Code of Conduct for Members

Who is this document for, and what is its purpose?

AVIDE members help each other with their own credibility, and this code ensures that credibility is maintained. The four core values in the bylaws, translated into daily practice, are: to speak directly with each other before speaking about each other (Cohesion); to help without taking money from the person being helped (Mutual Support); to share what has been learned with those who come after (Development); to work under one’s own name and take responsibility for one’s actions (For Denmark and Vietnam).

This code applies to all members of the Association of Vietnamese Professionals and Intellectuals in Denmark (AVIDE), including those residing outside Denmark. Applicants confirm having read it upon submission of an application and confirm it again each time they achieve a new status or role. This is the common minimum; obligations for specific roles are found in separate documents that supplement, but do not replace, this code. In case of conflict with the association’s bylaws (AVIDE/QC/2301-001), the bylaws take precedence.

Article 1. Respect for Others

1. No harassment in any form, including sexual harassment, threats, stalking, or persistent contact after being asked to stop.
2. No discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, age, origin, religion or belief, political conviction, marital and family status, residency status, health, or disability. Members may hold different political views; the association requires that this difference not be used as a reason to exclude a person from common activities.
3. No use of derogatory language, regional contempt, or personal attacks in the association’s channels.
4. Mentors, coordinators, or Board members (BCH) are not equals when speaking with a person in need of help; the responsibility for maintaining an appropriate distance rests with the person of higher status.

Article 2. Confidentiality Regarding Others’ Affairs

What members learn through the association’s activities (personal circumstances, applications, residency status, family matters) must not be disclosed beyond the necessary extent, must not be posted on social media, and must not be used for personal purposes. If there is a need to seek advice on a matter, all identifying details must be removed.

Article 3. No Use of the Association’s Name for Personal Purposes

1. The email address @avide.dk, role badges on avide.dk, the association’s name, and logo are the property of the association, assigned for a specific task. Must not be used for personal purposes, private businesses, or other organizations, and membership lists, chat groups, or the association’s events must not be used to offer the sale of goods, services, courses, or private investment opportunities.
2. Must not speak or write as if representing the association unless authorized by the Board; the right to sign and represent is stipulated in the Board’s rules of procedure (AVIDE/QC/2609-005).
3. When an association matter affects one’s own, one’s relatives’, or one’s company’s interests, the member must declare it first and then let others make the decision.

Article 4. Actions Not to Be Performed in the Association’s Name

1. Principle. AVIDE is a non-profit, non-governmental social organization operating in accordance with the four core values mentioned above and the principles of voluntarism, self-governance, democracy, equality, openness, transparency, and compliance with legislation (Bylaws, Articles 1 to 3). Any action that conflicts with this purpose, these principles, or with Danish law and the laws of the country where the member resides, must not be performed in the association’s name, through the association’s channels, or in a role within the association, regardless of whether the action is mentioned in point 2 or not.

2. Expressly Prohibited Actions. The following actions have previously harmed Vietnamese abroad and can easily misuse the name of a professional association; these are examples, not an exhaustive list: marriage brokerage; recruitment, labor or study abroad placement for a fee; lending, fundraising, solicitation for investment; network marketing and recruitment of subordinates; collection of money from members or outsiders, beyond the association’s official revenue channels, which are membership fees, donations, and event fees on avide.dk. Members must not perform, introduce, or lend the association’s name or channels for these actions. The prohibition is aimed at collecting money and misusing the association’s name: the association’s primary task according to Article 4 of the bylaws, to connect to bring Vietnamese intellectuals to Denmark for study and education, to help members and new students with life and career, does not fall under the prohibition when performed without charge.

3. Assessment of an Action Not Mentioned Above. Before the action is performed, the member must answer three questions: what purpose does this action serve for the association (Bylaws, Articles 2 and 4); if it is publicized with the association’s name, will the Board and other members find it acceptable; who benefits, the community or the individual. If unsure, one must ask the Board first, not act and then ask. The Board will respond within 14 days; if the deadline is exceeded and the action does not fall under point 2, the member may perform it and report back. Asking in advance will never be considered a disadvantage. The Board records each decided case and adds it to point 2 in a later version, so that everyone is informed going forward.

4. Limit. The prohibition lies in the association’s name, channels, and role. A person’s lawful private actions, performed under their own name and through their own channels, do not fall under this.

Article 5. When Something Is Wrong

If a member observes an action that violates this code, they must speak up, not pretend not to see it: remaining silent and allowing a wrong action to continue harms the association as much as the wrong action itself. For minor cases where no one has been harmed, the first approach is to speak directly with the person involved, privately and promptly; this is part of every member’s responsibility, not just the Board’s. If the matter exceeds this level, or if it has been discussed without change, an email should be sent to [email protected] or the concern report form on avide.dk should be used; the reporting person will receive a code to follow the case. Members must not investigate themselves, post accusations on common channels, or unilaterally suspend others’ rights; the processing procedures are described in the procedure for handling concern reports (AVIDE/QT/2609-001). Retaliation against a reporting person is a separate violation, handled independently of the original report. A person who self-reports their own errors before the association becomes aware of them will be treated one level more leniently. If there are signs of criminality or if someone is in danger, the Danish authorities must be contacted first, and then the association must be informed.

Article 6. In Case of Code Violation

Roles assigned by the association (mentor, expert, supplier, coordinator, volunteer work associated with the address @avide.dk) are handled according to the procedure for handling violations and revocation of roles (AVIDE/QT/2609-002), which includes four levels indicating who makes decisions at which level, how involved parties receive feedback, and when the association can skip the initial levels. This document does not establish any additional levels.

Membership is a private matter: forms of member discipline are stipulated in Article 15 of the bylaws and decided by the Board; this document does not restrict or replace them. A person may lose a role and still be a member, and vice versa; letters to the involved parties always clearly state what has been decided.

Article 7. Version and Confirmation

The website avide.dk records the version that each member has confirmed; when the Board issues a new version, the website requests a new confirmation, accompanied by a summary of the changed parts.

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