IHL Community Guidelines
International House Leuven brings together people from different countries, cultures, experiences and perspectives and sometimes this can lead to difficult or new interactions. These guidelines were made to help navigate a beautifully diverse community.
Building a Welcoming Community
International House Leuven brings together people from different countries, cultures, experiences and perspectives. Through our activities, people make friends, build networks and create connections that often continue beyond IHL events.
We believe these connections are one of the most valuable parts of our community.
At the same time, people communicate, express themselves and experience situations differently. Cultural differences, different expectations and misunderstandings are a natural part of any international community. When something does not sit right, we encourage everyone to start with curiosity, communicate openly and assume good faith where possible.
Our Community Principles
Thriving communities are built together. We ask everyone participating in IHL activities to:
- Be kind and respectful to others.
- Approach differences with curiosity rather than assumptions.
- Take responsibility for the impact of your words and actions.
- Make an effort to include others.
- Contribute where you can and appreciate the contributions of others.
- Communicate concerns in a constructive and respectful way.
- Be willing to learn from misunderstandings and help repair them.
Leave the community a little better than you found it.
When Issues Arise
Most disagreements and misunderstandings can be resolved through honest and respectful conversation. Where appropriate, we encourage people to raise concerns directly with the person involved.
If that does not feel possible or appropriate, you can always speak to the event host, or a member of the IHL team. You can contact the team via internationalhouse@leuven.be. We will listen and consider what support, guidance or signposting we can provide within our role and capacity.
Types of Issues: Concerns, Incidents and Complaints
IHL encourages people to raise concerns early, before problems escalate.
- A concern is something that causes discomfort, confusion, exclusion, or unease.
- An incident is an event, action, behaviour, or communication that may have negatively affected an individual, group, or the community, regardless of intent.
- A complaint is a formal request for IHL to review, respond to, or take action regarding a concern or incident.
Concerns, incidents and complaints help IHL identify risks, improve communication, strengthen our activities, and help maintain a safe and welcoming environment.
Where issues cannot be resolved informally, community members may submit a report through this online form (the information provided here is for internal use only, actions taken will always be communicated to the person submitting the form, unless otherwise stated.)
You can read more about our Complaints Policy here.
The Role of IHL
Our role is to facilitate welcoming opportunities for people to meet, connect and participate in community life through official IHL activities.
We are delighted when friendships, networks and other connections continue beyond IHL. However, relationships, interactions and activities that take place independently of IHL remain the responsibility of the individuals involved. To avoid misunderstandings, IHL distinguishes between official IHL activities and independent events organized by participants, volunteers or third parties.
We do not determine fault, investigate interpersonal disputes or impose sanctions, regarding private disputes. However, where information suggests a potential impact on the safety, wellbeing or participation of people within IHL activities, we may, at our discretion, consider appropriate action within our own services and activities.
A Shared Responsibility
A welcoming, inclusive and vibrant community is something we create together. By approaching one another with kindness, curiosity, openness and personal responsibility, we create an environment where friendships can flourish, differences can be explored respectfully and everyone has the opportunity to feel welcome.
