Toronto, Canada We acknowledge the ancestral and traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabe and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we stand and create.
This Statement of Business Ethics provides guidelines on what you can expect when conducting business with Walk With Web Inc. (hereinafter referred to as "Walk With Web"). Walk With Web requires all of its employees, partners, and collaborators to use their best judgment and maintain a high standard of integrity and ethical conduct at all times. In exchange, Walk With Web holds itself to the same high standards and conducts all of its business interactions with fairness, honesty, and professionalism.
This Statement applies to anyone employed by us or with whom we maintain a business relationship (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Collaborators"). This includes, but is not limited to, employees, interns, co-op students, volunteers, institutions, research groups, laboratories, business entities, contractors, consultants, and suppliers.
Any breach of this Statement shall lead to the potential consequences outlined herein. Therefore, Walk With Web recommends that you read this Statment very carefully and not hesitate to contact us at hr@walkwithweb.org should you have any questions or concerns.
When conducting business with you, Walk With Web ensures you that we will:
As a Collaborator of Walk With Web you are expected to:
As stated above, Walk With Web expects its Collaborators to avoid any and all conflicts of interests.
For the purposes of this Statement, a conflict of interest shall be defined as any situation in which a Collaborator’s (or shareholders, affiliates, directors, officers, agents, or employees should the Collaborator be a business entity) private interest interferes with the interests of Walk With Web. By way of example, any situation in which a Collaborator chooses personal gain over the best interests of Walk With Web or is involved in any activity or situation that prevents them from performing their duties at full capacity shall be considered a conflict of interest.
Walk With Web supports good compliance and ethics with good business. In light of the foregoing, all Collaborators are expected to comply with any and all provincial and federal laws as well as all regulations, corporate policies, and procedures.
Walk With Web uses its best efforts to comply with all laws, accepted practices, rules and regulations including, but not limited to, those associated with audits, certifications, licensing, hiring, firing, discrimination, harassment, safety, wages, payroll, benefits and health guidelines.
It is the responsibility of every Collaborator to adhere to and enforce compliance regulations. Consequently, any Collaborator that fails to do so shall be held accountable.
If you:
please immediately report the foregoing to your direct supervisor or to our Human Resources Department at hr@walkwithweb.org.
Walk With Web assures you that your report will be treated with care and kept private and confidential to the extent that such is appropriate and/or permitted by law.
Walk With Web takes breaches of its business ethics policies very seriously. Any breach of this Statement or any standards or requirements of Walk With Web could lead to:
Walk With Web Inc. (hereinafter ‘‘Walk With Web’’) supports the creators of original work and is dedicated to respecting all Canadian and international copyright laws.
Copyright infringement is a punishable offense which may result in civil and/or criminal proceedings against the individual infringer as well as its employer. It is therefore no surprise that we require all of our employees to comply with copyright laws as well as our copyright policies and guidelines. To that end, we expect all of our employees to seek permission when using the copyrighted materials of others. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.
This Copyright Statement is put in place to make sure Walk With Web is respecting the rights of copyright owners. It provides a brief summary of Canadian copyright law, particularly as it relates to the use of the copyright-protected materials of others, including published materials. It also contains guidelines that we expect our employees to follow when obtaining permission from copyright owners.
This Statement applies to every employee, consultant, contractor or agent of Walk With Web.
Purpose of Copyright
The purpose of copyright law is to provide authors and other creators with an incentive to create and share original work by granting them exclusive rights. These exclusive rights include the right to reproduce, distribute, publicly perform and publicly display their work. These rights grant copyright owners control over the use of their creations, and an ability to benefit, monetarily and otherwise, from the exploitation of their protected work.
Copyright also protects the right to “make a derivative work,” such as a movie from a book; the right to include a piece in a collective work, such as publishing an article on a website or on a database; and the rights of attribution and integrity for “authors” of certain works of visual art.
You must obtain permission prior to using or reproducing someone else’s copyrighted work. Acknowledging the owner or the artist of an artistic work is not a substitute for obtaining permission. However, permission is not generally required for actions that are not englobed by the exclusive rights of the copyright owner, such as reviewing, reading or borrowing a book or photograph.
Works Protected by Copyright
The rights granted under Canada’s Copyright Act benefit authors of original work including literary, dramatic, musical, architectural, cartographic, choreographic, pantomimic, pictorial, graphic, sculptural and audiovisual creations. This means that virtually any creative work that you may come across in readable or viewable format, unpublished materials, non-print materials as well as most other artistic works are very likely protected by copyright laws. This includes books, magazines, journals, newsletters, maps, charts, photographs, graphic materials, analyst reports, consultant advice, websites, computer programs, software, databases, sound recordings, motion pictures, video files and sculptures.
Despite the foregoing, not everything is protected by copyright. For example, works that are not fixed (i.e. titles, names, slogans) ideas, facts, data, listings of ingredients or contents and public domain works are not protected by copyright laws. That said, some of these things may be protected by other intellectual property laws, such as patent or trademark law, or by contract. Therefore, it is key to make sure that no other form of protection restricts the use of such materials before using them.
Duration of Copyright Protection
As a general rule, Copyright duration in Canada lasts for the author’s lifetime, plus 50 years from the end of the calendar year of the death of the author.
Exceptions to Copyright
An important exception to copyright infringement is the ‘‘fair dealing’’ exception. This exception attempts to balance the rights of the copyright owner with the needs of others who require access to copyrighted materials to pursue their research and studies. The fair dealing exception allows for the use of a copyright-protected work without permission from the copyright owner or the payment of copyright royalties in certain instances.
To qualify for the fair dealing exception, the following two step test must be passed:
First, the “dealing” must be for one of the following purposes stated in the Copyright Act:
Secondly, the dealing must be "fair" as defined by the Canadian Courts.
Knowing if something qualifies for the fair dealing exception requires a thorough assessment and review of caselaw. In order to avoid any risks of being liable under the Copyright Act, Walk With Web only permits uses of short quotes from works that are not our own. In any other event, permission procedures as set out in this policy should be followed and the advice of Walk With Web’s Copyright Officer should be sought.
Copyright and Foreign Works
When Walk With Web uses a copyright-protected work from almost any other country, Canadian copyright laws apply to the use of that work, assuming the use takes place in Canada. Similarly, the copyright laws of other participating countries apply to the use of Canadian works in those countries.
Copyright in the Digital World
Any non-digital content that is protected by copyright is also protected in a digital form. For example, electronic books have the same right to copyright protection as print books and a print letter has the same right to copyright protection as an e-mail. With respect to material found on websites, reviewing the terms of use page can help you determine if the content is protected by copyright and who owns said copyright. When requesting permission to use protected works on the web (such as posting them on Walk With Web's Corporate website), always attempt to obtain worldwide rights, as most of our content is viewable by users across the globe.
Employee Obligations
Employees of Walk With Web must respect all intellectual property laws when reproducing any copyrighted work in print, video or digital form. It is important to note that original works are protected even if they are not registered with the Canadian Copyright Office and employees of Walk With Web must assume that most materials created by others are subject to copyright protection.
Even if it is confirmed that a creation is not the object of copyright protection, employees must also seek to confirm that the creation is not protected by other forms of intellectual property such as trademarks, patents or trade-secrets.
If the copyrighted material has been created by an employee of the company, this material can be used freely, subject to the guidelines set forth in this Statement and any corporate policies on the use of company-generated materials. If you are uncertain as to whether a work is protected by copyright, Walk With Web asks you to act with caution and follow the procedures established herein. Any doubts should be brought to the attention of our Copyright Officer.
Once it is confirmed that a work is protected by copyright laws, you must seek permission to use it. In order to avoid any infringement claims, this permission must be given through means of a license or by way of express written consent. Verbal permission or lack of permission altogether is not acceptable unless it is approved by the Copyright Officer and/ or our legal counsel. For clarity, any situation in which clear written consent is not given will require you to present the situation to our Copyright Officer who will determine how best to proceed.
Walk With Web has negotiated licenses with publishers and other copyright owners that allow employees to use and share their materials. These licenses vary and each have specific restrictions and terms of use. As a result, it is critical that you investigate what the permitted uses are before copying or sharing any copyrighted materials we have obtained a license for. This includes reading the license and confirming your understanding of the license with our Copyright Officer and/or legal counsel.
Walk With Web’s Rights with Regard to Computer Systems and Software
Walk With Web reserves the right to monitor employee’s computer systems (including desktop, laptop and handheld devices) as well as any content stored thereon. We also reserve the right to remove, delete, modify or otherwise disable your access to any materials susceptible of infringing on the copyright of others.
Any shareware or software used on Walk With Web’s computers should be licensed by Walk With Web. Employees, consultants and contractors are not permitted to use shareware or software on our computers which is not licensed or otherwise approved by us in writing. Any and all systems should be installed with the permission and assistance of our IT Department.
When granted the login materials to access information licensed by Walk With Web, employees are expected to take all reasonable measures to protect the copyrighted information.
Use and Ownership of Company-Created Materials
Whenever an employee of Walk With Web generates creative materials of any kind, that material is presumptively protected by copyright. Work created by an employee within the scope of or related to their job
At Walk With Web Inc. (hereinafter ‘‘Walk With Web’’), we celebrate and appreciate differences. We know that innovative ideas come from teams made up of people from various backgrounds and cultures which is why we strive for diversity in our workplace.
Walk With Web is also an academic-oriented and inclusive employer. We regularly hire co-op students from various backgrounds and use our best efforts to provide them with an ideal professional setting in which they can train and learn new skills.
This Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement (hereinafter ‘‘EDIS’’) reflects Walk With Web’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We want to make sure everyone is treated equally, especially people belonging to groups that have traditionally been disadvantaged in the workplace. We aim to avoid discrimination of any kind towards our people whether it be via conscious or unconscious biases.
This EDIS aims to ensure a discrimination free workplace where our people feel valued, supported and free to be the most authentic version of themselves. It applies to all of our employees, co-op students, job candidates, contractors, stakeholders, partners and visitors.
Walk With Web is proud to provide its people with equal opportunities for hiring and advancement. We treat everyone without discrimination of any kind with respect to:
Walk With Web has built this EDIS around preventive and affirmative actions to ensure equity and transparency at all stages of employment including, but not limited to:
At Walk With Web, equal opportunity also means being able to speak up against unacceptable practices and/or behaviors without fear of retaliation. We encourage our people to speak up about situations involving behaviors such as harassment and/or intimidation. Rest assured that we take these situations very seriously and speaking up will not affect your employment or collaboration with us.
Our Human Resources Department is responsible for assessing the company's processes and ensuring that they are free of any and all biases. Upon discovery of any biases, we assure you that we will act immediately to refine our processes, train our people to notice, resolve the issue and protect the possible victims of the identified bias.
In order to promote equal opportunity, we make sure that we are compliant with all laws and regulations protecting against discrimination including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Employment Equity Act and the Canada Labour Code.
We also take the following additional steps to promote fairness and diversity:
All of our supervisors and managers are trained to make decisions based on objective, non-discriminatory criteria and are expected to do so at all times.
If you know of or suspect that this EDIS policy is being violated, please do not hesitate to report such to our Human Resources Department immediately. If any situation has made you feel uncomfortable or in danger in our working environment, we strongly encourage you to speak to the person directly and/or inform your manager or our Human Resources Department.
Walk With Web assures you that your report will be treated with care and kept private and confidential to the extent that such is appropriate and/or permitted by law.
Walk With Web takes breaches of its policies very seriously. Any breach of this EDIS may be subject to disciplinary action. Of course, disciplinary action will depend on the severity of the violation and the intentions of the person in breach. However, Walk With Web will not tolerate repeated violations or any violations done with malicious intentions. Possible consequences for being in breach of this EDIS include:
Slavery is a crime against humanity that has resulted in serious consequeneces including racism, discrimination, persecution, and death. This is why Walk With Web Inc. (hereinafter ‘‘Walk With Web’‘) has made it its mission to responsibly handle and make available data related to slave history, slavery information and enslaved people as well as preserve said data in digital spaces.
We understand the ethical implications of referring to the information we receive from enslaved individuals as ‘‘data’’ and want to emphasize that we only do so in order to better explain what we do from a technical standpoint. We appreciate that the individuals providing us with information are real people with real stories and descendants. The ethics of our projects revolve around inclusivity and reparative scholarships in historical slavery, the majority being in the Global Africa. We are committed to regenerate digital identities of people who have been dehumanized due to forced migration and slave trade in a respectful, humane, and ethical framework. To advance our mission, we support contributors and projects that center around enslaved persons, families, and communities. In doing so, we understand the importance of considering the unethical implications stemming from referring to the lists of people we obtain from our partners.
Walk With Web implements well thought out practices and works collaboratively with institutions in order to ensure that we respect the communities, experiences and legacies of those who were enslaved. These practices along with the foundation of digital knowledge guide us across our companies’ many facets, including research, scholarships, publications and social media engagements.
Historical records have often left enslaved people nameless and silenced. These records also often reflect skewed perspectives and biases and support systems of power imbalances, racist ideologies, and the commodification of humans. At Walk With Web we strive to do things differently. We are committed to identifying as many enslaved people as possible and representing individual and collective experiences in an authentic way. With our digital content management service Regenerated Identities, we use historical data collections to recover, aggregate, and make accessible the names and life stories of people who were enslaved, all while maintaining digital platforms allowing for research with open source data.
Our collaboration with various researchers and institutions allows us to continually develop and follow practices that respect the lives and stories of enslaved people. We also make it a point to observe the Collaborator’s Bill of Rights and acknowledge the work done in history projects, academic publications and social media.
Walk With Web does not usually claim any intellectual property rights on the research material published through its databases, websites and social media platforms. We make it a point to recognize and give credit to all of our contributors, industry experts, scholars and researchers. Any data published and managed by Walk With Web is intended to be open sourced however, we respect copyright protection and the wishes of descendant communities who may or may not want any data to be freely and openly shared. We always keep accessibility and sustainability in mind as we navigate toward a more inclusive future.
We strive to work with other entities who share a similar mission in order to share knowledge and ideas. We welcome any recommendations which could improve our ethical principles as we continuously reflect upon best practices in the digital humanities research space.
Toronto, Canada We acknowledge the ancestral and traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabe and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we stand and create.
This Statement of Business Ethics provides guidelines on what you can expect when conducting business with Walk With Web Inc. (hereinafter referred to as "Walk With Web"). Walk With Web requires all of its employees, partners, and collaborators to use their best judgment and maintain a high standard of integrity and ethical conduct at all times. In exchange, Walk With Web holds itself to the same high standards and conducts all of its business interactions with fairness, honesty, and professionalism.
This Statement applies to anyone employed by us or with whom we maintain a business relationship (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Collaborators"). This includes, but is not limited to, employees, interns, co-op students, volunteers, institutions, research groups, laboratories, business entities, contractors, consultants, and suppliers.
Any breach of this Statement shall lead to the potential consequences outlined herein. Therefore, Walk With Web recommends that you read this Statment very carefully and not hesitate to contact us at hr@walkwithweb.org should you have any questions or concerns.
When conducting business with you, Walk With Web ensures you that we will:
As a Collaborator of Walk With Web you are expected to:
As stated above, Walk With Web expects its Collaborators to avoid any and all conflicts of interests.
For the purposes of this Statement, a conflict of interest shall be defined as any situation in which a Collaborator’s (or shareholders, affiliates, directors, officers, agents, or employees should the Collaborator be a business entity) private interest interferes with the interests of Walk With Web. By way of example, any situation in which a Collaborator chooses personal gain over the best interests of Walk With Web or is involved in any activity or situation that prevents them from performing their duties at full capacity shall be considered a conflict of interest.
Walk With Web supports good compliance and ethics with good business. In light of the foregoing, all Collaborators are expected to comply with any and all provincial and federal laws as well as all regulations, corporate policies, and procedures.
Walk With Web uses its best efforts to comply with all laws, accepted practices, rules and regulations including, but not limited to, those associated with audits, certifications, licensing, hiring, firing, discrimination, harassment, safety, wages, payroll, benefits and health guidelines.
It is the responsibility of every Collaborator to adhere to and enforce compliance regulations. Consequently, any Collaborator that fails to do so shall be held accountable.
If you:
please immediately report the foregoing to your direct supervisor or to our Human Resources Department at hr@walkwithweb.org.
Walk With Web assures you that your report will be treated with care and kept private and confidential to the extent that such is appropriate and/or permitted by law.
Walk With Web takes breaches of its business ethics policies very seriously. Any breach of this Statement or any standards or requirements of Walk With Web could lead to:
Walk With Web Inc. (hereinafter ‘‘Walk With Web’’) supports the creators of original work and is dedicated to respecting all Canadian and international copyright laws.
Copyright infringement is a punishable offense which may result in civil and/or criminal proceedings against the individual infringer as well as its employer. It is therefore no surprise that we require all of our employees to comply with copyright laws as well as our copyright policies and guidelines. To that end, we expect all of our employees to seek permission when using the copyrighted materials of others. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.
This Copyright Statement is put in place to make sure Walk With Web is respecting the rights of copyright owners. It provides a brief summary of Canadian copyright law, particularly as it relates to the use of the copyright-protected materials of others, including published materials. It also contains guidelines that we expect our employees to follow when obtaining permission from copyright owners.
This Statement applies to every employee, consultant, contractor or agent of Walk With Web.
Purpose of Copyright
The purpose of copyright law is to provide authors and other creators with an incentive to create and share original work by granting them exclusive rights. These exclusive rights include the right to reproduce, distribute, publicly perform and publicly display their work. These rights grant copyright owners control over the use of their creations, and an ability to benefit, monetarily and otherwise, from the exploitation of their protected work.
Copyright also protects the right to “make a derivative work,” such as a movie from a book; the right to include a piece in a collective work, such as publishing an article on a website or on a database; and the rights of attribution and integrity for “authors” of certain works of visual art.
You must obtain permission prior to using or reproducing someone else’s copyrighted work. Acknowledging the owner or the artist of an artistic work is not a substitute for obtaining permission. However, permission is not generally required for actions that are not englobed by the exclusive rights of the copyright owner, such as reviewing, reading or borrowing a book or photograph.
Works Protected by Copyright
The rights granted under Canada’s Copyright Act benefit authors of original work including literary, dramatic, musical, architectural, cartographic, choreographic, pantomimic, pictorial, graphic, sculptural and audiovisual creations. This means that virtually any creative work that you may come across in readable or viewable format, unpublished materials, non-print materials as well as most other artistic works are very likely protected by copyright laws. This includes books, magazines, journals, newsletters, maps, charts, photographs, graphic materials, analyst reports, consultant advice, websites, computer programs, software, databases, sound recordings, motion pictures, video files and sculptures.
Despite the foregoing, not everything is protected by copyright. For example, works that are not fixed (i.e. titles, names, slogans) ideas, facts, data, listings of ingredients or contents and public domain works are not protected by copyright laws. That said, some of these things may be protected by other intellectual property laws, such as patent or trademark law, or by contract. Therefore, it is key to make sure that no other form of protection restricts the use of such materials before using them.
Duration of Copyright Protection
As a general rule, Copyright duration in Canada lasts for the author’s lifetime, plus 50 years from the end of the calendar year of the death of the author.
Exceptions to Copyright
An important exception to copyright infringement is the ‘‘fair dealing’’ exception. This exception attempts to balance the rights of the copyright owner with the needs of others who require access to copyrighted materials to pursue their research and studies. The fair dealing exception allows for the use of a copyright-protected work without permission from the copyright owner or the payment of copyright royalties in certain instances.
To qualify for the fair dealing exception, the following two step test must be passed:
First, the “dealing” must be for one of the following purposes stated in the Copyright Act:
Secondly, the dealing must be "fair" as defined by the Canadian Courts.
Knowing if something qualifies for the fair dealing exception requires a thorough assessment and review of caselaw. In order to avoid any risks of being liable under the Copyright Act, Walk With Web only permits uses of short quotes from works that are not our own. In any other event, permission procedures as set out in this policy should be followed and the advice of Walk With Web’s Copyright Officer should be sought.
Copyright and Foreign Works
When Walk With Web uses a copyright-protected work from almost any other country, Canadian copyright laws apply to the use of that work, assuming the use takes place in Canada. Similarly, the copyright laws of other participating countries apply to the use of Canadian works in those countries.
Copyright in the Digital World
Any non-digital content that is protected by copyright is also protected in a digital form. For example, electronic books have the same right to copyright protection as print books and a print letter has the same right to copyright protection as an e-mail. With respect to material found on websites, reviewing the terms of use page can help you determine if the content is protected by copyright and who owns said copyright. When requesting permission to use protected works on the web (such as posting them on Walk With Web's Corporate website), always attempt to obtain worldwide rights, as most of our content is viewable by users across the globe.
Employee Obligations
Employees of Walk With Web must respect all intellectual property laws when reproducing any copyrighted work in print, video or digital form. It is important to note that original works are protected even if they are not registered with the Canadian Copyright Office and employees of Walk With Web must assume that most materials created by others are subject to copyright protection.
Even if it is confirmed that a creation is not the object of copyright protection, employees must also seek to confirm that the creation is not protected by other forms of intellectual property such as trademarks, patents or trade-secrets.
If the copyrighted material has been created by an employee of the company, this material can be used freely, subject to the guidelines set forth in this Statement and any corporate policies on the use of company-generated materials. If you are uncertain as to whether a work is protected by copyright, Walk With Web asks you to act with caution and follow the procedures established herein. Any doubts should be brought to the attention of our Copyright Officer.
Once it is confirmed that a work is protected by copyright laws, you must seek permission to use it. In order to avoid any infringement claims, this permission must be given through means of a license or by way of express written consent. Verbal permission or lack of permission altogether is not acceptable unless it is approved by the Copyright Officer and/ or our legal counsel. For clarity, any situation in which clear written consent is not given will require you to present the situation to our Copyright Officer who will determine how best to proceed.
Walk With Web has negotiated licenses with publishers and other copyright owners that allow employees to use and share their materials. These licenses vary and each have specific restrictions and terms of use. As a result, it is critical that you investigate what the permitted uses are before copying or sharing any copyrighted materials we have obtained a license for. This includes reading the license and confirming your understanding of the license with our Copyright Officer and/or legal counsel.
Walk With Web’s Rights with Regard to Computer Systems and Software
Walk With Web reserves the right to monitor employee’s computer systems (including desktop, laptop and handheld devices) as well as any content stored thereon. We also reserve the right to remove, delete, modify or otherwise disable your access to any materials susceptible of infringing on the copyright of others.
Any shareware or software used on Walk With Web’s computers should be licensed by Walk With Web. Employees, consultants and contractors are not permitted to use shareware or software on our computers which is not licensed or otherwise approved by us in writing. Any and all systems should be installed with the permission and assistance of our IT Department.
When granted the login materials to access information licensed by Walk With Web, employees are expected to take all reasonable measures to protect the copyrighted information.
Use and Ownership of Company-Created Materials
Whenever an employee of Walk With Web generates creative materials of any kind, that material is presumptively protected by copyright. Work created by an employee within the scope of or related to their job
At Walk With Web Inc. (hereinafter ‘‘Walk With Web’’), we celebrate and appreciate differences. We know that innovative ideas come from teams made up of people from various backgrounds and cultures which is why we strive for diversity in our workplace.
Walk With Web is also an academic-oriented and inclusive employer. We regularly hire co-op students from various backgrounds and use our best efforts to provide them with an ideal professional setting in which they can train and learn new skills.
This Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement (hereinafter ‘‘EDIS’’) reflects Walk With Web’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We want to make sure everyone is treated equally, especially people belonging to groups that have traditionally been disadvantaged in the workplace. We aim to avoid discrimination of any kind towards our people whether it be via conscious or unconscious biases.
This EDIS aims to ensure a discrimination free workplace where our people feel valued, supported and free to be the most authentic version of themselves. It applies to all of our employees, co-op students, job candidates, contractors, stakeholders, partners and visitors.
Walk With Web is proud to provide its people with equal opportunities for hiring and advancement. We treat everyone without discrimination of any kind with respect to:
Walk With Web has built this EDIS around preventive and affirmative actions to ensure equity and transparency at all stages of employment including, but not limited to:
At Walk With Web, equal opportunity also means being able to speak up against unacceptable practices and/or behaviors without fear of retaliation. We encourage our people to speak up about situations involving behaviors such as harassment and/or intimidation. Rest assured that we take these situations very seriously and speaking up will not affect your employment or collaboration with us.
Our Human Resources Department is responsible for assessing the company's processes and ensuring that they are free of any and all biases. Upon discovery of any biases, we assure you that we will act immediately to refine our processes, train our people to notice, resolve the issue and protect the possible victims of the identified bias.
In order to promote equal opportunity, we make sure that we are compliant with all laws and regulations protecting against discrimination including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Employment Equity Act and the Canada Labour Code.
We also take the following additional steps to promote fairness and diversity:
All of our supervisors and managers are trained to make decisions based on objective, non-discriminatory criteria and are expected to do so at all times.
If you know of or suspect that this EDIS policy is being violated, please do not hesitate to report such to our Human Resources Department immediately. If any situation has made you feel uncomfortable or in danger in our working environment, we strongly encourage you to speak to the person directly and/or inform your manager or our Human Resources Department.
Walk With Web assures you that your report will be treated with care and kept private and confidential to the extent that such is appropriate and/or permitted by law.
Walk With Web takes breaches of its policies very seriously. Any breach of this EDIS may be subject to disciplinary action. Of course, disciplinary action will depend on the severity of the violation and the intentions of the person in breach. However, Walk With Web will not tolerate repeated violations or any violations done with malicious intentions. Possible consequences for being in breach of this EDIS include:
Slavery is a crime against humanity that has resulted in serious consequeneces including racism, discrimination, persecution, and death. This is why Walk With Web Inc. (hereinafter ‘‘Walk With Web’‘) has made it its mission to responsibly handle and make available data related to slave history, slavery information and enslaved people as well as preserve said data in digital spaces.
We understand the ethical implications of referring to the information we receive from enslaved individuals as ‘‘data’’ and want to emphasize that we only do so in order to better explain what we do from a technical standpoint. We appreciate that the individuals providing us with information are real people with real stories and descendants. The ethics of our projects revolve around inclusivity and reparative scholarships in historical slavery, the majority being in the Global Africa. We are committed to regenerate digital identities of people who have been dehumanized due to forced migration and slave trade in a respectful, humane, and ethical framework. To advance our mission, we support contributors and projects that center around enslaved persons, families, and communities. In doing so, we understand the importance of considering the unethical implications stemming from referring to the lists of people we obtain from our partners.
Walk With Web implements well thought out practices and works collaboratively with institutions in order to ensure that we respect the communities, experiences and legacies of those who were enslaved. These practices along with the foundation of digital knowledge guide us across our companies’ many facets, including research, scholarships, publications and social media engagements.
Historical records have often left enslaved people nameless and silenced. These records also often reflect skewed perspectives and biases and support systems of power imbalances, racist ideologies, and the commodification of humans. At Walk With Web we strive to do things differently. We are committed to identifying as many enslaved people as possible and representing individual and collective experiences in an authentic way. With our digital content management service Regenerated Identities, we use historical data collections to recover, aggregate, and make accessible the names and life stories of people who were enslaved, all while maintaining digital platforms allowing for research with open source data.
Our collaboration with various researchers and institutions allows us to continually develop and follow practices that respect the lives and stories of enslaved people. We also make it a point to observe the Collaborator’s Bill of Rights and acknowledge the work done in history projects, academic publications and social media.
Walk With Web does not usually claim any intellectual property rights on the research material published through its databases, websites and social media platforms. We make it a point to recognize and give credit to all of our contributors, industry experts, scholars and researchers. Any data published and managed by Walk With Web is intended to be open sourced however, we respect copyright protection and the wishes of descendant communities who may or may not want any data to be freely and openly shared. We always keep accessibility and sustainability in mind as we navigate toward a more inclusive future.
We strive to work with other entities who share a similar mission in order to share knowledge and ideas. We welcome any recommendations which could improve our ethical principles as we continuously reflect upon best practices in the digital humanities research space.