## **Operating Charter for Stewarding the Polycentricity Game Commons**

### **Preamble**

The Polycentricity Game Commons offers a powerful tool for collaborative learning, governance experimentation, and community empowerment. This Charter provides the foundation for its open, trustworthy, and evolving stewardship.

By anchoring the commons in structured agreements, version-controlled artifacts, and modular governance, we affirm our commitment to a future where

We, the contributors and custodians of the *Polycentricity Game Commons*, present this Origin Statement and Operating Charter to guide the ethical, collaborative, and adaptive stewardship of the cultural, creative, and technical assets that make up the game ecosystem.

This Charter draws on the principles and infrastructure of the [Common Accord](https://commonaccord.org/) framework, applies modular governance models as articulated by [Metagov](https://metagov.org/), and is anchored in the ethos of **Copyfair conditional use**, reciprocal access, and **structured confidence**—a trust model built on legibility, modularity, and verifiability.

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### **1\. Origin and Purpose: A Story of Emergence**

The *Polycentricity Game* was conceived as an interactive simulation to explore the complex dynamics of **collaborative governance**, **strategic negotiation**, and **multi-stakeholder problem-solving**.

The game originated in preparation for the Stanford Law *CodeX* event on April 11, 2025, hosted by Tony Li. Z initiated the idea and drafted the first full game description, concept, structure and purpose and co-developed it further with Ven, Dorn Cox and Tony as part of a workshop focused on *Commons-Enabling Infrastructure*, highlighting Dorn’s work on the **Agricultural Knowledge Commons**. The game's early character roles were informed by the **Grassroots Innovation Assembly for Agroecology (GIAA)**.

Ven further facilitated the physical instantiation of the game and support its **concretization**—the process of harmonizing language and mechanics for legibility across contexts. This resulted int he conception of the “Board of Agreements” concept and the formatting of persona sheets. Dorn further refined the role system by synthesizing 17 persona inputs into five archetypes, each representing core motivations, tensions, and functions within agroecological innovation systems.

The first live round of gameplay occurred in-person at Stanford and was followed by a virtual edition facilitated for the [Metagov](https://metagov.org/) community. These sessions laid the groundwork for this evolving commons and demonstrated the game’s potential as a **governance learning environment**.

Rather than focus on "winning," the game emphasizes learning through negotiation, coordination, and experimentation—where participants model how agreements are formed, evolve, or dissolve in polycentric systems.

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### **2\. Core Values and Commitments**

We affirm this game commons to be:

* **Inclusive** – Welcoming to participants from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, centering plural perspectives.

* **Reciprocal** – Designed to reward good-faith contributions with access, visibility, and influence within the commons.

* **Legible** – Governed by tools and templates that are interpretable by humans, verifiable by machines, and grounded in legal norms.

* **Evolving** – Subject to continuous improvement through community feedback, iteration, and shared stewardship.

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### **3\. Purpose of This Charter**

This Charter establishes a **commons-based governance framework** for the design, adaptation, and distribution of the Polycentricity Game. It also defines a financial and licensing architecture to support the sustainable growth and maintenance of **Commons Enabling Infrastructure**, including:

* Technical tools and legal frameworks;

* Game content and narrative artifacts;

* Facilitation materials and community documentation.

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### **4\. Stewardship Roles**

Participants in the commons take on various roles with corresponding responsibilities:

* **Stewards**: Oversee the game’s legal code, update templates, and manage governance processes, including dispute resolution.

* **Game Hosts**: Facilitate physical and virtual sessions. Outcomes of gameplay—including decisions, agreements, or challenges—may form a living record or “case law” for future sessions.

* **Institutional Supporters**: Academic, civic, or technical institutions that support the ecosystem with legal, financial, or operational resources.

* **Contributors**: Individuals or collectives who add value through creative design, legal templates, gameplay systems, or narrative development.

* **Players/Users**: Engage with the game through registered sessions. Under the terms of the commons license, they may also propose amendments, suggest gameplay modules, or request role updates.

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### **5\. Licensing Framework**

All content, gameplay scenarios, and derivative works are governed by a **Conditional Use Commons License**, which includes:

* **Permitted Use**: Free use for non-commercial and community-aligned educational purposes.

* **Commercial Use**: Allowed only under reciprocity conditions (e.g., contributing back code, facilitation materials, or financial support).

* **Copyleft Requirement**: Derivatives must be shared under the same license unless modified through collective governance.

* **Registration**: All gameplay instances—analog or digital—should be registered with the commons repository to support traceability and reciprocal contributions.

* **Legal Infrastructure**: License templates and updates are version-controlled and maintained in a Git-native legal commons repository using ProseObjects from [Common Accord](https://commonaccord.org/).

## **Statement of Intent: Commercialization, Adaptability, and Scale**

As stewards of the *Polycentricity Gaming Commons*, we recognize the importance of ensuring both the sustainability and expansive potential of this ecosystem. This Statement of Intent affirms our collective commitment to responsibly enabling the **commercial development**, **contextual adaptability**, and **scalable dissemination** of the game and its supporting infrastructure.

### **1\. Commercialization with Reciprocity**

We support ethical commercialization pathways that align with our values of reciprocity, transparency, and community stewardship. Commercial use of the Polycentricity Game—including facilitation services, derivative works, trainings, and software adaptations—is welcomed under the following principles:

* **Conditional Use Licensing**: All commercial actors must contribute back to the commons through one or more means: financial reinvestment, creative assets, tooling, or stewardship.

* **Shared Value Creation**: Revenue-generating activities should strengthen, not extract from, the commons—building tools, templates, and governance modules for mutual benefit.

* **Attribution and Lineage**: All commercial applications must preserve and clearly communicate their connection to the core commons and its contributors.

### **2\. Contextual Adaptability**

The game is designed to be modular, remixable, and responsive to the needs of diverse communities, sectors, and cultural contexts.

* **Forkable Frameworks**: Gameplay mechanics, role archetypes, and governance rules can be adapted or forked—provided lineage and licensing terms are respected.

* **Localization Support**: Contributors are encouraged to create culturally resonant adaptations, including language localization, thematic layering, and new role development.

* **Template Reusability**: Legal and procedural components are maintained in a version-controlled repository using Common Accord protocols to ensure clear reuse and adaptation.

### **3\. Scalable Dissemination**

To expand impact, the Polycentricity Game will be scaled via federated models, digital tooling, and institutional partnerships.

* **Digital Infrastructure**: We will develop open-source or hybrid digital platforms for gameplay facilitation, scenario generation, and commons license management.

* **Partnerships**: We will actively seek aligned partners—including academic, civic, and commercial institutions—to co-develop and propagate the game globally.

* **Commons Governance at Scale**: As new nodes of use emerge, they may federate under shared governance frameworks or instantiate their own charters under the Copyfair commons principles.

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In committing to these pathways, we seek to model a new form of commons-aligned innovation: one where impact and revenue do not come at the expense of community ownership or long-term stewardship. This is not just a game—it is a generative governance architecture, and a platform for reimagining how we collaborate, learn, and build together.

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### **6\. Governance Modules**

Governance of the game commons includes modular tools and systems that can evolve over time:

* **Proposal System**: Community members may submit structured proposals for rule changes, role templates, or narrative expansions. All proposals are tracked via a public Git system.

* **Deliberation Layer**: Decision-making includes inclusive deliberation using tools such as [Polis](https://pol.is/) or [Loomio](https://www.loomio.org/).

* **Decision Mechanisms**: Customizable voting systems (e.g., weighted voting, quadratic voting, or delegated voting) depending on issue type.

* **Audit Trail**: All decisions and governance records are stored with cryptographic signatures and version histories for public accountability.

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### **7\. Amendment and Forking Rights**

This Charter may be revised through a structured proposal and consensus process, initiated by any recognized contributor or steward.

If fundamental disagreements arise:

* **Forking the Commons** is permitted under the terms of the license, with attribution and license lineage maintained.

* Such forks must register with the repository and remain interoperable with the parent legal and gameplay infrastructure.

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### **8\. Dispute Resolution**

Disputes within the commons will follow a layered protocol:

1. **Community Mediation**: Facilitated by stewards in alignment with community norms.

2. **Independent Arbitration**: Triggered if mediation fails; details defined in the Commons license arbitration clause.

3. **Institutional Escalation**: If necessary, disputes may escalate to a neutral legal forum specified in the base legal agreement.

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### **9\. Infrastructure and Maintenance**

The *Polycentricity Game Commons* is hosted in a public Git-based repository, ensuring:

* **Modular reuse** of legal templates, game rules, and character archetypes;

* **Transparent change history** with tracked contributions;

* **Interoperability** with technical systems (e.g., simulations, AI agents) and legal institutions.

This infrastructure supports rendering content for diverse audiences—developers, lawyers, educators, and players alike—and provides structured confidence in the assets and agreements it houses.

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### **10\. Pathways for Expansion: Franchise, Hosted Platforms, and Education**

To facilitate wide adoption while preserving the commons-oriented mission of the Polycentricity Game, we support the development of structured pathways for replication and deployment in diverse settings. These include:

#### **A. Franchise-Aligned Models**

We welcome the formation of local or thematic chapters ("franchises") of the game that operate semi-autonomously while remaining aligned with core values.

* **Commons-First Franchising**: Each franchise operates under the core licensing framework, agrees to contribute a portion of revenue or in-kind value (e.g., gameplay insights, localized roles, facilitation materials) back to the commons.

* **Localized Adaptation**: Franchises are encouraged to tailor gameplay to local governance, ecological, or cultural contexts while maintaining compatibility with shared templates and governance modules.

* **Commons Certification**: A lightweight, peer-reviewed certification process may be developed to affirm alignment and support network effects between nodes.

#### **B. Hosted Platforms and Tools**

We will support the development and maintenance of digital platforms that allow distributed, asynchronous, or hybrid forms of play.

* **Open Core Infrastructure**: Core game mechanics, legal frameworks, and role archetypes will remain open and commons-governed, while specific implementations (e.g., SaaS platforms, facilitation dashboards) may adopt sustainable commercial models.

* **Modular Plug-ins**: Tools that support gameplay (e.g., agreement drafting, deliberation, scoring, facilitation aids) will follow modular open standards to ensure interoperability and avoid lock-in.

* **Commons Data Layers**: Game outcomes—when consented to—may be anonymized and added to a shared knowledge base to inform future gameplay design, research, and reflection.

#### **C. Educational Deployment**

We recognize the unique power of the game as a pedagogical tool for teaching governance, negotiation, systems thinking, and collective action.

* **Academic Integration**: Educators are encouraged to adopt and adapt the game for classroom use under a commons-aligned education license, with attribution and contributions back (e.g., student-created roles, reflection prompts).

* **Train-the-Facilitator Programs**: The commons will support the development of facilitator training curricula and potentially a cooperative network of certified facilitators.

* **Partnerships with Learning Institutions**: We invite schools, universities, and learning networks to co-develop modules that link the game to broader curricula in political science, law, design, or sustainability.

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By creating structured yet flexible pathways for responsible expansion, we seek to balance **distributed innovation** with **shared stewardship**, ensuring that as the Polycentricity Game scales, it continues to reflect the principles of openness, reciprocity, and collective governance.