Code of Conduct

The Nelson Mandela Leadership Institute exists to cultivate ethical, courageous, and principled leaders. Our community — members, mentors, fellows, staff, speakers, partners, and guests — is bound together by a shared commitment to human dignity, service, and the pursuit of a more just world.

This Code of Conduct describes the standards of behavior we expect from everyone who participates in an MLI space, whether in person, online, or at any event or program associated with MLI.

Our conduct is shaped by five values that we hold in common:

• Dignity. We treat every person as inherently valuable and worthy of respect.
• Integrity. We are honest in our words, our work, and our relationships.
• Service. We measure leadership by what we contribute, not what we accumulate.
• Courage. We speak truth with care, and act even when it is difficult.
• Reconciliation. We listen across difference and choose understanding over contempt.

Every member of the MLI community is expected to:

• Engage with others respectfully, generously, and in good faith, including with those whose views differ from your own.
• Honor confidentiality when it is asked for, and protect the privacy of fellow participants.
• Be honest about your identity, background, and contributions, and give credit where it is due.
• Use MLI spaces — including online forums, group chats, and events — to build up others and advance our shared mission.
• Support a safe and inclusive environment by speaking up when you see or experience behavior that undermines it.

The following behaviors are not tolerated in any MLI space:

• Harassment, intimidation, or bullying — including unwelcome sexual attention, stalking, or repeated targeted behavior.
• Discrimination or degrading conduct on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, socio-economic background, or any other protected characteristic.
• Hate speech, incitement to violence, or the glorification of violence.
• Threats, physical violence, or the use or display of weapons.
• Sexual misconduct of any kind, including in mentor-mentee relationships where an inherent power imbalance exists.
• Dishonesty, plagiarism, misrepresentation, or the misuse of MLI's name, brand, or affiliations for personal gain.
• Retaliation against anyone who raises a concern, participates in an investigation, or supports someone who has done so.

Our online forums, group chats, social channels, and any platform operated by or on behalf of MLI are extensions of our community. The standards described here apply in full to those spaces. Do not share another person's private information, images, or communications without their consent, and do not use MLI channels to promote unrelated commercial ventures or political campaigns.

If you experience or witness behavior that violates this Code — or if something simply does not feel right — please tell us. Reports can be made confidentially to conduct@mandelaleadership.org. Where you would prefer to raise a concern outside your usual chain of contact, you may write directly to info@mandelaleadership.org.

Please include, to the extent you are comfortable, what happened, who was involved, when and where it occurred, whether it is ongoing, and any evidence or witnesses. Anonymous reports are accepted; providing your name typically helps us investigate more thoroughly.

We take every report seriously. Our response process is guided by fairness, confidentiality, and care for the well-being of everyone involved. Generally, we will:

• Acknowledge receipt of a report within a reasonable time.
• Assess the report and determine the appropriate review, protecting confidentiality on a need-to-know basis.
• Give any person who is the subject of a report a meaningful opportunity to respond.
• Take proportionate action, which may include coaching, mediation, written warnings, suspension of participation, or removal from MLI programs and spaces.
• Refer matters to law enforcement or regulators when there is a legal obligation or serious safety concern.

We do not tolerate retaliation of any kind against anyone who reports a concern in good faith.

This Code applies to all MLI-operated programs, events, workshops, cohorts, meetings, communications, digital platforms, and any other setting in which participants are representing or interacting with the MLI community. It applies equally to staff, trustees, mentors, members, fellows, speakers, partners, contractors, and guests.

This Code will evolve as our community grows and as we learn. We may update it from time to time and will note the effective date above. Continued participation in MLI programs and spaces reflects your agreement to the current version.