DOCS · GOVERNANCE
Conduct Charter
Community standards and behavioural expectations for all participants in a Kont settlement
KONT-GOV-003 · v1 · UPDATED 2026-04-10 · AHMET TURETMIS, FOUNDER · APPROVED
Document Dependency Map
| Relationship | Documents |
|---|---|
| Prerequisites | KONT-VIS-002, KONT-GOV-001 |
| Feeds into | KONT-GOV-002, KONT-MEM-001 |
| Canonical facts owned | conduct_standards, consequence_escalation, zero_tolerance_matters |
| References from | KONT-GOV-001 (Art. 3.1, §7.1), KONT-GOV-002 (§4, §8) |
Change Log
| Version | Date | Author | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2026-04-10 | Ahmet Turetmis, Founder | Initial v1.0 in the new repo. Aligned with KONT-GOV-001 governance structure and KONT-GOV-002 escalation path. |
Contents
1. Foundational Commitments
Every participant in a Kont settlement, regardless of tier, makes the following foundational commitments by entering the community.
1.1 Respect for Persons
Every individual is treated with dignity, regardless of membership tier, background, role, seniority, or personal characteristics. Discrimination, harassment, bullying, and intimidation are prohibited in all forms — including on the basis of ethnicity, race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, nationality, economic status, or political belief. Microaggressions, exclusionary behaviour, and passive hostility are treated as conduct issues, not personality differences.
1.2 Good Faith Participation
Members engage in community life, governance, and labour with genuine effort and honest intention. Free-riding — benefiting from communal resources while consistently avoiding contribution — violates the cooperative’s foundational social contract. Participation does not require perfection or uniformity; it requires consistent, good-faith effort.
1.3 Transparency and Honesty
Deception, fraud, and deliberate misrepresentation are incompatible with community membership. This includes financial dishonesty, misrepresenting skills or background during the admission process, and providing false information in governance proceedings. Honest disagreement is welcome; dishonest manipulation is not.
1.4 Environmental Stewardship
Every participant shares responsibility for the settlement’s environmental systems. Waste is minimised, recycled, and composted according to settlement protocols. Water and energy are used consciously. Agricultural areas, food forests, and wild zones are respected according to the permaculture zone designations defined in KONT-OPS-001 §10. Toxic chemicals, non-biodegradable materials, and environmentally harmful practices are prohibited except where specifically approved by the relevant committee for defined operational purposes.
2. Use of Communal Spaces
2.1 Shared Kitchen and Dining
The communal kitchen is a core institution of Kont life. Members are expected to participate in communal meals regularly, though private cooking in apartment kitchens is always permitted. Kitchen schedules, cleaning rotas, and food preparation standards are set by the Agriculture and Food Committee (see KONT-GOV-001 Art. 7.1). Dietary restrictions and preferences are accommodated within reason. Food waste is minimised; surplus is composted.
2.2 Maker Spaces and Workshops
Shared workshops and maker spaces are available to all members during designated hours. Tools and equipment are returned to designated locations after use. Safety protocols are followed without exception. Members must complete a safety orientation before using power tools or specialised equipment. Personal projects may use shared resources with committee approval.
2.3 Coworking Spaces
Coworking spaces are shared, quiet work environments. Noise levels are kept appropriate for focused work. Personal phone calls and video meetings are taken in designated areas. Bandwidth-intensive activities are scheduled during off-peak hours if network capacity is limited.
2.4 Common Areas and Green Spaces
Shared gardens, courtyards, and recreation areas are maintained collectively. Personalisation of common areas (decorations, furniture rearrangement, plantings) requires committee approval. Pets in common areas follow settlement-specific pet policies set by the assembly.
3. Respect for Private Space
Housing units (apartments, villas) are the private domain of their occupants. Entry into another member’s housing without explicit invitation is prohibited — including by committee members, board members, and maintenance staff — except in documented emergencies (fire, flood, medical emergency), with notice given as soon as practicable.
Personal belongings, correspondence, and digital devices are private. Community governance does not extend to what members do in their own homes, provided it does not create unreasonable disturbance or violate applicable law.
3.1 Noise
Quiet hours are observed settlement-wide from 22:00 to 07:00 (adjustable by assembly vote). Excessive noise at any hour that unreasonably interferes with neighbours’ peace is a conduct matter. Construction, maintenance, and agricultural work during quiet hours requires advance notice and committee approval. Communal events with amplified sound follow a permit system managed by the relevant committee.
3.2 Privacy and Surveillance
No member may surveil, record, or monitor another member without their explicit consent. Settlement security cameras, if installed, are limited to common-area perimeters and their placement is approved by the assembly. Footage access is restricted to the designated security role and is reviewed only in response to specific incidents.
4. Children and Vulnerable Persons
The safety and wellbeing of children and vulnerable persons is a non-negotiable priority. All adults in the settlement share a general duty of care toward children in communal spaces. Childcare arrangements (communal or private) follow safety standards set by the Education and Knowledge Committee.
Any person who witnesses or suspects abuse, neglect, or endangerment of a child or vulnerable person has an obligation to report it to the Conflict Resolution Committee immediately. Reporting is protected: retaliation against a good-faith reporter is itself a serious conduct violation.
5. Substance Use
Kont settlements do not prescribe members’ private choices regarding legal substances. However:
- Intoxication that impairs community function, creates safety hazards, or causes disturbance is a conduct matter.
- Being under the influence of any substance while operating shared equipment, machinery, or vehicles is prohibited.
- Smoking is restricted to designated outdoor areas away from communal dining and children’s spaces.
- Illegal substances are prohibited on settlement grounds in accordance with local law.
6. Digital Conduct and Social Media
Members are free to maintain a personal online presence. However:
- Publicly representing the settlement, the cooperative, or the Kont network without authorisation from the External Relations Committee is not permitted.
- Sharing internal governance discussions, financial details, or private member information on public platforms violates the trust on which transparent internal communication depends.
- Disputes between members are resolved through internal processes (KONT-GOV-002), not social media.
- Photographs of other members, especially children, are not published online without the subject’s (or parent’s/guardian’s) consent.
7. Conduct Standards for External Participants
All external participants — Paid Guests, Volunteers, Researchers, Skilled Practitioners, and Visitors — sign a short-form conduct agreement upon arrival covering the essential provisions of this charter applicable to their tier. The hosting member or Hospitality Coordinator is responsible for orientation.
External participants who violate the conduct agreement may be asked to leave immediately by the Hospitality Coordinator or any member of the Board of Directors, without recourse to the full conflict resolution process.
8. Consequences of Conduct Violations
Violations are addressed through the Conflict Resolution Procedures (KONT-GOV-002). The response is calibrated to severity and pattern.
Conduct Violation Response Path
| Severity | Examples | Response | Deciding Body | Appeal Path |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minor | Noise during quiet hours, missed cleaning duties, minor communal space misuse | Informal conversation (Stage 1); optional facilitated dialogue (Stage 2) | Parties + optional mediator | Escalate to Stage 3 if unresolved |
| Moderate | Persistent free-riding, disruptive behaviour, repeated labour contribution failures, property damage | Formal escalation to mediation panel (Stage 3); written warning with specified behavioural requirements and timeline | 3-member panel | Escalate to General Assembly (Stage 4) |
| Serious | Harassment, discrimination, fraud, theft, deliberate property destruction, endangerment of persons, child safety violations | Direct referral to Conflict Resolution Committee; temporary suspension pending investigation; mandatory mediation (Stage 3) | Mediation panel + General Assembly for removal decisions | Appeal to independent arbitration (removal cases per KONT-MEM-001 §7.3) |
| Zero-Tolerance | Physical violence, sexual assault, child abuse, abuse of vulnerable persons | Immediate suspension; expedited removal proceedings with law enforcement referral | General Assembly (Stage 4 expedited) | Appeal to external arbitration per KONT-LEG-001 §12 |
All responses follow the four-stage escalation path in KONT-GOV-002 §4 unless circumstances warrant direct referral to Stage 3 or 4.
8.1 Minor Violations
Noise complaints, missed cleaning duties, communal space misuse — addressed informally through direct conversation (KONT-GOV-002 Stage 1), optionally with a trained mediator (Stage 2). Most conduct issues resolve here.
8.2 Repeated or Moderate Violations
Persistent free-riding, disruptive behaviour, failure to meet labour contributions — trigger the formal escalation path: facilitated dialogue, mediation panel, and if necessary a formal written warning specifying required behavioural change and timeline.
8.3 Serious Violations
Harassment, discrimination, fraud, theft, deliberate property damage, endangerment of persons, or violation of child safety obligations — referred directly to the Conflict Resolution Committee and may result in: temporary suspension pending investigation; mandatory mediation; probationary status with defined conditions; or involuntary removal through KONT-MEM-001 §7.3.
8.4 Zero-Tolerance Matters
Physical violence, sexual assault, and abuse of children or vulnerable persons result in immediate suspension and expedited removal proceedings. These matters are simultaneously reported to relevant law enforcement authorities in accordance with local legal obligations.
9. Document Hierarchy
This charter operates in conjunction with the Cooperative Bylaws (KONT-GOV-001), the Membership Framework (KONT-MEM-001), and the Conflict Resolution Procedures (KONT-GOV-002). In the event of conflict between documents, the precedence is:
- Cooperative Bylaws (KONT-GOV-001)
- Membership Framework (KONT-MEM-001)
- This Conduct Charter (KONT-GOV-003)
- Conflict Resolution Procedures (KONT-GOV-002)
10. Amendment
This charter may be amended by the Core Member General Assembly through a two-thirds (⅔) supermajority vote (Structural decision under KONT-GOV-001 Art. 5.4). Proposed amendments must be circulated at least fourteen (14) days before the vote. The Conflict Resolution Committee may propose amendments based on patterns observed in dispute resolution. External participants’ conduct agreements are updated automatically to reflect charter amendments.
Decisions Log
| # | Date | Decision | Rationale | Decided by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D-1 | 2026-04-10 | Four foundational commitments: Respect, Good Faith, Transparency, Environmental Stewardship | These are the minimum behavioural conditions for cooperative living; derived from the 17 Core Principles | Ahmet Turetmis, Founder |
| D-2 | 2026-04-10 | Zero-tolerance for violence, sexual assault, child abuse | Non-negotiable safety floor; immediate suspension + law enforcement referral | Ahmet Turetmis, Founder |
| D-3 | 2026-04-10 | External participants may be removed without full conflict resolution process | Short-term guests don’t have the same relationship to the community; proportional response | Ahmet Turetmis, Founder |
| D-4 | 2026-04-10 | Lock as canonical v1.0 in the new repo | Clean-slate versioning aligned with the April 2026 rebuild | Ahmet Turetmis, Founder |
References
- KONT-VIS-002 — Core Principles & Values — the seventeen principles this charter operationalises
- KONT-GOV-001 — Cooperative Bylaws — governance structures and committee definitions
- KONT-GOV-002 — Conflict Resolution Procedures — the escalation path for violations
- KONT-MEM-001 — Membership Framework — tier definitions, admission, involuntary removal
- KONT-OPS-001 — Spatial Program — permaculture zone designations, communal space programme
— End of Conduct Charter —