USER SUBMISSION & CONTRIBUTION POLICY (EN)
Website Name – www.ambassadormelissawells.com
Effective Date: December 17, 2025
- Purpose of This Policy
This User Submission & Contribution Policy governs any content submitted to the Website by third parties, including photographs, documents, written memories, testimonials, audio, video, or any other material (“User Submissions”). The Website is a digital memorial dedicated to honoring the life and legacy of Melissa Foelsch Wells, curated and maintained by her family and legal heirs. All contributions must respect the historical, cultural, and educational nature of this memorial.
By submitting content, contributors acknowledge and agree that their submission will be reviewed, moderated, and published solely at the discretion of the Wells family.
- Eligibility to Submit Content
Any person, family member, friend, colleague, institution, or member of the public may submit content for consideration, provided they:
- are at least 18 years old;
- have the legal right to share the material;
- understand that all submissions are voluntary and non-commercial;
- accept that publication is not guaranteed.
- Representations and Warranties of the Contributor
By submitting any material, the contributor declares and warrants that:
3.1 Authorship or Authorization
The contributor is the original author of the material or holds full authorization from the lawful rights holder.
3.2 No Violation of Copyright
The submission does not infringe intellectual property rights of any third party, including photographers, institutions, agencies, or archives.
3.3 No Confidential or Classified Information
Submissions may not include:
- diplomatic cables,
- restricted government documents,
- UN or agency internal materials,
- any content governed by secrecy or confidentiality obligations.
3.4 No Illegal, Offensive, or Harmful Content
Submissions must not contain:
- insults, harassment, defamation, slurs, or offensive language;
- political propaganda or attempts to manipulate narratives;
- sexually explicit, violent, or discriminatory content;
- content that exposes individuals, especially children or vulnerable groups, to risk.
3.5 Accuracy and Good Faith
All submissions must be made truthfully and respectfully, reflecting historical integrity and the dignity of the diplomat’s memory. Any violation of these representations may result in immediate removal, refusal of publication, and legal action when appropriate.
- License Granted to the Website
By submitting content, the contributor grants the Website and its curator:
- a non-exclusive,
- irrevocable,
- worldwide,
- royalty-free,
- perpetual license
to exhibit, display, reproduce, preserve, archive, and use the material strictly within the context of the memorial. The contributor retains copyright to their original material unless otherwise assigned. The Website will never use the material commercially without explicit written permission.
- Prohibited Uses by Third Parties
No User Submission published on the Website may be:
- used commercially;
- adapted, altered, or repurposed without authorization;
- employed for the creation of films, documentaries, political messaging, propaganda, or derivative works;
- converted into deepfakes, AI synthetic media, or manipulated imagery;
- extracted for controversial, defamatory, political, or harmful purposes.
Any misuse of materials, including copying, downloading, reproduction, or sharing outside the memorial without permission, may be pursued legally.
- Moderation Process
All submissions are reviewed manually by the Wells family acting as curators.
- Moderation may include:
- pre-publication review;
- post-publication review;
- fact-checking;
- content safety analysis.
The curators reserve the exclusive right to:
- accept,
- decline,
- edit for clarity (without altering meaning),
- request additional information, or
- remove submissions at any time.
Editorial decisions are final.
- Respectful Conduct and Communication
The Website does not tolerate:
- offensive language,
- hate speech,
- political agendas,
- insults against the diplomat, her family, or individuals appearing in the archive,
- defamatory statements,
- harassment or abuse.
Any violation will lead to:
- immediate removal of the submission;
- blocking of the contributor;
- preservation of evidence;
- legal action when applicable.
- Protection of Individuals Appearing in Submissions
Contributors must ensure that their materials do not expose individuals, especially from vulnerable communities, to:
- political harm,
- social stigma,
- safety risks,
- humanitarian or ethical concerns.
The Website may blur, crop, restrict access to, or refuse publication of any submission to uphold the Do No Harm principle.
- Removal Requests (Takedown Procedure)
Any individual whose image, information, or identity appears in a User Submission may request removal at any time.
Requests will be:
- evaluated promptly,
- handled sensitively,
- addressed within 15 days or sooner in urgent cases.
Urgent removal applies when:
- safety risks exist,
- the individual is a child,
- the material may cause harm,
- the content is defamatory, illegal, or inappropriate.
Contributors acknowledge that their material may be removed at any time, even after publication.
- Legal Enforcement
The Website reserves the right to pursue legal action, civil and criminal, in Brazil or internationally, against any individual or entity that:
- submits illegal or harmful content,
- attempts to exploit the diplomat’s image,
- engages in defamation or harassment,
- violates copyright,
- misuses materials published on the memorial,
- creates unauthorized derivative works, including films or documentaries,
- manipulates or fabricates content (including deepfakes).
All violations will be documented and escalated to competent authorities.
- Final Provisions
This Policy may be updated periodically to reflect evolving ethical, legal, and archival standards. Any updates will include a new Effective Date.
By submitting content, contributors acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agree to this Policy.