Everyone has the right to attend the IPS Conference and feel welcome and comfortable in the environment. Nobody should feel bullied, harassed, retaliated against, marginalized or excluded. This is extremely important to the teams in Berlin and Jena. We want EVERYONE to feel welcome, respected and included. We take the IPS Commitment to the code of conduct seriously. Therefore, as with previous IPS conferences, delegates will be required to sign a statement guaranteeing that they have read and will comply with the IPS Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct will be respected at all times, and if there are any grievances, we ask that they be taken to the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee as stated in the Code of Conduct.

Germany is a very safe country for everyone to visit. Ranked 16th out of 163 countries on the Global Peace Index, one does not have to constantly look over their shoulder or feel scared while walking around, even at night. Germany’s crime rate is at its lowest since reunification in 1990. The people you meet in Germany are friendly, helpful and happy to help a visitor or fellow citizen in need. It is very easy to travel through Germany by train and enjoy the scenery, and not have to worry about your safety from one city to the next.

Furthermore, Germany strives to be open and fair to everyone. The German constitution lays out the country’s anti-discrimination stance:

Article 1 [Human dignity]

1. Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.
2. The German people therefore acknowledge inviolable and inalienable human rights as the basis of every community, of peace and of justice in the world.
3. The following basic rights shall bind the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary as directly applicable law.

Article 3 [Equality before the law]

1. All persons shall be equal before the law.
2. Men and women shall have equal rights. The state shall promote the actual implementation of equal rights for women and men and take steps to eliminate disadvantages that now exist.
3. No person shall be favored or disfavored because of sex, parentage, race, language, homeland and origin, faith, or religious or political opinions. No person shall be disfavored because of disability.

You can learn more about the “Basic [Constitional] Law of the Federal Republic of Germany” (Grundgesetz – Verfassung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland) here.

The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency oversees this for the country. The agency creates federal rules and ordinances regarding anti-discrimination law, and protects and supports those who may face discrimination under the General Equal Treatment Act. You can learn more about the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency (Antidiskiriminierungsstelle des Bundes) here.

Berlin

Berlin’s unique history makes it the perfect place for everyone. Due to the division of the city that occurred for 40 years in the mid to late 20th Century, the city enjoys being free, open, eclectic and most of all, united.

On any given day in Berlin, one can see many different subcultural groups interacting in harmony. Berlin also has a very large population of immigrants and refugees that Germany has been pleased to welcome into the country.

Berlin is home to a very large and vibrant LGBTQIA+ community and has a history of a strong support system from the city. The world’s first LGBTQIA+ district and magazine were in Berlin. The world’s first LGBTQIA+ Museum is also in Berlin. The city has many different LGBTQIA+ districts now, but the culture is truly a part of the city as a whole. The extremely popular Christopher Street Day parade, demonstrations, and celebrations occur during PRIDE every year in Berlin for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people in not only Europe, but all over the world.

Something that we Berliners are very proud of is the passaging of our Anti-Discrimination Law in 2020. Everyone in Berlin is a Berliner and deserves to be treated with courtesy and respect, especially by public officials. This new law holds those in Berlin, and in particular, public officials (such as police officers, government public bureau officers, and medics) accountable for their actions and protects those in Berlin from any abuse of power or discrimination against them. This includes protection from discrimination based on religion, ethnic origin (inability to speak German), gender, residency status, skin color, those who are differently-abled, sexual identity, or age. While discrimination was already not tolerated in Berlin, this law ensures that it protects those in the state of Berlin, prevents discrimination from fellow Berliners, and keeps anyone who would abuse their powers as a public official to discriminate and mistreatment anyone in Berlin (citizen, immigrant or visitor) out of these positions. Anyone who experiences discrimination is able to seek help and legal action from the State of Berlin Anti-Discrimination Network. More information can be found here in multiple languages.

Finally, because so many conferences and conventions are hosted in Berlin, the city has its own Code of Conduct. The purpose for this is that Berlin has

• A primary goal of all the conferences and user groups that refer to this Code of Conduct is to be inclusive to the largest number of contributors, with the most varied and diverse backgrounds possible. As such, we are committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and religion (or lack thereof).

The Berlin Code of Conduct is available in English, German, Spanish, Polish, French, Italian, Russian, Japanese and Arabic, and will be used in support of the aforementioned IPS Code of Conduct.

Jena

Jena is appropriately called the city of light because optics and photonics are its leading industry (after all, first light of the projection planetarium was in Jena). It is also the city of light figuratively as the great minds of the Reformation and Enlightenment lived and worked there. This idea of enlightenment can also be seen in the city’s values regarding citizens and visitors of the city. Jena of course follows the Basic Law regarding anti-discrimination and equal rights, however it goes farther too, proclaiming that “Equality is a task for the municipality.” The city administration ensures equality for all those in Jena by:

• Providing support for people seeking advice on gender equality
• Lobbying against discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation
• Instating initiatives and actions for the practical implementation of equal opportunities
• Promoting, coordinating and supporting gender projects and initiatives
• Promoting the compatibility of family and work

Jena is a strong supporter of their LGTBQIA+ community as well as the rights of women, differently abled, single parents and immigrants/international students. A city known for its industry and as a center of learning, Jena is definitely a place where participants of IPS 2024 can feel most welcome and comfortable, on their own or with the group.

Translated from the City Hall website (available only in German). You can learn more about it here.