# Ethics & Safe Space Policy AIESEC operates on the principle that every person — member, exchange participant, partner, or stakeholder — should be able to engage with the organisation in an environment free from harassment, discrimination, abuse, and exploitation. The Safe Space Policy and the Ethics framework are the governance tools that make this commitment real. This page describes what these policies cover, how violations are handled, and how to report concerns. {% hint style="danger" %} Safe Space and Ethics policies are among the most important governance documents in AIESEC. Violations can cause real harm to real people. Every member of AIESEC in Denmark must understand these policies. If you witness or experience a violation, report it — doing so is not optional, it is a responsibility. {% endhint %} ## The Safe Space Commitment AIESEC's Safe Space Policy establishes that every AIESEC environment — meetings, conferences, exchanges, online spaces, and social events — must be a space where people are treated with dignity and respect. ### What Safe Space Means in Practice * **No harassment.** This includes sexual harassment, bullying, intimidation, and any behaviour that creates a hostile or degrading environment. * **No discrimination.** No one should be treated differently based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, nationality, or any other protected characteristic. * **No abuse of power.** Leaders at all levels — TLs, VPs, LCPs, MC members — must not use their position to exploit, coerce, or mistreat others. * **No retaliation.** Anyone who reports a concern in good faith must not face retaliation. Retaliating against a reporter is itself a violation. * **Consent matters.** In all interpersonal interactions — especially during social events and exchanges — consent must be respected. ### What Safe Space Does Not Mean * It does not mean avoiding difficult conversations. Honest feedback, professional disagreement, and accountability discussions are part of healthy teams. * It does not mean protecting people from consequences. If someone underperforms or violates a policy, addressing it is not a Safe Space violation — it is leadership. * It does not mean censoring opinions. Open debate and diverse perspectives are encouraged, as long as they are expressed with respect. ## Types of Violations | Category | Examples | | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Sexual harassment** | Unwanted sexual advances, inappropriate comments, sharing sexual content without consent | | **Bullying and intimidation** | Repeated hostile behaviour intended to humiliate or dominate | | **Discrimination** | Excluding, mocking, or disadvantaging someone based on a protected characteristic | | **Abuse of power** | A leader using their authority to pressure someone into personal favours, silence criticism, or manipulate outcomes | | **Retaliation** | Punishing or marginalising someone for reporting a concern | | **Neglect of duty of care** | Failing to act on a known safety risk (especially relevant for exchange programme participants) | ## How to Report a Violation If you experience or witness a violation, you have several reporting options: ### 1. Direct Report to Your LCP or VP TM For incidents within your LC, you can report directly to your LCP or VP TM. They are responsible for initiating a review process. ### 2. Report to the MC If the incident involves someone at the LC leadership level (e.g., the LCP themselves), or if you do not feel safe reporting within your LC, report to the MC — specifically the MCP or the MC VP TM. ### 3. Report to the ECB If the incident involves MC members, or if you believe the MC has not handled a report appropriately, escalate to the Entity Control Board (ECB). ### 4. Report to AIESEC International For incidents involving international exchanges, cross-border situations, or if you believe national governance bodies have not responded adequately, AIESEC International has a global reporting mechanism. {% hint style="info" %} You can report anonymously if needed. While anonymous reports can be harder to investigate, they are still taken seriously. Check with your MC for the current anonymous reporting channel. {% endhint %} ### What to Include in a Report * **What happened:** Describe the incident as specifically as possible — dates, locations, behaviours * **Who was involved:** Names and roles of the people involved * **Who witnessed it:** Names of anyone else who was present * **What impact it had:** How the incident affected you or others * **Any evidence:** Screenshots, messages, emails, or other documentation ## The Investigation Process When a report is filed, the following process is typically followed (details may vary — refer to the National Compendium and the global Safe Space Policy for the binding procedure): 1. **Acknowledgement.** The receiving body (LC leadership, MC, or ECB) acknowledges receipt of the report within 48 hours. 2. **Assessment.** Is this a Safe Space matter? Is immediate action needed to ensure someone's safety? 3. **Investigation.** The responsible body gathers information — speaking to the reporter, the accused, and witnesses. Both sides have the right to be heard. 4. **Decision.** Based on the investigation, the responsible body determines whether a violation occurred and what action to take. 5. **Action.** Consequences may range from a warning to removal from a role, suspension from AIESEC, or referral to legal authorities. 6. **Follow-up.** The reporter is informed of the outcome (within confidentiality limits). Support is offered to all parties. {% hint style="warning" %} Investigations must balance thoroughness with speed. Prolonged uncertainty is harmful to everyone involved. If you have filed a report and have not received an update within two weeks, follow up with the responsible body. {% endhint %} ## The Ethics Subcommittee Some AIESEC entities maintain an Ethics Subcommittee — a small group tasked specifically with handling ethics and safe space cases. In Denmark, the ECB may fulfil this role, or the MC may designate a specific person or group. ### What the Ethics Subcommittee Does * Receives and investigates reports that are escalated beyond the LC level * Ensures consistency and fairness in how cases are handled * Advises the MC and ECB on policy improvements * Maintains a confidential case log {% hint style="warning" %} The structure and existence of a dedicated Ethics Subcommittee may vary between terms. Check with the MC or ECB for the current arrangement in AIESEC in Denmark. {% endhint %} ## Prevention: Building a Safe Culture Responding to violations is important, but preventing them is better. Every leader in AIESEC in Denmark can contribute to a safe culture: ### For Team Leaders * Open every term with a Safe Space agreement — explicitly discuss what respectful behaviour looks like in your team * Model the behaviour you expect. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it. * Do not tolerate "small" violations. Inappropriate jokes, exclusionary behaviour, and casual disrespect are warning signs. Address them early. ### For VPs and LCPs * Include Safe Space in your EB onboarding. Every VP should know the policy and the reporting process. * Create a culture where reporting is normal, not dramatic. If people fear reporting, they will stay silent. * Act consistently. If you address one violation but ignore another, trust collapses. ### For Exchange Teams * Brief every exchange participant on Safe Space before departure or upon arrival * Ensure participants know who to contact if they feel unsafe — at the hosting LC, at the national level, and at the international level * Check in regularly with participants. Do not assume "no news is good news." ### At Conferences and Events * Appoint a Safe Space officer for every national conference and large event * Announce the Safe Space commitment and the reporting process at the opening plenary * Ensure the Safe Space officer is accessible and visible throughout the event ## Resources * AIESEC Global Safe Space Policy — `06 — Governance/` (or request from MC) * National Compendium (ethics and safe space sections) — see [National Compendium](/governance/national-compendium.md) * ECB contact — see [Entity Control Board](/governance/entity-control-board.md) * Crisis management guidance — see [LCP Hub](/leadership-track/lcp-hub.md) *Last updated: April 2026 · Maintained by: MC President / ECB Chair* --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. 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