Voi’s Constitution - First Draft

Mission

The mission of Voi is to create a community-driven blockchain (CDB) ecosystem built by the community, run by the community and owned by the community.

Preamble

The Voi community, with the goal of building a truly decentralized network grounded on the principles of goodwill, integrity, collaboration, and intentionality, built by the community, owned by the community, and run by the community, herein establishes Voi's Constitution.

This Constitution is driven by a fundamental principle: ensuring that power is distributed equitably, preventing any single person or entity from consolidating control in what we aim to be a truly decentralized network.

Voi is designed to be an open protocol that grows and evolves over time as democratically decided upon by the community. Processes have been put in place to support this evolution through clear pathways for change and constitutional amendments that reflect what Voi is today and in the future.

This ensures that Voi evolves with the needs of the community and that projects building on top of Voi are able to do so with the knowledge that their data and services will not be restricted by a centralized entity or otherwise.

Structural Overview

Voi's governance model is inspired by the tripartite system used in various global governments, with its own unique adaptations. This model is structured around three distinct branches: Voi Judicial, Voi Council, and Voi Treasury, each tasked with specific functions and responsibilities to ensure equitable distribution of power and prevent dominance by any single person or entity. This tripartite system has been adopted to promote a community-driven approach, democratizing decision-making and maintaining the blockchain's operation in the best interest of its whole ecosystem.

• Voi Council: This branch comprises community-elected members who reflect the community's voice, interest and priorities. It is responsible for crafting and modifying governance rules, as well as proposing new initiatives. By electing community members into the Voi Council, the governance model ensures that the blockchain remains responsive to the needs and aspirations of its users.

• Voi Treasury: This branch includes the community-elected President and the judicially appointed Board of Directors. It is responsible for the implementation of policies and decisions formulated by the Council, aligning daily operations with the community’s values and objectives.

• Voi Judicial: This branch provides guidance and ensures continuity. It safeguards the constitution and the blockchain’s core principles, acting as a guardian against unnecessary or capricious changes, and ensures amendments are justified and significant.

Voi’s governance model is built on the principle of checks and balances, ensuring that no branch overpowers another and that the blockchain remains a balanced, transparent, and equitable system. In adopting a tripartite system with robust checks and balances, Voi establishes a governance model that is transparent, fair, and adaptable, capable of evolving with the blockchain's needs and the community it serves. This instills a sense of ownership and responsibility across the ecosystem, ensuring that Voi remains a truly community-driven platform.

Article I: Core Values of the Ecosystem

Voi is governed by the following fundamental values. Outlined here in Article 1 are these core values. These guiding principles are meant to guide not just Voi’s governance framework and daily operations, but the ethos of the community at large; from interactions between community members, to the future evolution of the network.

Goodwill

Assume positive intent of others by giving others the benefit of the doubt. Act with kindness, compassion, and understanding to others in the ecosystem.

• Build a foundation of trust, essential for open communication and effective collaboration.
• Reduce misunderstandings and conflicts by giving peers the benefit of the doubt.
• Foster a supportive and understanding community atmosphere.
• Understand that the modes of communication often used (Discord, Twitter etc.) are one dimensional and often lend themselves to misinterpretations around intended meaning and intention, and thus warrant a goodwill approach to promote a positive overall community culture.

Integrity

Ensure credibility of the overall Voi community by being honest and transparent with all communications, interactions and dealing with others within the ecosystem.

• Act responsibly and ensure accurate representation of information shared and presented to enhance and ensure the community's reputation and reliability.
• Take responsibility for one's actions and decisions, acknowledging and learning from mistakes when they occur.
• Build trust by consistently delivering on promises and commitments made to others in the community.
• Treat all community members with respect and dignity.

Collaboration

Favor collaboration and openness over an individual pursuit to get ahead. Building together will not only help Voi achieve its overall vision but grow opportunities for everyone faster and lead to a more innovative and impactful ecosystem.

• Encourage pooling of diverse perspectives, leading to more sustainable, creative, and robust solutions.
• Strengthen community bonds by working towards common goals.
• Encourage knowledge sharing and collective growth.
• Creating more opportunities for more people will help us all get ahead.

Intentionality

Ensure thoughtful, purpose-driven action, development, and communication inline with Voi’s broader mission and vision.

• Focus on creating solutions that address real-world problems, inline with Voi’s. overarching desire to bring blockchain to the masses, and make a measurable impact towards this goal.
• Be thoughtful about the value a project brings to the overarching ecosystem.
• Ensure sustainability of all projects and efficient use of community’s resources.

Article II: Goals of the Ecosystem

Outlined within Article 2 are the five main goals of Voi’s ecosystem. These are the fundamental pillars that are meant to govern Voi’s decision-making as the network and community membership grows:

Public

The ecosystem must be universally accessible and engaging for the public, ensuring that it supports a wide range of interactions and contributions without barriers to entry regardless of one’s experience in web3.

Open Access

Guarantee that the ecosystem is accessible to everyone and every entity, without financial, technical, or geographical barriers.

This facilitates a genuinely inclusive platform where anyone can participate, learn, and contribute, directly aligning with the public nature of the ecosystem.

No Censorship

Ensure the right not to be censored on the blockchain. Ensure freedom of speech and expression within the ecosystem, allowing for the free exchange of ideas and information within the limits of Voi’s core values.

This supports an open dialogue and the exchange of diverse perspectives, critical for a public platform that thrives on community contributions and innovation.

Transparency

Operations, decision-making processes, and data within the ecosystem should be transparent when possible and open to scrutiny by all participants.

This builds trust among users and stakeholders, essential for a public ecosystem where accountability and openness are valued.

Decentralization

The ecosystem must operate on a decentralized model, removing single points of control or failure and distributing power among its participants.

Governance

Implement a decentralized governance model that allows participants to have a say in the ecosystem's evolution and decision-making processes.

This empowers community members by giving them an active role in governance, reinforcing the decentralized nature of the ecosystem.

Independent Nodes

Encourage the development and operation of independent nodes to enhance the network's resilience and decentralization.

This reduces reliance on any central authority, ensuring that the ecosystem remains robust, secure, and truly decentralized.

Resilience

Build the ecosystem to withstand various challenges and threats, maintaining its integrity and availability.

This ensures the long-term sustainability and stability of the decentralized network, even in the face of disruptions.

Collaborative Community

Foster a community that collaborates and contributes to the ecosystem's growth and innovation, driven by shared goals, values, and mutual benefits.

Incentives For Adding Value

Create reward mechanisms that recognize and incentivize contributions that add value to the ecosystem.

This motivates active participation and collaboration, essential for cultivating a vibrant and productive community.

Equal Access To Opportunity

Ensure that all community members that follow Voi’s values have equal opportunities to participate, contribute, and benefit from the ecosystem.

This promotes fairness and inclusivity, critical for a collaborative community where diversity is seen as a strength.

Reputation

Develop a merit-based reputation system that reflects the contributions and reliability of community members.

This facilitates trust and credibility within the community, making it easier for members to collaborate and engage with one another effectively.

Entrepreneurial Spirit

Cultivate an environment that encourages risk-taking, innovation, and the launch of new ventures within the ecosystem.

Fostering an entrepreneurial spirit is essential for the ecosystem's growth, attracting talent and innovation, and keeping the community vibrant and adaptable. This culture encourages novel collaborations and projects, driving the ecosystem's progress and competitiveness.

Shared Infrastructure

The ecosystem leverages shared digital and physical resources to reduce redundancy, enhance efficiency, and foster innovation across the community.

Resource Sharing

Promote the sharing of resources among participants, including data, knowledge, tools, and infrastructure, to maximize utility and minimize waste.

This enables participants to access a wider array of resources than they would individually, enhancing the ecosystem's overall capacity and efficiency.

Open Sourced Code

Promote making source code for the ecosystem's tools and services openly available for use, modification, and distribution.

This encourages innovation and collaboration by allowing community members to improve upon existing solutions and adapt them to new challenges.

Open Tools

Provide a suite of open tools that empower participants to create, deploy, and manage their projects within the ecosystem.

This lowers the barrier to entry for new participants and stimulates creative problem-solving, directly supporting the infrastructure's shared and open nature.

On Chain Data

Utilize blockchain technology or similar decentralized storage services to ensure data integrity, availability, and accessibility.

This enhances trust in the shared infrastructure by providing a transparent, tamper-proof record of transactions and interactions.

Interoperability

The ecosystem is designed to be interoperable, allowing for seamless integration and communication between diverse systems, platforms, and communities.

Simple and Standardized Integrations

Develop and adhere to industry standards that enable easy integration of different services and technologies within and outside the ecosystem.

This facilitates a plug-and-play environment where various components can connect and operate together efficiently, essential for an interoperable ecosystem.

Open Data & Content

Advocate for and implement the sharing of open data and content, making it freely accessible and reusable by anyone within the ecosystem.

This promotes a culture of transparency and collaboration, where data is a shared asset that can spur innovation and increase the value of services.

Extensibility

Design the ecosystem with the flexibility to accommodate new technologies, protocols, and use cases as they emerge.

This ensures the long-term relevance and adaptability of the ecosystem, enabling it to evolve in response to changing needs and opportunities.

Article III: The Voi Council

Section 1

The legislative powers of Voi’s ecosystem lies in the Voi Council. The role of the Council is to pass legislation and proposals necessary to fulfill the goals of the Voi ecosystem. This includes proposing amendments to Voi’s political structure and Constitution for it to serve as a living document and relevant to the present needs of the ecosystem and community.

The role of the Council is to represent specific significant interest groups within Voi’s community. Each of these groups are broken down into committees representing the dynamic needs of Voi’s network and ecosystem and specific constituents and issues pertinent to that respective group.

Section 2

Council members will serve a 2-year term and are permitted a maximum of three consecutive terms to ensure the ecosystem is benefitting from new perspectives and insights. The exception to this rule is the very first iteration of Voi’s Council, where terms may be shortened and varied in duration to ensure staggered tenures. Elected council members are voted by members of the Voi community. Should a seat become vacant during a member’s term, the seat will be appointed by the judicial branch. If seats are added or removed in the future, as is permitted during each annual election by the Council, resulting in an even number of seats then a seat may be created that represents the community as a whole or, an appointment will be made by the judicial branch.

Section 3

The Council shall consist of at least 1 elected or appointed member for each interest group within the ecosystem.These interest groups, which are decided by the Council and judicial branch, including the number of council seats to be dedicated to each, are announced by the current Council at the time of each annual Voi election and may require individuals to hold specific skills sets and experience. This allows for more specialized discussion and informed evaluation of legislation proposals. Examples of potential interest groups may be network, power users, builders, etc. with a single or multiple council seat dedicated to each of these groups to further represent the community’s priorities (for example, network may be broken into relay node runners and participation node runners).

Section 4

The Voi Council is expected to meet a minimum of twice per month at a time and day convenient to its elected members and to make transparent and accessible their meeting days and times, agenda, and meeting minutes for the greater Voi community. These meetings must be publicly viewable by the public.

Section 5

The Council may expel a member of the Council, Judicial or Treasury through an absolute majority Council vote following the established impeachment procedure.

Section 6

The compensation for the Council’s services will be determined by Voi Judicial and approved by Voi’s Treasury as per the checks and balances of the judiciary’s power.

Section 7

All proposals originating from the Voi ecosystem or Voi’s tripartite government with the purpose of raising funds to support projects for the ecosystem, or amend the Constitution, shall first pass through Voi’s Council as outlined in the following proposal submission process and amendment procedure.

Section 8

The Voi Council has the power to create, amend, and repeal governance rules, policies & regulations including constitutional clauses. The Council also manages the usage of the blockchain's budget and has the authority to allocate resources and approve funding for projects. This power is crucial for directing the blockchain's future development and ensuring fiscal responsibility.

The main responsibilities of the Voi Council are as follows:

• To propose and pass new policies and proposals that will achieve the goals and vision of the Voi network and ecosystem.

• To make amendments to this Constitution to ensure it stays relevant for the current time and phase of Voi’s growth, while keeping an eye to Voi’s future.

• To propose new system upgrades and protocol changes as needed to improve the overall operations of the Voi network and to ensure the network adopts and stays abreast of the latest technology and advancements.

• To support the Treasury and Judicial branch with establishing long-term strategic goals.

• To represent the broader Voi community’s interests, concerns, and priorities.

Section 9

Checks on the Voi Treasury

Approval/Denial of Proposals & Strategic Initiatives

The Voi Council has the authority to approve or deny significant operational changes or strategic initiatives proposed by the Treasury. This ensures that all major Treasury actions align with the legislative framework and community interests. Approval by the Council on ecosystem proposals and policies occurs through an absolute majority vote.

Budgetary Oversight

The Voi Council controls the blockchain's budget, including approving or rejecting budget proposals submitted by the Treasury, ensuring fiscal responsibility and alignment with strategic goals. Approval of budget proposals, generally in the form of proposals, occurs through an absolute majority vote.

Impeachment

The Voi Council can initiate proceedings to impeach and remove members of their own Council or the Voi Treasury, such as the President, as a result of misconduct or violation of governance principles, ensuring accountability within the governance structure. First, a minimum of 20% of the current stake in the network must sign off on the decision to impeach the President. Then, a minimum of two-thirds of the political power of the Council must vote in favor of impeachment for the official impeachment review process to begin.

Veto Override Mechanism on the Treasury

Proposals, Policies, and other Legislation

In response to a veto from the Treasury, the Voi Council can override this veto with a unanimous vote across the Council. This power ensures the Council's legislative authority can prevail, provided there is significant consensus.

Impeachment

In response to a veto from the Treasury, the Voi Council can override this veto with a unanimous vote across the Council. This power ensures the Council's legislative authority can prevail, provided there is full consensus of the Council.

Amendments to the Constitution

In response to a veto from the Voi Treasury, there is no veto override. The Voi Council and Treasury must together unanimously approve of an amendment for it to pass.This ensures full consensus from both branches on changing the Constitution, a very important decision. The Judicial branch is not involved in amendment approval, as this is a significant check on the Judicial power.

Checks on the Judicial Branch

Impeachment

The Voi Council can initiate proceedings to impeach and remove the entity filling the role of Voi’s Judicial branch, as a result of misconduct or violation of governance principles, ensuring accountability within the governance structure. It is important to note that the Judicial branch can only be replaced as an entire entity as opposed to impeaching a single or multiple individuals within this entity. First, a minimum of 20% of the current stake in the network must sign off on the decision to impeach the judicial entity. Then, an absolute majority of the Council must first vote in favor of impeachment for the impeachment process to begin.

Veto Override Mechanism on the Judicial

Proposals, Policies, and other Legislation

In response to a veto from the Voi Judicial, the Voi Council can override this veto with a unanimous vote from the Council. The Voi Treasury must also approve the piece of legislation in question. This power ensures the Council's legislative authority can prevail, provided there is significant consensus and Treasury agreement.

Impeachment

In response to a veto from the Voi Judicial, the Voi Council can override this veto with a unanimous vote across the Council. The Treasury must also approve. This power ensures the Council's legislative authority can prevail, provided there is full consensus of the Council and Treasury.

Amendments to the Constitution

The Voi Judicial branch is not involved in amendment approval, as this is a significant check on the Judicial power.

Article VI: Treasury

Section 1

The executive power of Voi lies in the Voi Treasury. The Treasury consists of a President and Board of Directors. The Treasury may solicit support from third party vendors to support Voi's operational needs (ex. marketing, finance, etc.) or to address temporary issues such as security breaches and technical upgrades needed for Voi. These third parties will be considered service providers as opposed to members of Voi’s governance.

The President is responsible for the day-to-day management and execution of the blockchain’s operations, implementing policies and directives passed by the Voi Council. The Treasury also has a Board of Directors that acts as the primary signatory for the Treasury. These Directors are responsible for signing off on every piece of legislation and every proposal approved by the President.

Section 2

The President shall serve a two-year term with a maximum of two consecutive terms. An ecosystem wide vote will be conducted to vote in a new President.

If a term is breached and there is no president then an interim president is appointed by the judicial branch to maintain uninterrupted management of the blockchain's operations. This appointment must be approved by the Voi Council through a simple majority vote.

Section 3

The primary obligations of the Voi Treasury are as follows:

• To approve of proposals and policies passed by the Council and thus enable their implementation.

• To propose initiatives and operational changes to how the branches operate with each other.

• To manage the day-to-day operations and administration of the blockchain network.

• To veto decisions or acts of the Voi Council that it considers detrimental to the blockchain's operational integrity or contrary to its strategic vision.

Section 4

The President is elected by the entire Voi community. The Director is appointed by Voi’s judicial branch.

Section 5

The Voi Treasury holds the following powers and checks on the Council and Judicial branches of the Voi ecosystem.

Checks on the Voi Council

Veto Power

The Voi Treasury can veto legislation or decisions made by the Voi Council, if deemed not in the best interest of the blockchain's operational integrity or vision. This significant check requires the Voi Council to consider the executive perspective in its legislative process.

Checks on the Judicial

Implementation Compliance

While direct checks on the Judicial branch are limited, the Voi Treasury’s execution of policies in compliance with judicial interpretations acts as an indirect check, ensuring that judicial decisions are practical and enforceable in the blockchain's day-to-day operations.

Article V: Judicial

Section 1

The Judicial power of the Voi ecosystem resides in Voi’s Judicial branch and a Board of Arbiters, a committee of appointed members that support in interpreting the Voi Constitution, providing legal expertise, and safeguarding the ecosystem from bad actors.

Section 2

The primary obligations of the Judicial branch of the Voi ecosystem are as follows:

• To review and nullify Council acts or Treasury orders that are found to be in violation of the blockchain’s constitution or governance framework. This power ensures that all actions taken by the Voi Council and Voi Treasury adhere to the established legal and ethical standards.

• To act as the interpreter of the Constitution. To uphold Voi's Constitution and ensure that Voi's core values, underlying goals, and ethical guidelines are being upheld and protected by the Voi Council.

• To interpret the blockchain's constitution and governance documents, providing clarifications that guide the actions of the Voi Council and Voi Treasury. This interpretive power is crucial for maintaining consistency and coherence in the application of governance rules.

• To resolve disputes between the Voi Council and Voi Treasury, among members within each branch, or between the governance structure and community members. This role is essential for maintaining the governance structure's integrity and operational harmony.

• To ensure the security and stability of the blockchain infrastructure with support from the judicial branch.

• To veto any proposals that violate the blockchain’s constitution.

• To oversee compliance and regulatory adherence.

• To temporarily appoint members of the Council when an elected member resigns or is impeached, opening up a vacant position in the Council until the immediate next Council election, during which this seat can be democratically elected.

• To review all decisions made by the Council and Treasury.

Section 3

The judicial branch has a permanent appointment as Voi’s judicial branch and does not undergo elections. This branch is under the purview of the same impeachment process as the rest of Voi’s tripartite governance with the exception that the entire entity must be replaced as opposed to any given individual within that entity.

Section 4

Voi’s judicial branch holds the following powers and checks on the Treasury and Judicial branches of the Voi ecosystem:

Checks on the Voi Council

Veto over Proposals, Policies, Legislation etc.

The Judicial branch holds the authority to veto or nullify decisions by the Voi Council that violate the blockchain’s constitution or ethical guidelines, ensuring legislative actions remain within the governance framework's bounds, even if the Voi Treasury approves.

Dispute Resolution

The Judicial branch acts as the primary mediator or arbitrator in disputes involving the Voi Council, ensuring conflicts are resolved fairly and according to the governance principles.

Checks on the Treasury

Veto over Proposals, Policies, and Legislation (Implementation)

The Judicial branch holds the power to veto the Treasury’s decision to implement a certain proposal, piece of legislation or policy.

Interpretive Authority

By interpreting the governance rules and the constitution, Voi’s judicial branch ensures that the Council’s actions are in compliance with the overarching legal and ethical standards of the blockchain.

This interpretive authority indirectly influences how the Voi Treasure implements policies and operational decisions.

Dispute Resolution

The Judicial branch acts as a mediator in disputes involving the Voi Treasury, ensuring conflicts are resolved fairly and according to the governance principles.

Article VI: Amendments

Amendments to the Voi Constitution must follow the following process. Anytime one of the aforementioned Articles are amended they must be included below with the following title format: <<original article_amendment#_date>> followed by the amendment text.