Amended Steward selection processes

book/ecosystem/guide-to-governance.md

@@ -1,15 +1,143 @@
-# Guide to governance
+# Covenant of Project Elära
 
-Project Elära is intended to foster a free and open community, governed by democratic ideals. As part of this, Project Elära has a Covenant, which can be read in full on the next chapter. The Covenant is like a mini-constitution, and details the foundational principles and organization of the community's government. Here is a condensed explanation of the Covenant.
+We, the members of the Project Elära community,
 
-First, the Covenant protects the human rights of the entire community. The entire first section is devoted to outlining these rights, and how they will be realized. Ideally, the community would be completely decentralized, but to assist in coordinating such a complex project, some centralization is inevitably necessary. So the Covenant also describes the Varyë Elära, or Varyë for short, the community government of Project Elära.
+Recognizing the inviolable dignity of all peoples,
 
-The Varyë has three branches, the legislature, executive, and judiciary. All three branches are completely independent of each other, as they have separate and distinct powers. The legislature is the only branch that can pass laws, the executive the only branch that can implement laws, and the judiciary the only branch that can judge laws.
+Affirming the equal rights of peoples of all ages, of all backgrounds, in all their similarities and differences,
 
-The legislature and executive are both democratically elected. The voting process guarantees universal suffrage in the community, and voters are allowed to choose multiple, none, or one candidate. Candidates must attain an absolute majority (greater than 50%) to be elected; otherwise, the election is repeated until a candidate gains an absolute majority. The legislature allows all candidates who attain an absolute majority to take office, while the executive admits only one candidate, specifically the candidate that gains the most votes in the second round of elections.
+Envisioning a community whose highest duty is to respect, support, and provide for its people,
 
-The legislature is the Elära Senate, and can make, veto, and amend any law. The executive is headed by the Steward of Project Elära, who implements the laws passed by the Senate. Additionally, the executive heads all of the executive departments, and regulates and facilitates their operation. The Steward generally cannot act in any way independent of Senate approval, ensuring the accountability of the Steward directly to the Senate, and indirectly to the members of the community.
+Hereby declare, solemnly affirm, and proclaim this **Convenant of Project Elära**.
 
-Finally, the judiciary is the Judicial Council, and is responsible for arbitration in the community as well as ensuring that all laws abide by the Covenant. It is chosen by sortition of all background-checked members of the community who apply for the position. It reserves the right to remove any member of the Varyë who violates the Covenant, which is why the random process of sortition is necessary. Judges have one term and cannot apply for a second term.
+## Section 1: Fundamental Rights
 
-The entire system of government is constructed such as to make abuses of power as unlikely as possible, and to preserve the freedoms of the community, to ensure that the project remains free, independent, and democratic long into the future.
+### Article 1
+
+All human beings are born with dignity and share a common conscience.
+
+Upholding the universal principles of fairness, equality, justice, and respect for human dignity is the ultimate aim and responsibility of all communities.
+
+The representative government of the Project Elära community is the Varyë. The Varyë is to be the sole legitimate government of the community.
+
+This article may not be altered nor removed by the Project Elära community.
+
+### Article 2
+
+All members of the Project Elära community have an inalienable right to liberty. Their freedom may not be abridged, for any reason, unless they use their freedom to infringe upon another's freedom or violate another's dignity.
+
+### Article 3
+
+All members of the Project Elära community have the inalienable right to freely hold and express their opinions, in private, in public, and in association with others within the community. They are guaranteed the freedom to seek, receive, and impart thoughts, opinions, and ideas, through any form of media, and without interference.
+
+### Article 4
+
+All members of the Project Elära community have the inalienable right to equality, inclusion, and accomodation within the community. They are guaranteed a safe, just, and humane environment in which to collaborate, create, and contribute. They are also entitled to equal protection against any form of discrimmination or cruel, unkind, and degrading treatment.
+
+### Article 5
+
+All members of the Project Elära community have the inalienable right to adequate recourse in the violation of their fundamental rights. This includes the right to voice their concerns privately or publicly to an independent and impartial panel. They are also guaranteed protection from retaliation, shame, or to be punished for any act they did not commit.
+
+### Article 6
+
+All members of the Project Elära community have the inalienable right to security, privacy, and peace. They are guaranteed protection from unwanted interference in their personal lives. They are also guaranteed the right to protection from acts of abuse and harrassment.
+
+### Article 7
+
+All members of the Project Elära community have the inalienable right to take part in the governance of the community. They are guaranteed equal access to positions within the community and to free, fair, and periodic elections by which they may participate in governance. They are also guaranteed the right to request access to any information held by their elected representatives, and to petition their elected representatives through peaceful means.
+
+### Article 8
+
+All members of the Project Elära community have the inalienable right to knowledge and learning. The community's educational resources shall be universally free and equally accessible, and shall aim to not only further scientific knowledge, but also promote understanding and friendship between all members of the community.
+
+### Article 9
+
+All members of the Project Elära community have the inalienable right to live in harmonious coexistence with each other. The community will be fully tolerant of all customs, traditions, and ways of life that respect basic human rights. However, the community will not tolerate any intolerance. Any intolerant member of the community will be warned and monitored on the first offense, and expelled from the community on the second offense.
+
+### Article 10
+
+The Project Elära community must use all means necessary to defend Section 1 of the Covenant. Any person or group of persons that has the aim of removing or withholding any of these fundamental rights, or abolishing the democratic and open character of the community, will be immediately and permanently banned from participating in the community.
+
+## Section 2: Executive
+
+### Article 1
+
+The executive power of the Varyë shall be vested in a Steward of Project Elära, who shall be the head of the community, and shall lead in accordance and with the guidance of the community.
+
+### Article 2
+
+The Steward must be independent of any political allegiance or association. They must act with impartiality and renounce any past affiliations to any political group upon taking office.
+
+### Article 3
+
+The Steward's duties and responsibilities are as follows:
+
+To be the unifying figure of the community;
+
+To represent the community at national and international events;
+
+To enforce the laws of the community;
+
+To mediate disputes within the community;
+
+To establish qualifications for community positions;
+
+To direct the operations of Project Elära and regulate the respective departments of the project, in accordance with the laws of the community;
+
+To remove any official who has violated the Covenant, acted in abuse of their powers and responsibilities, or failed in their duties;
+
+To secure the welfare and maintain the rights and freedoms of the entire community.
+
+### Article 4
+
+The Steward shall be chosen by a 12-member jury once every ten years, and exactly 5 years into the term of the current Steward. The jury's members are to be chosen randomly from the entire community, not including those currently holding public office in the Varyë.
+
+Nominations for acts of extraordinary bravery, integrity, selflessness, and sacrifice will be sent to the jury for evaluation. Any member of the community can nominate any other person, with the exception of themselves. The jury is asked to review all nominations and select one nominee whose actions are most distinguished.
+
+Once a nominee is selected, they are informed that they have been selected as the next Steward. They will then be apprenticed to the current Steward until the end of the current Steward's term, during which the current Steward will pass on their knowledge to the incoming Steward.
+
+Upon assuming office, the Steward shall take the following oath:
+
+"I swear (or affirm) that I will, to the best of my abilities, carry out the duties of the Steward of Project Elära, and preserve, protect, and defend the Covenant of Project Elära."
+
+They shall hold their office for ten years, and may not serve again.
+
+### Article 5
+
+All laws passed by the Senate of Project Elära must undergo review against the Covenant by the Steward. If the Steward determines any law passed to be unconstitutional, the law will not go into effect.
+
+### Article 6
+
+The Steward may not pass legislation, except during emergency circumstances, where they may pass legislation for a maximum duration of six months. The Steward may declare a state of emergency a maximum of twice within their term.
+
+### Article 7
+
+A 2/3 majority vote of the community is sufficient to remove the Steward from office.
+
+## Section 3: Legislature
+
+### Article 1
+
+The legislative power of the Varyë shall be vested in a Senate of Project Elära.
+
+### Article 2
+
+The Senate of Project Elära shall be directly elected by the community, through free, secret, and universal suffrage, with votes receiving equal representation. Each Senator shall serve for terms of two years each.
+
+### Article 3
+
+Any member of the community may apply to be a Senator, and may hold the office if they receive an absolute majority of votes. Members of the community may vote for multiple Senators.
+
+### Article 3
+
+The Senate is the only authority that may pass and vote on laws, outside of emergency circumstances. Laws may be proposed by any member of the Senate, and may be passed with the approval of an absolute majority of Senators. Amendments to the Covenant may be passed with a 4/5 majority vote in the Senate.
+
+### Article 4
+
+A Senator may be removed from office by a 2/3 majority vote of the Senate or of the community, whichever is greater.
+
+## Section 3
+
+The Convenant of Project Elära shall have supremacy over all laws of the community.
+
+The approval of four-fifths of the community shall be sufficient for the ratification of this present Covenant and its entry into force.