Governance and Operation

This page describes how Tessère Open Witness (TOW) is operated and how decisions are made within the program.

Program nature

TOW is operated as a good-faith civilian documentation program. It is not a court, authority, or adjudicative body.

Operational decisions are guided by a balance of:

• public interest
• civilian safety
• privacy protection
• risk of misuse or misinterpretation

Decision-making

Decisions regarding acceptance, standby, corroboration, publication, or withholding of information are made according to documented program policies.

No single submission automatically results in publication. No event is published solely to satisfy public demand or external pressure.

Independence and neutrality

TOW does not align with military, political, or partisan objectives.

The program does not advocate for outcomes, assign blame, or promote specific narratives.

Error handling and correction

TOW acknowledges that errors, omissions, or incomplete information may occur.

When credible errors are identified:

• records may be corrected or updated
• changes are documented transparently
• earlier versions are not silently erased

Withholding and restraint

TOW may decide not to publish information, even when corroboration exists, where publication could reasonably cause harm, misuse, or escalation.

Restraint is treated as a governance decision, not a failure of documentation.

Evolution of the program

TOW governance practices may evolve over time. Changes are made deliberately and are documented when they materially affect public interpretation.