higress/GOVERNANCE.md

# Higress Governance

Higress is a [Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF)](https://www.cncf.io/)
sandbox project. This document describes the project's open governance model.

All community members must follow the
[**CNCF Code of Conduct**](https://github.com/cncf/foundation/blob/main/code-of-conduct.md)
and the project's adopted policy in [`CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md`](./CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md).

## Values

Higress governance is guided by the following values:

- **Openness**: Communication and decision making happen in public channels and repositories whenever possible.
- **Fairness**: Contributions are evaluated on technical merit rather than company affiliation.
- **Community First**: Long-term community health has priority over short-term product goals.
- **Inclusivity**: We welcome contributors from different regions and backgrounds.
- **Participation**: Project responsibilities are earned through sustained contribution.

## Roles

Higress role definitions are documented in:

- [`MAINTAINERS.md`](./MAINTAINERS.md)
- [`CODEOWNERS`](./CODEOWNERS)
- [`CONTRIBUTING_EN.md`](./CONTRIBUTING_EN.md)

## Decision Making

Higress uses **lazy consensus** by default.

When consensus cannot be reached, maintainers may start a vote on a public
issue or pull request. A simple majority of votes cast decides the outcome.

For governance or project direction changes, maintainers should allow adequate
time for public discussion before finalizing decisions.

## Governance Updates

Changes to this document are made through pull requests and approved by
maintainers.

## Security

Security reporting and response follow [`SECURITY.md`](./SECURITY.md).

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Higress is a [Cloud Native Computing Foundation](https://www.cncf.io/) sandbox
project.