Purpose

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This online publishing hub exists to encourage, equip, and connect people through the creation, sharing, and discussion of original Christian songs, writings, reflections, educational materials, and other creative works. Our community seeks to reflect Christian values of truth, grace, integrity, respect, and service.

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Participation in or use of this community constitutes agreement to follow this Code of Conduct.

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Definitions

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"Users" means any individual or entity that accesses, browses, registers for, uses, interacts with, or receives services from the platform, whether or not they create, submit, publish, or contribute content. Users include, but are not limited to:

• Registered account holders;

• Visitors and guests who access publicly available content;

• Readers, listeners, viewers, and subscribers;

• Individuals who post comments, feedback, or other communications;

• Contributors who upload, submit, or share content; and

• Organizations or their representatives who use the platform's services or resources.

All Users are subject to this Code of Conduct and any other applicable policies governing use of the platform. All Users are subject to this Code of Conduct and any other applicable policies governing use of the platform. Where a User contributes content, participates in community activities, or serves in an official capacity, that User may also be considered a Participant and be subject to any additional responsibilities associated with that role.
 

"Participants" means all individuals and entities who engage with, contribute to, access, or otherwise use the Christian Online Publishing Hub in any capacity, including but not limited to:

• Registered users and account holders;

• Authors, songwriters, composers, lyricists, poets, writers, editors, and other content creators;

• Reviewers, moderators, administrators, volunteers, and staff members;

• Commenters, readers, listeners, subscribers, and community members;

• Guest contributors and collaborators;

• Representatives of churches, ministries, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, or other affiliated entities; and

• Any other person or organization participating in the platform's activities, services, events, discussions, publications, or communications.

All Participants are expected to comply with this Code of Conduct regardless of their role, level of access, or degree of involvement with the platform.
 

Treat Others with Respect and Dignity
 

We are committed to fostering a community where all individuals are treated with respect, dignity, professionalism, and consideration. Differences in perspectives, experiences, and opinions are valued and should be expressed in a manner that promotes constructive dialogue, mutual understanding, and positive engagement.
 

All Users and Participants shall:

• Communicate with courtesy, civility, kindness, and respect.

• Engage in discussions and interactions in a constructive and professional manner, including when expressing differing views or resolving disagreements.

• Listen to and consider the perspectives of others with an open mind and a willingness to engage respectfully.

• Avoid personal attacks, insults, harassment, intimidation, bullying, discrimination, or other conduct that may demean, humiliate, or undermine another person.

• Refrain from inflammatory, hostile, or unnecessarily provocative behavior that may disrupt productive dialogue or create an unwelcoming environment.

• Exercise patience and empathy when interacting with others and recognize that misunderstandings may occur, seeking clarification where necessary or when opportunity arise.

• Assume good faith where reasonable and seek clarification before making negative assumptions about another person's intentions or conduct.

• Make reasonable efforts to resolve disagreements respectfully and constructively before escalating conflicts through formal channels.

Users and Participants are expected to contribute to a culture of respect, inclusion, and collaboration that supports the wellbeing, safety, and meaningful participation of all members of the community.

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Honor Christian Values
 

As a Christian community among many other communities, we seek to reflect the teachings and example of Jesus Christ in our interactions with one another. Users and Participants are encouraged to contribute to a culture characterized by faith, love, grace, truth, humility, compassion, integrity, and respect.
 

Users and Participants are encouraged to:

• Demonstrate honesty, humility, compassion, integrity, and accountability in their words and actions.

• Treat others with dignity, kindness, patience, and respect, recognizing the inherent worth of every person.

• Encourage, support, and build up fellow community members rather than demean, divide, or discourage them.

• Engage in discussions with grace and humility, especially when expressing differing views or addressing areas of disagreement.

• Promote understanding, peaceful dialogue, and mutual encouragement.

• Exercise responsible stewardship of the opportunities, relationships, and resources entrusted to them within the community.

• Conduct themselves in a manner that supports the mission, values, and Christian witness of the organization.

We recognize and welcome the diversity of Christian traditions, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives represented within our community. Users and Participants are expected to engage with one another in a spirit of mutual respect, charity, and unity, even where theological, doctrinal, or practical differences exist.
 

While sincere and respectful discussion of differing viewpoints is encouraged, conduct that is divisive, hostile, abusive, or inconsistent with the values and mission of the organization may be addressed under this Code of Conduct.

 

Publish Responsibly
 

We encourage and welcome the creation and sharing of original creative works, including songs, lyrics, writings, articles, educational resources, devotionals, testimonies, media, and other expressions that support and advance the mission, values, and objectives of the organization.
 

All contributions must reflect integrity, respect for others, and compliance with this Code of Conduct, including requirements relating to intellectual property, proper attribution, and respect for the rights of third parties where applicable. Contributors are expected to ensure that their submissions are either original works or properly authorized for use, and that any third-party content is used lawfully and with appropriate permission or attribution.
 

All Users and Participants who submit, publish, edit, review, or otherwise contribute content to the platform shall:
 

• Ensure that all content submitted is true, accurate, and complete to the best of their knowledge and belief.

• Clearly distinguish between personal opinions, theological reflections, interpretations, testimonies, and verifiable factual statements.

• Exercise due diligence, care, and good faith in researching, preparing, and presenting content.

• Avoid publishing content that is false, misleading, deceptive, defamatory, or fraudulent.

• Refrain from publishing content that promotes hatred, discrimination, violence, exploitation, unlawful activity, or conduct inconsistent with the mission, values, or standards of the organization.

• Exercise reasonable care when presenting theological, biblical, historical, educational, scientific, or factual information, and where appropriate, identify sources, references, or supporting materials.

• Respect the diversity of Christian traditions represented within the community and engage differences with charity, humility, and respect.

• Remain responsible and accountable for the content they submit, and cooperate in correcting material errors, clarifying ambiguities, responding to legitimate concerns, and complying with reasonable requests from moderators or administrators regarding published content, including revisions, clarifications, or removal where necessary.

Respect Intellectual Property

 

We value creativity, innovation, and the contributions of others. Respecting the work and contributions of others is an expression of honesty, integrity, stewardship, and respect for the gifts and efforts of fellow community members. Users and Participants are expected to respect the intellectual property rights, creative works, ideas, and contributions of individuals, organizations, and the broad community.
 

Users and Participants shall:

• Share, publish, distribute, or use only content that they own, have permission to use, or are otherwise authorized to share.

• Give appropriate credit and attribution to the creators, contributors, collaborators, and sources of content, ideas, materials, and creative works where applicable.

• Respect copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets, moral rights, licensing terms, and other intellectual property rights.

• Not plagiarize, copy, misappropriate, reproduce, distribute, or otherwise use another person's work, ideas, content, or materials in a manner that infringes their rights or falsely represents such work as their own.

• Not remove, alter, conceal, or misrepresent ownership, attribution, copyright, trademark, licensing, or other proprietary notices.

• Respect any licensing, usage, attribution, or distribution requirements associated with content, materials, or resources made available through the community.

• Ensure that any quotations, excerpts, references, or citations of another person's work are used responsibly, in compliance with applicable laws and permissions, and accompanied by appropriate attribution to the original author or source.

Users and Participants are encouraged to seek permission, provide proper attribution, and exercise care when using content created by others, particularly where ownership or usage rights may be unclear.

The organization may remove, restrict access to, or require modification of content that appears to infringe intellectual property rights, violate applicable laws, or otherwise conflict with this Code of Conduct. The organization may also take additional corrective or disciplinary action where appropriate.

 

Protect Privacy and Confidentiality
 

Respect for privacy and confidentiality is essential to maintaining trust, safety, and integrity within our community. Users and Participants are expected to handle personal, confidential, and sensitive information responsibly and to respect the rights of others to control how their information is collected, used, disclosed, and shared.
 

Users and Participants shall:

• Respect the privacy and confidentiality of others.

• Not collect, access, use, disclose, publish, or share personal, confidential, or sensitive information without proper authorization or a legitimate basis for doing so.

• Exercise care and discretion when sharing information about themselves or others, particularly in public or online environments.

• Not use information obtained through participation in the community for improper, unauthorized, or harmful purposes.

• Comply with applicable privacy, confidentiality, data protection, and information security laws, regulations, and policies.

The organization may take appropriate action, including the removal of content or restriction of participation, where conduct is inconsistent with these expectations or may compromise the privacy, confidentiality, or security of individuals or the community.

 

Maintain a Safe and Welcoming Environment
 

We are committed to fostering a community that is respectful, inclusive, safe, and welcoming for all Users and Participants. Everyone is expected to engage with others in a manner that promotes constructive participation, mutual respect, and the wellbeing of the community. Conduct that undermines the safety, dignity, rights, or experience of others is not permitted.
 

The following conduct is prohibited:

• Harassment, intimidation, stalking, threats, bullying, coercion, or abusive behavior toward any individual or group.

• Hate speech, discriminatory conduct, or content that targets, demeans, excludes, or harasses individuals or groups because of their race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, age, marital or family status, pregnancy or maternity status, disability, or other personal characteristics including, but not limited to, physical appearance, socioeconomic status, education level, political views, language or accent, health condition, or personal interests or hobbies.

• Obscene, sexually explicit, exploitative, abusive, or otherwise inappropriate language, content, or behavior.

• Encouraging, promoting, glorifying, or facilitating violence, self-harm, unlawful conduct, or harmful activities.

• Deliberately disrupting community activities, discussions, events, services, or the ability of others to participate meaningfully.

• Impersonating another individual, organization, representative, or entity, or misrepresenting one's identity, affiliation, qualifications, or authority.

• Spam, unsolicited communications, fraudulent schemes, scams, deceptive practices, phishing attempts, or unauthorized advertising, marketing, fundraising, or commercial solicitation.

• Malicious, unlawful, or harmful conduct directed toward the organization, its platforms, systems, services, property, personnel, Users, or Participants.

• Retaliation against individuals who report concerns, participate in investigations, or assist with the enforcement of this Code of Conduct.

• Any other conduct that the organization reasonably determines to be inconsistent with maintaining a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment.

The organization reserves the right to take appropriate action in response to prohibited conduct, including the removal of content, suspension or termination of participation, restriction of access, or other measures deemed necessary to protect the community and uphold this Code of Conduct.

Engage Constructively in Discussions
 

We aim to promote a constructive and respectful communication culture within the community. Meaningful discussion depends not only on what is communicated, but also on how it is communicated. Users and Participants are expected to engage in dialogue in a manner that supports understanding, encourages respectful exchange of ideas, and fosters a safe and welcoming environment for all members. This includes focusing on issues and viewpoints rather than individuals, welcoming differing perspectives, and using language that contributes to clarity and mutual respect.

Users and Participants are encouraged to:

• Focus on issues and viewpoints rather than individuals and discuss ideas rather than attack individuals.

• Foster a discussion environment where questions are welcomed and differing opinions are respectfully considered, recognizing that disagreement is a normal and acceptable part of constructive dialogue.

• Engage one another without bias or undue partiality, and without discouraging, discrediting, or undermining the intention of individuals who, in good faith, raise concerns, speak honestly about issues, or seek clarification regarding standards, practices, or conduct.

• Accept moderation decisions respectfully, even when disagreements exist.

• Use language that contributes to clarity and mutual respect, promotes understanding and meaningful dialogue, as well as that which contribute to an atmosphere of mutual learning, encouragement, and fellowship.

All interactions should be conducted in a manner that aligns with and upholds the organization’s values and mission, contributing to a culture of learning, integrity, trust, and constructive engagement.
 

Steward Community Resources Responsibly
 

The platform and its resources are shared assets entrusted to the community to support participation, collaboration, and the advancement of the organization’s mission. Responsible use of these resources is essential to maintaining a secure, stable, and accessible environment for all Users and Participants. Users and Participants are expected to exercise good judgment and stewardship in their use of the platform, ensuring that their actions do not compromise its integrity, security, or availability, and that shared resources are used in a fair and appropriate manner.

Users and Participants shall:

• Use the platform and its resources only for lawful purposes and in a manner consistent with the organization’s mission, values, and applicable policies.

• Avoid any activity that interferes with, disrupts, or undermines the operation, security, stability, or accessibility of the platform or its services.

• Refrain from uploading, transmitting, or distributing malicious software, harmful code, viruses, or any other material intended to damage, disrupt, or gain unauthorized access to systems, data, or users.

• Respect shared resources, including the time, effort, and contributions of volunteers, staff, moderators, and fellow community members, and engage support channels responsibly.

• Not misuse or overburden platform resources through abusive, automated, or excessive use that may impair the experience or access of others.

Users and Participants are encouraged to view their participation as a form of stewardship, contributing to a community environment that is safe, reliable, and sustainable for all.

Raising Concerns and Whistleblowing
 

We encourage all Users and Participants to speak up about conduct, practices, decisions, or situations that may be unlawful, unethical, unsafe, inconsistent with this Code of Conduct, or otherwise compromise the integrity, safety, or values of our community. We approach this as a collective responsibility rooted in care, accountability, and transparency.

Users and Participants who become aware of actual or suspected violations of this Code of Conduct, applicable laws, policies, or standards are encouraged to report their concerns through the designated reporting channels as soon as reasonably practicable. Reports may relate to, among other matters, harassment, discrimination, bullying, safety risks, unethical conduct, misuse of community resources, conflicts of interest, or other actual or suspected violations of this Code of Conduct.

Reports should be made honestly, responsibly, and in good faith, based on information the reporting individual reasonably believes to be true. Reports made in good faith are treated with privacy and sensitivity and will not result in any adverse consequences for the reporting individual, even if the concern is ultimately found to be unsubstantiated following review.  ​​

Reports will be handled with appropriate discretion and sensitivity. Information relating to a report will be shared only with those who have a legitimate need to know in order to assess, investigate, respond to, or resolve the matter. The organization will review reported concerns fairly, promptly, and impartially, and may take appropriate corrective, preventative, or disciplinary action where warranted in accordance with applicable policies and procedures.

Retaliation against any individual who, in good faith, raises a concern, reports suspected misconduct, participates in an investigation, provides information, or assists with enforcement efforts is strictly prohibited. Any act of retaliation may itself constitute a violation of this Code of Conduct and may result in disciplinary action. 

Knowingly making false, malicious, or misleading reports is inconsistent with the principles of this Code of Conduct and may also result in disciplinary action.

Reporting Channels and Points of Contact
 

The organization encourages the timely reporting of concerns regarding actual or suspected misconduct and to provide a safe, confidential, and transparent process for raising and addressing such concerns.

Users and Participants may raise concerns, report suspected misconduct, or seek guidance regarding potential violations of this Code of Conduct through any of the following channels:

• The Ethics and Compliance Officer at report@derpoet.org or call the hotline number: +65 XXXXXXX;

• Any organizer, manager, moderator, administrator, or other designated representative of the organization;

• The Chair of the Board at chair@derpoet.org where the concern involves a member of senior management, an executive, a board member, or where the reporting individual reasonably believes that reporting through management channels may present a conflict of interest; or

• Any alternative reporting contact designated by the organization.

The organization will make reasonable efforts to ensure that reporting channels are accessible, confidential where appropriate, and clearly communicated to Users and Participants. Anonymous reports may be submitted where permitted by the reporting channel.
 

If a concern involves an immediate threat to health, safety, security, or compliance with applicable law, individuals should contact the appropriate emergency services or relevant authorities and notify the organization as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter.

Current contact details are published on the organization's website and may be updated from time to time. Users and Participants should use the most current contact information available.

Moderation and Enforcement
 

The organization is committed to preserving a community that is safe, respectful, and aligned with its mission and values. Moderation and enforcement actions are applied to ensure that this Code of Conduct is upheld consistently, and that the rights, safety, and wellbeing of Users and Participants are protected. These measures are not intended to be punitive in nature, but to support accountability, maintain trust, and safeguard the integrity and proper functioning of the community.
 

Enforcement actions are applied in a manner that is fair, proportionate, and appropriate to the nature and severity of the conduct in question.

The organization may take one or more of the following actions:

• Informal guidance, clarification, or corrective direction;

• Warnings;

• Content removal, restriction, or editing;

• Temporary limitation or suspension of platform privileges or access;

• Permanent removal from the platform or termination of participation;

• Referral to law enforcement or other appropriate authorities where required or otherwise appropriate under applicable law.

Moderation and enforcement decisions are made in good faith, based on the information reasonably available at the time, and in accordance with the organization’s policies, mission, and applicable legal and regulatory obligations.

The organization reserves the right to determine the appropriate response in each case to ensure a safe, respectful, and properly functioning community environment.
 

Policy Review
 

This Policy will be reviewed periodically and may be amended by the organization to ensure its continued effectiveness, legal compliance, and alignment with organizational values and best practices.

Acknowledgement
 

The organization is committed to cultivating a community that is as diverse, inclusive, and accessible as reasonably possible:

• Diverse means a community where individuals from different backgrounds, experiences, cultures, ages, abilities, and perspectives are represented and valued.

• Inclusive means a community where all individuals feel welcomed, respected, and able to participate meaningfully, regardless of background, experience, culture, age, ability, and perspective.

• Accessible means a community that actively seeks to reduce or remove barriers to participation so that every individual can engage fully and benefit from the platform.

By accessing, using, contributing to, or participating in the platform, Users and Participants acknowledge and agree to uphold the shared principles that enable a safe, respectful, and purpose-driven community.
 

Users and Participants are expected to:

• Respect and treat one another with dignity and consideration;

• Contribute constructively to the life and purpose of this shared community;

• Respect intellectual property, privacy, and confidentiality rights of others;

• Comply with this Code of Conduct and all related policies;

• Support and engage with the mission of encouraging Christian creativity, learning, worship, ministry, and fellowship.

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Together, Users, Participants, and the organization seek to cultivate a community characterized by truth, grace, excellence, stewardship, and mutual encouragement, for the glory of God and the benefit of all who participate.

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