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title: Musing - Declaration of Self-Sovereignty
tags: [musings]

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title: Musing - Declaration of Self-Sovereignty
robots: noindex, nofollow
tags: musings
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# Declaration of Self-Sovereignty

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all people have the inherent right to self-sovereignty, including the right to act on their own behalf and make decisions about their own lives without interference from others as long as they do not violate the rights and autonomy of others.

We support every persons' right to negotiate with others as peers, not as petitioners or supplicants, and to organize themselves in groups to invest in and manage common resources or interests. These individuals should not be subject to inequity, abuses of power, censorship, surveillance, discrimination, or repression as individuals or as a member of a group. We also recognize the need to protect the vulnerable or powerless from exploitation or harm.

We must also fully empower people the digital realm to exercise their rights and autonomy by giving them control over their digital identities and personal data, provide them with the tools and resources to protect their privacy, and promote digital literacy.

We must also uphold freedom of speech and assembly in both the physical and digital world, ensure access to diverse perspectives and sources of information and protect individuals' rights to freely associate and assemble online.

The right to transact is a crucial part of freedom of assembly and must be supported as such, enable individuals to freely engage in economic transactions without interference or coercion from more powerful parties.

Individuals must be able to participate in group actions and decision-making, including the ability to make their own decisions about the use and management of shared interests and common resources.

In the realm of technology, we must promote the development of technologies and policies that respect and support international human rights, including supporting decentralized and open-source technologies to empower individuals and communities.

In the legal sphere, we must protect individuals from digital surveillance and other forms of digital repression, establishing clear and transparent legal frameworks and duties for digital surveillance, and holding state and corporate actors accountable for any violations of human rights.

We pledge to uphold these principles and protect the rights and autonomy of individuals in the digital realm.

Broader:

We support the general human rights principle of the individual's right to act on their own behalf and make decisions about their own lives without interference from others, as long as they do not violate the rights and autonomy of others. We support individuals' ability to negotiate with others as peers, not as petitioners or supplicants, and to organize themselves in groups to invest in and manage common resources or interests. They should not be subject to inequity, abuses of power, censorship, surveillance, discrimination, or repression as individuals or as a member of a group. We must also protect the vulnerable or powerless from exploitation or harm. These general human human-rights must also be upheld and expanded upon in the digital realm.

We can ensure this by fully empowering individuals to be able to exercise their rights and autonomy in the digital realm by giving them control over their digital identities and the personal data associated with it, so they can decide how it is used, collected, and shared. It also means providing individuals with the tools and resources they need to protect their privacy and promoting digital literacy so they can make informed decisions about their online activities.

As individuals are vulnerable to parties with greater power, we must also uphold freedom of speech and assembly in the digital world. This means supporting individuals' ability to freely and securely express themselves online without fear of surveillance, censorship, discrimination, or repression. This includes ensuring access to diverse perspectives and sources of information and providing the tools and resources needed to participate in online discussions and movements. It also means protecting individuals' rights to freely associate and assemble online, and to exercise their agency in decision-making processes.

The right to transact is a crucial part of freedom of assembly and should be supported as such. This means enabling individuals to freely engage in economic transactions without interference or coercion from more powerful parties. It also means supporting individuals' ability to participate fully in economic life and to enjoy the benefits of economic freedom. The rights to property and to transact are fundamental to freedom of association and should be protected as such.

Individuals must be able to participate in group actions and decision-making. They must be able to make their own decisions about the use and management of shared interests and common resources as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others or risk the sustainability of their mutual resources. This includes empowering the members to collectively make decisions and rules for the management of the commons through self-government processes and consensus-building decision-making. It also means recognizing and respecting the rights and autonomy of the commons itself as a distinct entity.

In the realm of technology, we must promote the development of technologies and policies that respect and support international human rights. This includes supporting financially the development of decentralized and open-source technologies to empower individuals and communities and address digital discrimination and online harassment. It also means supporting personal information filtering tools over censorship by centralized parties.

In the legal sphere, we must protect individuals from digital surveillance and other forms of digital repression and ensure that any surveillance is conducted in accordance with international human rights standards and the rule of law. Human rights are more important than property law. This includes establishing clear and transparent legal frameworks and duties under Agency Law for digital surveillance and also holding state and corporate actors accountable for any violations of human rights. It also means providing individuals with access to justice when their rights are violated and promote the use of technology to support these rights.

Only by supporting these principles can we ensure that individuals are able to fully exercise their rights and autonomy in the digital realm.

Details:

General
* Ensure that individuals have the right to act on their own behalf and make decisions about their own lives without interference from others, as long as they do not infringe on the rights and autonomy of others.

Protecting the Vulnerable, Privacy & Agency
* Protect individuals, in particular the vulnerable, by giving them the power to make decisions for themselves rather than having those decisions made for them by others. Empower them to advocate for their own needs and protect themselves from exploitation or mistreatment.
* Give all individuals control over their digital identities and the personal data associated with them, so they can decide how it is used, collected, and shared, and offer them strong data protection through appropriate decentralized privacy technologies.
* Individuals have the right by default that their personal information be kept private and to exclusively control how once offered, it is shared with others
* The individual has the power to decide who can access their personal information, request information from any agent holding their identity or personal data, the right to decide how and when their digital identity is used, the right to change or withdraw their consent at any time to revoke access to it.
* An individual has the right to have their digital identity protected from unauthorized access or use. This means that the individual has the power to demand that agents take reasonable steps to protect their identity from theft or fraud and to hold agents accountable if their identity or personal data is accessed or used without their consent.

Access to Identity & Privacy Technology
* Allow individuals to securely and privately access the services and resources they need online without having to rely on centralized entities to authenticate their identities or rely on agents and gatekeepers that may not support the individuals best interests.
* An individual has the right to use their digital identity across multiple platforms and services without being tied to a specific provider or system in a way that is compatible with other systems and standards. This means that the individual has the power to use their identity in a way that is convenient and flexible and to demand that agents allow them to access their services without undue restrictions and support their ability to use their identity in a way that is consistent with industry standards and practices.
* An individual has the right to access services and transactions, regardless of their location, language, or socio-economic status. This means that the individual has the power to demand that agents treat them fairly & equally, to not discriminate against them on the basis of their identity, background, or other characteristics.
* Support and empower individuals with the tools and resources and to protect themselves, such as mandating privacy-enhancing technologies and offering education on how to use them.
* Promote digital literacy and media literacy, so individuals can make informed decisions about their online activities and understand the potential consequences of their actions.

Freedom of Speech & Assembly
* Support individuals' ability to freely and securely express themselves online without fear of surveillance, censorship, discrimination, or repression.
* Ensure that individuals have access to a diversity of perspectives and sources of information so that they can make informed decisions about their digital activities.
* Ensure that individuals have the right to form online communities and organizations and to freely express their opinions and ideas freely and without fear of reprisal.
* Provide individuals with the tools and resources they need to participate in online forums, discussions, and movements and to engage with others for mutual interest.
* Protect individuals' rights to assemble and associate online and to exercise their agency by participating in decision-making processes and shaping those policies and technologies that affect their lives.

The Right to Transact
* Support the right to transact as an essential part of freedom of assembly, as it allows individuals to freely engage in economic transactions with others without interference or coercion from more powerful parties.
* Individuals must be able to enter into contracts, exchange goods and services, and engage in other forms of economic activity without fear of reprisal or discrimination.
* Support enables individuals to participate fully in economic life and to enjoy the benefits of economic freedom.
* Support the rights to property and to transaction as being fundamental to freedom of association and an essential part of a broader framework of human rights.

Shared Interests & Commons
* Support each member of a group with mutual interests or of a shared commons (a regenerative resource, either physical or intellectual) to make their own decisions and choices regarding their own use and management of the resources held by that group, provide they do not infringe on the rights of others sharing those mutual interests or commons, or put at risk the sustainability of the benefits provided by them.
* Support individuals’ right to invest and support mutual interests or commons. They have the right to invest their time, energy, and resources and to support the management and governance of their mutual interests in ways that align with their values and interests.
* Empower the members of a group to collectively make decisions and rules for the management of their mutual interests or commons through self-government processes and consensus-building decision-making. This allows the members to have a say in the governance and management of the commons to ensuring that that the resources they offer are equitable and sustainable for all.
* All members of a group can participate in decision-making processes, contributing to the maintenance and improvement of their mutual interests and commons, and advocate for policies and practices that support them to remain a vibrant and sustainable resource for the equitable benefit of all members.
* Recognize and respect the rights and autonomy of the group itself as a distinct entity with its own needs and interests. This means recognizing the importance of the group and the resources it oversees and ensuring that they are protected and managed in a way that is and benefits all the members and the commons as a whole.
Technology

* Promote the development of technologies and policies that are designed to respect and support international human rights rather than violate or undermine them.
* Financially support the development of decentralized and open-source technologies to empower individuals and communities to come together and collaborate online without interference from more powerful parties and without having to rely solely on centralized corporate or state actors. 
* Address and combat digital discrimination and online harassment in the digital world, which can limit individuals' ability to freely express themselves and access information online.
* Support personal filtering tools over censorship by centralized parties.

Legal
* Advocate for the inclusion of human rights principles in national and international digital policies and laws to ensure that individuals' rights are protected online. 
* Digital rights are first informed international human rights, then duties under Agency Law, and only after these by property rights.
* Protect individuals from digital surveillance and other forms of digital repression, and ensure that any state or corporate surveillance is conducted in accordance with international human rights standards and policies to support them against those hold greater power.
* Support individuals' rights to access the internet and digital technologies without discrimination and address the digital divide that can limit access for marginalized communities.
* Support the individual has the right to hold others accountable for their actions with respect to the individual's digital identity and personal data and to seek redress for any violations of their rights. This means that the individual has the power to demand that agents take responsibility for their actions and to hold them accountable
* Advocate for the inclusion of laws and policies that support and protect individuals' rights to freely assemble and associate online and that ensure that online communities and organizations can operate and transact freely and without fear of reprisal.
* Support and advocate for net neutrality, which ensures that all internet users have equal access to online content and services without interference from internet service providers.
