Purpose
NZRise is a group of business leaders from NZ owned digital technology firms which exists to support and represent the interests of the NZ owned sector.
We have a diverse community with a range of priorities and interests – this is an opportunity and a strength. We welcome and actively seek a wide and diversely representative range of views in our collaboration. To ensure this is always respectful and constructive, these guidelines and norms apply to all of our discussions and spaces. They can be considered part our kaupapa for conversation, or as a code of conduct for those who participate in our events and online spaces.
Our three pillars
- Be respectful.
- Be conscious.
- Be supportive.
Be Respectful
We want all NZRise events, meetings and online spaces to be safe for every participant. Harassment of any kind, in any form, will not be tolerated.
People’s gender (or lack thereof), sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, work experience, body size, race, religion (or lack thereof), socioeconomic status – or any other defining characteristic – are not to be criticised or joked about or commented on. Where it is appropriate to acknowledge these characteristics this should be done with respect and with a positive purpose to elevate those being discussed. As a group we maintain this as basic human decency, and refrain from discussing people’s personal attributes, affiliations, or beliefs.
The skills, backgrounds, experiences and priorities of our community are rich and varied. Together we respect this, and when we disagree, we disagree with people’s ideas not them as people.
NZRise is predominantly a professional body a community of professionals and professional behaviour is expected at all times including at all social functions.
As an organisation made up of mainly corporate members any individual who develops a pattern of behaviour inconsistent with this guidance will have their personal attendance restricted and their organisation or company notified of any inappropriate behaviour.
Be Conscious
As a professional body, who advocates on behalf of members and our wider industry, our existence is predicated on being able to share confidential information with our members. Members should be conscious when sharing any information that they have learned through any NZRise discussion, meeting, event or online forum and always ask permission of the original source or author before sharing anything with anyone who is not an NZRise member.
Sharing information in inappropriate ways compromises the trust of our membership and has the potential to have very real commercial consequences for the companies we represent and/or our relationships with business leaders, Ministers of the Crown and their officials.
We don’t want to stifle discussion, but we do all have an obligation to keep information and our members safe, and uphold the integrity of our industry. At a minimum “Chatham House Rules” should apply to all conversations, messages and emails unless stated otherwise.
Being conscious extends to conflicts of interest. If a member is conflicted through their role or position those conflicts should be declared to other NZRise members as soon as identified.
Positively representing the role, positions and outcomes NZRise achieve is actively encouraged when members as conscious of the context and statement above.
Be supportive
NZRise exists to support and advocate on behalf of the NZ owned digital technology industry. We are run on the voluntary support given by our members and it is expected that all members will occasionally volunteer their time, knowledge, and experience to support the organisation in a range of ways.
We also advocate on behalf of the wider New Zealand technology industry and are supportive of efforts to grow our sector and the efforts of other organisations working in this space.
We don’t take for granted people giving their time to share and engage, so we keep our meetings, events and online spaces on topic and constructive.
As a group, we take responsibility for ensuring that discussions aren’t dominated by a few voices, and that a wide range of views are welcome and sought out. Voices that may be disadvantaged through systemic privilege will be amplified by those around them. Equally hearing the voices of the wider community is invaluable to our overall mission so active contribution as a means of supporting those fronting issues is an important contribution to the success of NZRise.