches and lifestyles, you agree that when you engage with or represent ISB in any public-facing way — such as:

  • submitting content to our platform or Early Adopters’ Gallery,
  • attending or facilitating ISB events,
  • using the phrases “I Stand Beside” or “We Stand Beside” in public or published contexts,

—you will do so in a manner consistent with the values of peace, empathy, non-violence, and creative advocacy.

2. Use of the Terms “I Stand Beside” and “We Stand Beside”

These phrases are central to our identity and must be used respectfully. By becoming a member, you agree:

  • Not to use these terms to support or endorse violence, hate, or unlawful actions.
  • Not to claim to represent ISB officially without written permission.
  • Not to use the phrases for commercial purposes without prior consent.
  • To use them in a manner consistent with ISB’s values of care, justice, and peaceful action.

Any misuse may result in membership revocation or further action.

3. Peaceful Expression and Advocacy

ISB promotes only peaceful forms of expression and action. By participating, you agree:

  • Not to incite or encourage violence, harm, or harassment in ISB’s name.
  • To act within the law and with care for all beings, human and non-human.
  • To use creativity, celebration, storytelling, and solidarity as tools for change.

4. Forums, Events, and Community Spaces

When participating in ISB-led events, forums, or workshops (including interspecies assemblies, trainings, and performances), you agree:

  • To respect differences in culture, belief, background, and species.
  • Not to share abusive, discriminatory, off-topic, or misleading content.
  • To avoid spam, unrelated promotions, or partisan political agendas.
  • To help co-create supportive, imaginative, and inclusive spaces.

We reserve the right to remove posts, suspend access, or terminate membership for serious or repeated violations.

5. Shared Values

ISB is grounded in the following values. While you are not required to personally adopt these in all aspects of life, you agree to act in accordance with them while engaging with ISB:

  • Interconnection – Recognising all beings as part of one living web.
  • Peaceful Change – Choosing care over conflict in how we create change.
  • Creative Action – Using art, ritual, and story to awaken empathy.
  • Responsibility – Acting with awareness of our impact on others.
  • Reciprocity – Giving back to the Earth and its communities.

6. Contributions, Copyright & Consent

6.1 Ownership and Licence
You retain full ownership of any content you submit (art, poetry, photos, video, etc.). By contributing, you grant ISB a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use your content across digital and print platforms (e.g., social media, newsletters, leaflets), for purposes aligned with our mission.

6.2 Withdrawal
You may request your contribution be withdrawn from future uses. We will comply, but cannot retract items already printed or published.

6.3 Standards
Content must not be defamatory, illegal, or infringe the rights of others. Unless stated otherwise, contributions are non-confidential.

6.4 Merchandise
In the future, we may offer merchandise (e.g., T-shirts, prints) featuring member content — only with your written permission.

7. Data Privacy

We are GDPR-compliant. Your personal data will not be sold or shared without your explicit consent. See our full [Privacy Policy] for details.

8. Liability and Enforcement

ISB is not liable for the actions or statements of individual members. We reserve the right to:

  • remove or suspend accounts that breach these Terms,
  • request takedowns of misrepresentative content,
  • pursue further action in cases of public harm, misuse, or legal infringement.

9. Consent and Acknowledgement

By ticking the box during signup, you affirm: ☑ I agree to the Terms and Conditions above.
☑ I commit to peaceful, creative ecological advocacy when engaging with ISB.
☑ I will use the ISB platform and phrases respectfully and lawfully.
☑ I understand that misuse may result in loss of membership or legal action.

Terms and Conditions for Use of Website

Effective Date: [Insert Date]

Use of this website (https://www.istandbeside.life) is provided by I Stand Beside (“ISB”, “we”, “our”, “us”) subject to the following Terms and Conditions.

By accessing or using this website, you agree to be legally bound by these terms. If you do not accept them in full, you must not use this site.

1. Acceptance of Terms

Your access to and use of this site constitutes your agreement to these Terms and Conditions from the date of your first use.

2. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to update these Terms and Conditions at any time by posting changes online. Continued use of the site after changes are made constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

3. Lawful Use

You agree to use this site only for lawful purposes. You must not use the site in a way that infringes the rights of, restricts, or inhibits the use of the site by anyone else.

4. Content Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

This site and the information, images, text, logos, and content regarding ISB are provided “as is”, without any express or implied warranty.

We do not guarantee that access to the site will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that the site or server is free of viruses or bugs.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, ISB excludes all liability for loss or damage arising from your use of this site. This does not affect our liability for death or personal injury arising from our negligence, or our obligations under data protection law.

5. Copyright and Use of Content

All content on this site is owned by or licensed to ISB unless otherwise stated. Commercial use or publication of any part of this site is strictly prohibited without prior written permission.

If you are an artist or contributor and wish to request removal or modification of content, please contact us at info@IStandBeside.Life.

For user-submitted content (e.g. to our Early Adopters’ Gallery), see our separate [Membership Terms and Conditions] and [Content Submission Guidelines] (forthcoming).

6. Intellectual Property Rights – User Submissions

Where you voluntarily submit content (e.g. text, images, audio, video) to the website or via forms, you retain ownership of your material but grant ISB a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence (including the right to adapt and share) for use online and in promotional, educational, or printed materials—subject to your explicit preferences.

We will never commercially exploit your work (e.g. for merchandise) without your prior consent and attribution.

7. Privacy and Data Protection

We are committed to protecting your privacy and personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and other applicable laws.

Please refer to our [Privacy Policy] and [Cookie Policy] for more information on how your data is used, stored, and protected.

8. External Links

We are not responsible for the content or reliability of external sites linked to from this website. These links are provided for convenience only.

9. Public Contributions

Any content submitted to public areas of the site (e.g. open comments) may be visible to other users. While these are treated as non-confidential, personal data within them is still protected by our Privacy Policy.

Please do not post private information about yourself or others.

10. Conflicts with Other Terms

If any conflict arises between these Terms and Conditions and any specific terms (e.g. relating to membership, content submission, or events), the specific terms shall take precedence.

11. Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.

12. Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms or need support, please email us at: info@IStandBeside.Life

Legal Disclaimer

I Stand Beside is a not-for-profit initiative promoting peaceful, creative, and compassionate advocacy for the more-than-human world. We do not condone violent protest, hate speech, or illegal activity.

Any use of our name or phrases that misrepresents our mission or promotes harm violates our Terms and may lead to suspension, takedown requests, or legal consequences. If unsure, contact us: info@istandbeside.life

Advocate’s Pledge

A sacred, poetic commitment for those who wish to go deeper.

I stand beside the more-than-human world
not as master, not as saviour,
but as kin.

I listen. I learn. I lend my voice,
not to speak for others,
but to amplify what is already being said —
in birdsong, in waves, in mycelial threads.

I pledge to move through the world
in peace, in reverence, and in wild imagination.

I will stumble, I will learn.
But I will not turn away.

For I Stand Beside life —
in all its forms,
and in all its fragility.