Terms and Conditions for participationAFS Global Ideathon

1. The Global Ideathon by AFS (“Ideathon”) is an online event that aims to identify, empower and support new ideas to be submitted to AFS Intercultural Programs, Inc. (“AFS”) for consideration, in response to the current global crisis and a rethinking of the mission of AFS. This Ideathon has been conceived by AFS volunteers from 18 countries and AFS Intercultural Programs (herein referred to as the “Hosting Group”) to work on related solutions and bring together ideas and competences in September 2021. 
2. The Online Ideathon is directed to the AFS community (AFS Network Organizations staff and volunteers, alumni, etc.) and others interested in reimagining the mission of AFS – create a more just and peaceful world through intercultural education.
3. Each individual participant taking part in the Ideathon (“Participant” or “you”) shall be bound by these Terms and Conditions (“Terms”).
4. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS CAREFULLY BEFORE REGISTERING FOR THE IDEATHON. By registering for the Ideathon, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms you may not participate in the Ideathon and you cannot access the online platform used by AFS to host this event.

 

PARTICIPATION

1. The Ideathon is open to the AFS community and interested individuals. All natural persons who are of the age of majority in the jurisdiction where they reside are eligible. 
2. Participation requires completion of the Ideathon application process, including providing an email account. AFS reserves the right to reject an applicant if the application requirements are not met, including being the age of majority in their home country. Capacity is limited for the Ideathon attendance and applicants will be accepted on a first come, first served basis as applications are received, up to reaching capacity. Applications close on September 23, 2021. Accepted applicants will be informed via email.
3. Participants will be assigned different roles, such as  “solvers”, “challengers”, “mentors” or “facilitators”.
4. There is no admission fee or other fees to be paid to AFS in order to participate in the Ideathon.
5. The Ideathon is an online only event.

 

SUBMISSION OF CONTRIBUTIONS & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

1. Participants understand that as part of the Ideathon activities they may be  matched to certain challenges, and asked to contribute to a specific topic. This may include discussing new developments or already existing developments, (e.g. apps, products, services) within the scope of the use cases presented, described as “Ideathon Challenges”. 
2. By sharing any contributions or ideas (“Contributions”) during the Ideathon, each Participant grants AFS in perpetuity the right to use any of their Contributions for any AFS-related scope and use and waives any right to any compensation.  Also each Participant is expected to share their original Contributions and must follow copyright laws, principles of academic honesty, and cite reputable sources when sharing such other sources. Participants shall not post, share, transmit or otherwise make available any content that they do not have a right to make available, such as content that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary right of any party. Please refer to the Code of Conduct for more details on appropriate sharing. 
3. The AFS materials shared by AFS with Participants to conduct the Ideathon activities (no other uses are permitted) are protected by applicable copyright and trademark law and other applicable proprietary rights and laws. AFS owns all rights, including, but not limited to, all copyright rights, trademarks, and any other intellectual property rights in and to such materials.

 

SELECTION OF CONTRIBUTIONS

1. Review and evaluation of the “Ideathon Challenges” to be addressed by Participants will be carried out by the Hosting Group in the last week of August.
2. After the Ideathon, Participants will be asked to provide feedback to help the Hosting Group select the proposals and ideas to be submitted to AFS. 
3. The Hosting Group does not take any responsibility for the following up or implementation by AFS of possible projects and other ideas developed by Participants, which will be at AFS’s discretion.

 

ANNOUNCEMENT AND PUBLICATION

If Participants give their consent, the names of those that proposed projects or other ideas that will be selected and their countries of residence as well as images and pictures  may be announced to the public on the Ideathon website and other promotional channels of AFS, such as, www.afs.org and any other websites and social media accounts identified by AFS.

 

COSTS AND EXPENSES

As mentioned above, participation in the Ideathon will happen online only and it does not require any fees to be paid to AFS. If Participant incurs any  costs or expenses in connection with the participation in the Ideathon, those costs or expenses are to be borne by the Participant.  AFS will not compensate Participants for any costs and expenses incurred in connection with the participation in the Ideathon and no monetary compensation will be provided for any reason in connection to participation in the Ideathon.

 

DATA PROTECTION

1. In connection with participation in the Ideathon AFS will  collect certain personal data of Participants, in particular during the registration process and online interactions during the event. AFS collects, shares, uses and stores (together: “processing” or “to process”) such personal data for the purpose of carrying out the Ideathon, announcing the winning contributions, or contacting the Participants for providing information required for the proper execution of the Ideathon. If you so consent, your personal data, such as your name, country of origin and picture, may be included with the publication of selected Contributions, and AFS may also contact you to keep you informed about other AFS activities.
2. By attending the Ideathon each Participant agrees to the terms of the AFS Privacy Policy. Please review this policy carefully as it provides important information about how AFS collects process stores and shares personal data, what your rights are over your data and how you can contact AFS or relevant authorities to enforce your rights. 
3. All inquiries relating to data protection shall be addressed to privacy@afs.org 

 

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES

EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE STATED HEREIN, AND TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY THE LAW, NEITHER AFS NOR ITS THIRD PARTY LICENSORS MAKE ANY WARRANTIES OR PROMISES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OR BY STATUTE, COMMON LAW, CUSTOM, USAGE OR OTHERWISE, ABOUT THE IDEATHON EVENT, THE ONLINE PLATFORM USED TO CONDUCT SUCH EVENT OR ANY SERVICES PROVIDED HEREUNDER, AND PROVIDE SUPPORT SERVICES (IF ANY) “AS-IS” WITH ALL FAULTS AND THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE SATISFACTORY QUALITY, PERFORMANCE, ACCURACY, AND EFFORT OF THE EVENT (IF ANY) SHALL BE WITH THE PARTICIPANT. AFS AND ITS THIRD PARTY LICENSORS DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL OTHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE IDEATHON EVENT, THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE AND ANY SERVICES PROVIDED HEREUNDER, INCLUDING ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR THAT PARTICIPANT’S USE OF THE IDEATHON ONLINE PLATFORM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, VIRUS-FREE, OR ERROR-FREE. PARTICIPANT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES ARE MADE BY ANY THIRD PARTY LICENSORS HEREIN.

 

LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY

IN NO EVENT WILL AFS OR ITS THIRD PARTY LICENSORS OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY BE LIABLE TO PARTICIPANT FOR (A) ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY LOSSES RELATING TO PARTICIPANT, SUCH AS LOST DATA, LOST PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, OR LOST SAVINGS, EVEN IF AFS OR ITS THIRD PARTY LICENSORS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, OR (B) ANY CLAIM BY ANY THIRD PARTY.  SOME STATES OR JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY. IF PARTICIPANTS COULD HAVE AVOIDED DAMAGES BY TAKING REASONABLE CARE, NEITHER AFS NOR ITS THIRD PARTY LICENSORS WILL BE LIABLE FOR SUCH LOSSES.

 

INDEMNIFICATION

In connection with its participation to the Ideathon, Participant agrees to indemnify and hold AFS, and its agents, officers, employees, volunteers, and directors harmless from and against any and all loss, liability, claim, suit or demand, including reasonable attorney’s fees arising therefrom, which may be asserted against AFS by any person or organization on account of the Participant’s involvement with the Ideathon, except if such loss, liability, claim, suit or demand is based on AFS’s willful misconduct and/or gross negligence.

 

MODIFICATION/CANCELLATION

The Hosting Group reserves the right, at their sole discretion, to modify, suspend or cancel the Ideathon without liability for any reason.

 

CHOICE OF LAW

These Terms and their performance shall be governed by and in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, exclusive of any choice of law rules, and that law shall be applicable to the merits of any dispute between the parties.

 

CODE OF CONDUCT

This Code of Conduct is designed to permit each participant of the AFS 2021 Ideathon (“Participants” or “you”)  to enjoy the experience of sharing with others in accordance with AFS values and mission. It contains a set of guidelines to maintain a welcoming, supportive, engaging, and meaningful experience for all Participants in the AFS Intercultural Programs (AFS) online community.  Our online community consists of individuals from different backgrounds and walks of life across the globe, reflecting a richness of cultural, intellectual, and social diversity. Therefore, Participants are expected to exhibit good conduct that will inspire public confidence and trust by this community. Participants’ engagement during all AFS online activities should be conducted in a respectful manner that reflects positively on the AFS online community and the individual at all times.

If you fail to respect these basic rules, AFS at its sole discretion, may remove your comments, and your account may be blocked or deleted with or without warning; you may also be banned from future participation in AFS activities.

• AFS connects and brings together people from all different parts of the world and a great variety of cultures and backgrounds. Therefore, it is important that all Participants are respectful of other people’s cultures, traditions, and religious beliefs when communicating online with others including fellow participants, speakers, and AFS staff and team members.
• Participants are encouraged to be thoughtful in what they say, post, share, or comment in any communication platforms. Being mindful of strong language and use of all caps or exclamation points is critical to avoid any forms of misunderstanding. Do not disrupt the normal flow of dialogue or otherwise act in a manner that negatively affects other users’ ability to engage in exchanges.
• Differences in opinion may occur, and thus Participants are expected to exhibit open-mindedness, patience, and understanding. Posting, sharing, or commenting inappropriate material that are deemed abusive, hateful, discriminatory, unsafe, sexually inappropriate, offensive, or involve harassment will not be tolerated. Do not post, share, transmit or otherwise make available any content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, invasive of another’s privacy, hateful, racially, ethnically, sexually or otherwise objectionable.
• The online community counts on every Participant to foster genuine interactions and maintain a supportive environment for all. Do not post, share, transmit or otherwise make available any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, junk or bulk e-mail (also known as “spam”), or any other form of solicitation. Posting off-topic, unrelated, or spam content are disruptive to discussions and detract from the goal of the community. Any post, link, or shared content that contains disinformation, hoax, or fraudulent information may be removed from the discussion.
• Respect the rights of others. Do not collect personal data about the users of the site or use their information for the purpose of transmitting or facilitating transmission of spam. Don’t identify users or other individuals by tagging or captioning them in photos or videos without their consent.
• AFS online community platforms provide valuable access to knowledge sharing, tools, ideas, and resources from experts, AFS partner organizations, and fellow community members. As such, all Participants must follow copyright laws, principles of academic honesty, and cite reputable sources when sharing content with others. Any shared content that involves plagiarism or does not respect intellectual property or copyright laws may be removed. Do not post, share, transmit or otherwise make available any content that you do not have a right to make available, such as content that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary right of any party.  Do not forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifiers in order to disguise the origin of any content transmitted through the site.
• Participants may have the ability to connect privately with fellow Participants as well as experts from various organizations across many industries and sectors within the online community. With this access comes the responsibility to interact with each individual with professionalism, respect, appropriateness, and integrity.
• All Participants  are required to be honest, truthful, and accurate when submitting information about themselves through their applications/registration forms, profiles, and photos. Information collected through AFS’s website and forms follow privacy laws and are subject to the AFS Privacy Policy. Do not impersonate any person or entity, including any employee, volunteer, student, parent of a student, host parent, or representative of AFS.
• ·Participants are responsible to protect their personal information, including their password to gain access to AFS platforms. Sharing of passwords, national identity, social security number, bank or payment information, and other personal and sensitive information within the platform is strictly prohibited.
• Participants are required to use the virtual platforms provided within acceptable use as detailed in this Code of Conduct and applicable Terms of Use. Do not post, share, transmit or otherwise make available any content that contains software viruses or any other computer files or programs that are intended to disrupt, damage or limit the functioning of the site or of any software, hardware or telecommunications equipment, or to obtain unauthorized access to any data or other information of any third party.
• Participants are encouraged to report inappropriate comments or behaviors on the virtual platforms or other Participants who fail to follow the guidelines set above or engage in unsafe online behavior on AFS platforms by contacting us using the contact methods provided by AFS.
• AFS reserves the right to terminate access from any Participant who is reported for disruptive or inappropriate behavior.  

This Code of Conduct does not remove or alter any terms, conditions, obligations, covenants or requirements set forth in the Terms of Use of any AFS site. In the event of any inconsistency between the applicable Terms of Use and this Code of Conduct, the provisions of the Terms of Use shall govern.

AFS reserves the right to modify this Code of Conduct at any time with or without notice.