## Assertions
the aim
create foundational approaches to relieve social issues
without dictating or creating managed structures for people
resolve the problems, then step away
allow people to be the best versions of themselves
strengthen connections so people find their local community naturally
not as an abstract thing
create specific measurable outcomes
without resorting to debate that would only create more discourse
philosophical stance
"you can't blueprint society"
we know very few things
we do not know every local community everywhere
Peaceful Foundation wants to get out of the way
no desire to hold power in such a thing
we remove obstacles and provide nourishment
like a plant in the wrong place: remove the rubbish heap blocking sunlight, give water, give better nutrition
an infrastructural approach to a more local world
but we do not want to build actual infrastructure
instead, build a calm substrate
lightweight, local, forkable systems
degrade gracefully
can survive the organisation disappearing
resists ideology, central planning, and brittle optimisation
differentiates from charity-as-brand and app-as-end-in-itself
theory of change
reduce numbness and addiction
restore capability and steadiness
make local connection easier
give people a shared way to see and improve the places they live
projects are meant to compound rather than sit beside each other
the project stack
quiteasily
widest funnel
addresses addiction with low-friction, open resources and anonymous sharing routes
learnstuff.today
gives people something constructive to do after quitting isolating habits
reasonable.diet
handles a material layer of wellbeing through cheap, simple food
calm.college
provides a safer, denser test environment for real-world connection
hexagons.world
becomes the neutral spatial and statistical layer
peaceful passport
ties trust and contribution together across them
each project solves a different bottleneck in the same human process
strategic risks
dependence on sequential success
the conceptual flow from quiteasily to learnstuff to reasonable.diet to calm.college to hexagons.world is elegant
but real users enter sideways, skip stages, or only care about one layer
each project needs to stand alone, not just as part of the full funnel
message discipline
the core proposition is simple: help people get calmer, healthier, more capable, and more locally connected
grand civilisational language blurs the public proposition
if outsiders cannot tell whether peaceful foundation is a charity, a social philosophy, a campus wellbeing network, a food project, an anti-addiction movement, a maps company, or a decentralised governance experiment, growth will slow
the core has to feel more singular than the internal architecture really is
### peaceful foundation
philosophy
"you can't blueprint society"
you are not going to find a perfect solution that is for everyone
but you can listen and converse with everyone
no -isms or ideologies
discussions of them are pointless
the world is too complex
nobody has the 'correct' view because there isn't one
doing something small in the real world matters more than debating it endlessly online
experience
across many cultures, pretty much everyone wants a fair go
the common thread in how cultures form cohesion is calm and supportive community
> "Human knowledge is never contained in one person. It grows from the relationships we create between each other and the world, and still it is never complete."
--- Paul Kalanithi, When Breath Becomes Air
peaceful foundation is built on the belief that social impact is:
grounded
local
it happens in the real world
it has real actions taking place
people's lives are made better
authentic
not done for status
not done for recognition
done to genuinely help another person
not clinging to outcomes
not holding a fixed view of the future too tightly
doing the best thing for the people around you
letting this change over time
practical action over theory
the best solutions are immediately applicable in the real world
waking up and doing it is better than thinking about it forever
foundational
bring calm people together
use current infrastructure where possible
build processes that last beyond individuals
focus on the underlying systems instead
create a calm undercurrent
point out the current systems' failings
point out inefficiencies
point out where resources are not being used as effectively as they could be
then, let the best ideas win
iterative
we are not going to get it right the first time
we learn by doing things together
experimental
we can try new things
adaptive to context
each solution adapts to the social context around it
and to the problems a local area actually has
scalable
viral but authentic
creates change in the real world
feels like a conversation
not a slogan
people are extremely strong collectively
it is entirely possible to improve people's lives around them
there are many problems that become tractable when people act together
replicatable
ways of solving problems in one area can often work elsewhere
not as a rigid copy
as an adaptation
lightweight structures that grow naturally
they should be easy to join
they should not feel like a hassle
they should not suddenly place people inside a hierarchy
### Approach
We outline local approaches to solving:
Addiction
Loneliness
Malnutrition
*{quiteasily.org}*
highly effective open source resources
approaches that do not use willpower
anything involving counting
blocking
restricting
rewarding
or punishing yourself
mostly open source books and writing
we will improve the resources and cessation approaches over time
these approaches should feel intuitive
they should feel enjoyable
they should help people see that they do not actually enjoy the subjective experience of the addiction itself
only the ending of the withdrawal
addiction affects everyone directly or indirectly
which gives us a very wide audience
posters
we will ask people to put up posters
this is the most effective way of spreading the campaign
uncensorable
shows something happening in the real world
from one person putting up a poster
if there is a large demographic in their area also experiencing the addiction
one person can potentially reach 400 to 800 people
each poster has an ID number
has a passport
helps make sure the campaign cannot be co-opted
can also prove participation if someone wants that
posters solve the stigma
they show real-world action is taking place
a decentralised network of posters has a reinforcing effect
*{peaceful.network (toilet.network)}*
an anonymous notice board for things happening in your local community
an authentic way of showing you are not alone
does not expose specific identifiers
allows limited communication with other people in the world
can include
haikus
message-in-a-bottle
locally focussed anonymous messages
the tools are intentionally limited but engaging
moderation tools reduce abuse
the medium itself should also reduce the capacity for abuse
the shared identity system cuts down on bad behaviour
it shows the world as it is
friendly
memes
people can make and spread them
we do not want to over-control the internet
this acts as the main funnel towards other projects
after quitting addictions, people are often unsure how to spend their time
*{learnstuff.today}*
is about upskilling people
since it is not enough to say "get a hobby" or "learn a skill"
because there are too many options
and no central place where you can find the info
the place to learn where to learn things
collect open source resources
to give people ways of learning things in a meaningful way
#### Reasonable.diet
start now
you do not have to wait for industrial surplus
change purchasing habits at your local supermarket
bulk buying and sharing at unit cost
for example, olive oil
focus on things that do not need refrigeration
they are the easiest starting point for a more local approach
reduce packaging where possible
for example, using large water jugs instead of plastic bottles
underground storage and simple cooling
reduces the need for complex refrigeration infrastructure
local markets are the entry point to understanding food supply chains
local markets are glad to have your business
they let you in on the secret of local produce
cooperatives and local gardens scale from individual habit to community system
food growing readily, plentiful, and nearby
a food pool that runs at surplus
not a bank
not transactional
cooking is a social experience
bring housemates together
with the cost of living, many people struggle to get all the nutrients they need
there are very easy ways of fulfilling these needs
potatoes are one of the clearest examples
societies that have potatoes have been shown to be more peaceful over time
because people are not starving
potatoes are cheap
potatoes are filling
potatoes get you most of the way there nutritionally
if you add other dense foods
you can get all the nutrition you need
this applies to many different demographics
one of the clearest starting points is students
eating packet ramen all the time
a better approach is cheaper, healthier, and more sustainable
the more people know about this
the better mental health within a local community and the world as a whole will be
loneliness
leads into
##### Calm.college
people can login with their university
universities are a semi-structured environment
they provide an inherently high-trust context
calm.college can act as a testnet for local communities
person-focussed tools
community
meetups
people start doing real things in the real world
writing on chalkboards
writing on the floor
making things known around campus
people start meeting up on campus to socialise
mental health improves
stress becomes easier to handle
people have better university experiences in lower-stress environments
students end up eating potatoes with the people around them
meeting people
and cool things result
campus community data
wellbeing data
much better quality of data
if the product is inherently useful
you can see how many people are engaging
and how they interact with different things
it can begin with relatively limited public data
then deepen as people agree to more integration
students are more likely to accept their university receiving this data
if it is clearly helping them
and if it is not just going to a company
charge $5 per enrolled student, adjusted for equity globally, when a campus obtains 10% student participation
malnutrition
##### Reasonable.diet
intersect between calm.college and reasonable.diet
##### Hexagons.world
statistics
baysean
we are creating statistics for every local community around the world
we can progressively create better estimates of local statistics
the point is to make local problems visible enough to act on
addressing
six words
100km
10km
1km
100m
10m
1m
in practice the last three words are unique
owing to the fact the naming scheme is mostly deterministic
but is still owned by the community
feel locally relevant
and we can do a bit of the heavy lifting first
community organisations
community spaces
compute
distributed volunteer compute
calculate local scenarios and variables
integrate many different open source data sets
allow communities to decide what people compute
###### Maps
###### What If?
###### Hexagons Private
#### A Flowing Undercurrent of Resources
donating to charity is very far removed from impact
most effective system
broadly speaking, 'real' and 'imaginary' resources
real
tools
goods
petrol
fibre optic
emotions
imaginary
money
PBI, tax deductable
won't give people money directly
if possible, provide what people actually need instead
fuel cards
goods directly
shared resource pools
the aim is to create more effective approaches to providing resources for the people around them
an example of human creativity and ingenuity
### project design and values
You can do the projects described within, in most societies, whenever.
there are some basic prerequisites
- internet is not tyranically restricted
- small private donations and pooling are legally possible
- non-partisan, non-violent speech is protected
but even these are not exactly required
as long as people want it, such an idea is unstoppable
cure people of addiction, then inspire them to create local communities
you can start with university students and improve their lives
then create tools to build a more local world
each project is separate, but they complement each other
this helps bring more people from different backgrounds together
mimics life in general
the organisation never hardens into "infrastructure"
it should progressively unwind down
offload tools to allow communities to better coordinate themselves
do not create a new system for people to follow
let local communities decide how they want to approach things
decentralise power to local communities
not an org chart
not local coordinators
an ebb and flow of a system
not a regimented approach
that would not feel grounded in what they are
Peaceful Foundation should feel like:
a shared map of what exists
a shared memory of what people have done
a shared vocabulary for talking about it
not:
an org chart
a command structure
a giant platform that needs feeding
if Peaceful Foundation disappeared tomorrow:
the pattern (hexagons, campaigns, components, issues, milestones)
should still make sense to anyone who wants to pick it up again
#### Deterministic ≠ Algorithmic
Algorithmic systems:
- Require optimisation
- Fail unpredictably
- Centralise decision-making
- Need constant tuning
- Break when assumptions change
- try to intelligently predict the best way by considering many inputs
- when centralised assumptions fail, they do additional damage because they do not know what they are doing
Deterministic systems (as you mean them):
- Rely on existing motion
- Have multiple valid paths
- Degrade gracefully
- Don’t require “correct” decisions, only reasonable ones
- Can be understood locally without global knowledge
Your rubbish truck example is perfect because it shows this:
- The truck already runs The route already exists
- The timing is predictable
- The marginal cost is near zero
- If it doesn’t work today, another route exists tomorrow
not logistics optimisation. just using the world as it already is.
The same applies to: People walking, people biking
#### Easy
>like quitting an addiction<
simple
small
clear entry points
anyone can begin within minutes
that anyone who finds a project can begin participating and being a part of a thing within minutes
elegant
slots in nicely to life
less effort
where possible
effortless (haha)
I'm sort of joking about effortless, requires, less effort
example: eating differently
give people a mental heuristic
certain resources are pooled
when shopping, the consideration is avoiding single-use packaging
easier choices, considering different things
if you're hungry, putting a potato in the microwave is quicker and easier than getting food delivered
you want people to think
"if everyone did this, it would change the world"
it should be really simple, easy actions
for instance, most people on Earth have access to a microwave
easy, as in very possible
changing the world is achievable
just shows that it's easy as in, another, interpretation of the value
#### Calm
>like people getting along together<
conversation
most people just want to be heard
non-reactive
not against, but for
steady
projects can grow without urgency
(but they do grow faster with it)
#### Fair
>like everyone getting what they need<
should solve the problem
measurable change
data driven
experiences of people
transparent
processes open to all
works for anyone, regardless of background
an example against less effort: painting roofs white to reduce urban heating is the most effective method
and isn't "sexy"
but is scalable and doable and measurable
#### Less
>like less consumption, opinions and dross<
less consumption
anti-consumption in each project
eliminate plastic and cardboard
low cost
run lean
use what already exists
only as much as needed
to do impact
actually cheaper
less opinions
nothing on philosophy
action focussed conversations
minimal structure
less dross
trivial
// all the projects are designed to be very cheap to run
// static
#### Good
>because we can dream of a better future<
fun
authentically sharable
reason for doing things
builds connection
people enjoy being together
lasting
positive sum
everyone gains, nobody loses
stays useful beyond trends
dream of a better future
these five pillars are also our values as an organisation
### organising people
#### An overview of the peaceful passport
The Peaceful Passport is the shared identity layer across all Peaceful Foundation projects.
It solves three linked problems:
- how people show they are *actually* part of the work
- how we stop others from quietly speaking "for" the movement
- how we coordinate thousands of small actions without building a weird reputation game
We explore and expand upon this more in the peaceful passport section.
Why we need a shared identity layer
without a shared layer
it is easy for anyone to:
claim to represent Peaceful Foundation
post "official" content
start groups or drives in our name
this leads to:
co-option
confusion
people getting hurt by things we never endorsed
with a shared layer
we can say, in plain language:
"if it's not linked to a valid passport, it isn't us"
this helps:
the general public
check whether something is really connected
volunteers
know which requests to trust
partners
see who they're actually talking to
checkable trust
requires people to make effort to check if something is true
not at the mercy of an algorithm
What the Peaceful Passport is
a simple, pseudonymous identity
one person → one passport
pseudo-anonymous means it does not require any identification from you
you can remain completely anonymous
used across:
quiteasily
learnstuff.today
reasonable.diet
calm.college
hexagons.world
toilet.network (peaceful.network)
coomer.org
tools we use to organise
peaceful passport itself
minimal by design
passport holds:
a stable identifier
passkeys driven
simple to authenticate
sync between devices
which projects you're active in
which roles you currently hold
participant / ambassador / volunteer / staff
a log of verified contributions
(posters, meals, hubs, code, organising)
it does *not* hold:
private stories
detailed personal data
numeric "scores" or karma
identity and privacy
public view:
pseudonym + broad region / hex
high-level contributions
private / staff view:
just enough extra detail to:
prevent impersonation
handle safety and compliance
legal identity is only collected where required
(e.g. working with children checks, employment)
and kept under strict access and audit
static by design
file hosting is resilient and does not require a centralised system
if anyone hosts a copy and makes changes, it does not work
a link in bio site
customizable
feels like the old web where you could have your own CSS
badges
for the amount of participation people give
verified through consensus
people at the same rank or who have already got a badge confirm
measures what people do
reliability is the main thing
funnelling people into the passport system
student poster campaigns
expressly inform students they need to get permission from schools and universities
doing otherwise would be a circumvention of rules
we assume people got permission
part of this is guides on how exactly to participate
#### Ambassadors
ambassadors are people who participate through a project
they can see they can do something in their local area
they support Peaceful Foundation
they're down to spread the idea
##### Onboarding and Inducting Through Projects
easily accessible
not necessarily a required process
someone who found stuff on quiteasily can put up a poster
ability to print out a poster embedded into the site
customising posters or materials they might share
making memes and uploading them is done through the project itself
the process of sharing is embedded into anything we build that needs to be shared
#### Volunteers
volunteers participate through tasks related to a project
a progression system represents reliability
based on Peaceful Passport
based on the tasks they set out to do
##### volunteer.peacefulfoundation.org
###### Inducting volunteers
regional characteristics
whereabouts they live
specific induction video based on risk profile
specific information about their region or country
right to peaceful assembly
mostly fine everywhere
when it starts turning into a movement, stop
you just want everyone coming together to create a more local world
if your government does not allow it, do not do it
wait for assistance
plenty of other ways to participate
safety in action
you feel the vibe in the air
you also hear stories
##### Registered volunteers
#### Staff
#### Elements
##### Characteristics
// demographics and such
###### Skills
// community
// programming
// organising
// influencing
// researching
// editing
// artistry
###### Region
safety element depending on places in the world
updated country categories
america
oceania
arabia
asia
south asia
oceanic asia
europe
africa
different places have different abilities to make civic action
risk profile accounts for age
anyone can participate
peaceful foundation is against protests
different considerations for different regional demographics
putting up a poster might be highly punished in some societies
peaceful foundation isn't worth dying or causing inconvenience for yourself or others
it should be easy and calm
###### Personality
###### Animal Type
assign DISC traits to animals
fox
shark
turtle
owl
an easy question for people to answer
gives data about group composition
you can create little codes to describe people
###### Myers-Briggs (MBTI)
does not demonise trait approaches
does not imply extroversion is better
people do tests to establish their type
descriptive names for traits from "Myers Briggs in the workplace"
###### Availability
availability isn't really the main vibe
it helps for workload and when we can call on you for tasks
but the main thing is reliability
measured through aspects
###### Euphoriaer
###### Journeyer
###### Adventurer
###### Supporter
###### Enjoyer
##### Aspects
// structure that peaceful foundation creates
###### Avian
consistency
###### Egg
arrives and fills in characteristics
given a general task to show skin in the game
go outside and do things if possible
infinitely scalable tasks
picking up rubbish
meeting people IRL
primarily online
in person, do not enforce hierarchies
all about what people do, not rank
many avenues to optimise the experience and software
for example, a programmer might write a script to wrap an API into a standardizable function
###### Hatchling
does little things
then put in a group to work on something together
###### Cygnet
working on tasks in nests with people
need to be able to work together as a team
if they can't work in a team, they need to work on it
###### Swan
###### Black Swan
###### Intersect
the focus that distills skills, availability, and commitment
examples
programming intersects
euphoriaer intersects with artistry
outside focus
going outside and getting involved in your local community
real world work is far better than online
people in oppressed countries can participate anonymously
editing and artistry
a large bucket of content
do not tell artists what the output should be
everyone has their own different process
#### Systems
##### Discord
everyone has it
easy to onboard people
volunteering system interlinks with organising system
people can join and answer a couple of in-built questions
ambassadors can find things to do for different projects
supports a lot of users
a chat room with forums and threads
voice calling functionality
features we use
forum posts and comments
private threads
public threads
roles and onboarding
bot integration
deals into volunteering system
not project management software
tasks forum
forum posts within that are components
useful as a discussion platform
people can argue over best approaches before a component is ready
keep things in sync with bots
eventually wind down
less project management
more scalable tasks and coordination
online communication
junk food of social interaction
not conversation, that happens IRL
nests
people want community
cygnet
getting people to work together
##### Huly
some tasks only on Huly because of complexity
organisation runs off text files and static data
does not need a live database
text files referenced on public repositories
commented on in Huly
execution and social stuff in Discord
flocks and task management
we will outgrow Discord
formally organising projects
components interact with programming tools
track issues in a centralised place
geared towards programmers but well-documented
link issues to components
for internal volunteers, formal volunteers, staff, ambassadors
virtual online workspace
describe lived experience, not a feature list
integrates with code and Git
components in Huly hold different tasks and sit within a milestone
##### Chad
infinite demographics and tasks
deterministic building blocks
not a personalised list
people doing things together that all make a big difference
examples
rubbish truck man
sports teacher
teach kids breathing from their diaphragm
walking more effectively
science communicator
deep dive into topics
find resources for learnstuff.today
make an explanation however they want
firefighter
look for flammable things in local community
get people to watch out for bottles
figure out what starts the most fires
botanist
find invasive species
get people to recognise weeds that shouldn't be there
#### Structure
a highly scalable structure for organising
should be really simple
##### Tasks
everything is distilled into a GitLab issue
discussed on GitLab
stored there
##### Components
have tasks within them
part of a milestone
works towards a milestone
map onto the coordination platform we're using
Discord or Huly
can be kept up to date in the same way
##### Milestones
points where success criteria has been reached
prevents burnout from infinite tasks
leads on to bigger and brighter work
six weeks is enough to plan and create something big
##### Working together
different nests have different timeouts
bring people together in a way that best enhances them
organiser facilitates in an unscripted way
practice social skills
interview people authentically
listen to each other
organisers train their brain to shut up when another person is talking
intersects for different roles based on their characteristics
consistent receipt gives sense of self-direction
tasks can be locally doable or online
###### Nests
private threads for coordinating work
people can add people to a nest
not overcrowded, but flexible
coordinate people into groups based on characteristics or circumstances
highly versatile group
endeavour to put people where they grow and complement each other
interview people and get to know them
understand skill sets
complete honesty and good culture practice
people go through multiple nests
little team tasks
safety features
people get booted through quorum
quorum size depends on nest size
smaller nest: more than half
larger groups: smaller quorum
if booted, understand why and reflect
egg gets put in nest with other eggs
get fulfillment, post proof
realise they can do things
lasts ~10 days or until everyone hatches
don't make it too touchy-feely
matchmaking
people match themselves
or organiser uses deterministic rules to put people together in prosocial ways
onboarding rooms and chat rooms
have a conversation about what they love
not an interview, just a vibe check
optional personality tests
need to be useful and exportable
cygnet and swan nests
standard project onboarding flow
make a little project plan
organiser checks in as facilitator
assign best project manager to developers or artists
estimate how long in the nest
egg group: ~10 days
other tasks: 21 days to six weeks
max out at six weeks, then repair the nest
###### Flocks
group of avians with a shared characteristic
flying in the same direction
people can make their own flocks
little private threads invited based on interests
not too cliquey
join based on interests
for example, programming language like Rust or C
regions and countries
start with regions until enough people, then countries
chat between Hexagon Map locations
creates more local communication
IRL hobbies
not video games or electronic stuff
want large groups for solidarity
initially egg in a nest, then hatch to join a flock
need to be a grown hatchling, completed first thing
###### Seasons
a season is a six week cycle
enough to plan and create something big
(personal change too!)
if Peaceful Foundation disappeared tomorrow
the patterns still make sense
does not rely on systems Peaceful Foundation hosts
decentralise ways to run them locally
local self-sufficiency in the systems themselves
### Funding and resources
// simple costs
#### Projects with revenue elements
// project funding
##### calm.college's statistics for universities
universities lose enrollment from dropouts
negative health affects course completion
mental health resources are stressed
calm.college acts as a personal datapad for students
can genuinely help and alleviate these problems
free for students, no premium features
universities want better data
current survey data is faulty
only captures students who already interact
difficult to get data on people on campus
engagement is down
campus engagement disappeared around 2008
mental health began to plummet
part of the reason is loss of local communities
$5 per enrolled student per month
adjusted for equity globally
when a campus obtains 10% student participation
##### hexagons.world and useful tools for people
people donate compute as volunteering
locally relevant maps application
free version available
customizable
$1 per month for premium maps
adjusted for equity globally
feels like $1 everywhere
funds providing for local communities
safer routes for people
route home with the most lighting
using available satellite data
calculate safer routes
###### Maps
main focus is the maps application
deterministic results for routing
global compute cluster
caches results
always trying to find the best way
mostly done on device
###### What if?
shared volunteer compute for modelling
shard globally available data to different places
people can play with data and estimate interventions
examples
most effective places to plant trees
painting roofs to lower urban heating
simple deterministic programming language
transparent, not hidden algorithmic
uses maths and operations
people get progressively better at it
feels intuitive, like playing
drag and drop interface
###### Hexagons Private
process private data on private compute
calculate geospatial data easily
business insights
for example, where most jobs are coming from
volunteer compute for non-sensitive data
private compute for sensitive data
charge close to raw compute cost
// are very cheap to run, so the aim is directing all our profits into
very cheap to run
static data and text files are cheap to store
real-time communication is cheap
secure, zero knowledge about actual people
client does a lot of the processing
surplus of resources directed to local communities
##### An undercurrent of flowing resources
giving local communities more comfort as feasibly possible
// the approach
deterministic instead of algorithmic
defined inputs
degrade gracefully
multiple valid paths
do not require correct decisions, only reasonable ones
can be understood locally without global knowledge
can be fully opaque
allow people to suggest better ways of doing things
using the world as it already is
rubbish truck example
truck already runs through existing routes
no need to create new logistical dependencies
approaches fail over to one another
rubbish truck can't pick up → bicycle delivers → car delivers
people walking, biking, doing different things
providing ways of doing approaches in the most effective way
our approach is to make better conversations and better ways of doing things collectively
#### Philanthropists
We will send this document to the following groups to let them know about what we're doing, and that they're welcome to donate, and so that discussion happens inside their networks.
- Ray Dalio is someone who's perfectly aligned.
- MacKenzie Scott / Yield Giving -- I don't know enough about her but she seems cool
- Masayoshi Son -- and what I know a, but he does youth + tools + measurable local outcomes,
have to see if he's still living with an open heart; but I reckon he is.
- Michael Bloomberg --
- Minderoo Foundation -- data
- Atlassian Foundation -- please donate developers but we will not use your software sorry
- Craig Newmark -- please put us in contact with great people
- Good Ventures and Coefficient Giving -- Forecasting (mostly), and other things such as air quality and global growth
- Skoll Foundation
- Omidyar Network
-
- judo.bank
- airtree.vc
- startmate
- blackbird
- giantleap
- square peg capital
- spacecubed
- codersforcauses
- Paul Ramsay Foundation
We will send this document to them, with the excerpt below from "The Seven Stages of Going to War" by Lloyd Demause.
> ***I. FREEDOM: Increasing independence, innovations, growth of real self***
>
> Germany [as Weimar ...] could stand new ways of living, more political freedoms, new industries, more women's rights, and greater personal happiness than it had enjoyed in more authoritarian traditional German culture. States in this Freedom Phase manage to settle their disagreements with other states without resorting to violence, and the increased cooperation and trade produces further economic progress.
> ***II. FEAR: Growth panic, loss of parental approval, disintegration of real self***
>
> The attacking inner voice and the sense of despair of nations in their Fear Phase has nothing to do with the real condition of society. As we will see in the next chapter, Germany during the later Weimar period began feeling despair because "there was no respect for authority any more" and "everyone was arguing in the legislature," so they voted more and more for Nazis, although this was actually a period of increasing economic prosperity and freedoms.
> ***III. FISSION: Splitting into "in-group" and "out-group"***
>
> As nations realise that they feel their Motherland has rejected them as too independent, as bad, they begin to split the Motherland image into a Good Motherland and a Bad Motherland, dividing the world into "us" and "them," with the "in-group" idealised as "clean, pure" and the "out-group" seen as "polluted, filthy." When two or more states fission into idealised and disparaged groups, they increase their violent nationalism and enter into a hostile escalating spiral of military buildups and collection of allies. Fission is produced by fears of growing freedoms, creating "imaginary communities" that must be defended by the Killer Mother alters. When the fission takes place only within the state, a civil war or genocide results.
> ***IV. FUSION: Merging with powerful punishing Killer Motherland***
>
> It is the fusion with the power of the Killer Motherland that gives the war leader his charismatic "strength," not any real strength he has. Hitler was a weak person physically and mentally, but was adored by Germans because he was fused with the Mutterland, with the Volk, a powerful mystical being utterly lacking in empathy. Money-Kyrle describes a Hitler rally: *"The people seemed gradually to lose their individuality and become fused into a not very intelligent but immensely powerful monster, which was not quite sane and therefore capable of anything."* Wars begin in this fused state, claiming *"Motherland in danger!"*
>
> The nation fantasies it will lose its Motherland if it does not rescue her, even when there is no external enemy. Nations march off to war as heroes, *"losing ourselves in ecstasy because we are conscious of a power outside us with which we can merge."*
> ***V. FRACTURE: Projection of Bad Self into helpless victim "enemy"***
>
> In order for the good child self to be loved, the bad child must die. That is why there are so many early societies like Carthage where tens of thousands of jars have been found with charred bones of sacrificed children and inscriptions saying they had been killed by their parents to cleanse the world of their sinfulness. Once the Bad Self is fractured off and projected into an "enemy" -- located either inside or outside the society -- empathy is entirely lost because the punitive parental alter in the amygdala cuts off all contact with the mirror neurons in the insula and anterior cingulate.
> ***VI. FAKED PROVOCATION: Faking a provocative attack by an "enemy"***
>
> A summary of many of the faked provocations used by the United States during he past two centuries reveals a pattern of lying in order to make it appear that an unprovoked attack or threatening condition makes war inevitable. Since most of the nation is in a war trance by Phase Six, they do not question the lie.
>
> The cartoon below shows Saddam Hussein as a killer of children, one of the central fantasies that led to the Gulf War. Although Iraq was one of the best Middle Eastern nations for child care and education, the American media kept picturing him as a child abuser and baby killer, with U.S.-faked incidents like one where babies were supposedly being removed by Iraqis from their incubators and murdered. Initially, President Bush told his representative to tell Saddam: *"We have no opinion on…your border disagreement with Kuwait"* in order to give him a "green light" to invade. The entire war was a set-up because the U.S. needed a war to feel masculine (Bush was being shown in cartoons as a "wimp" who wore women's dresses), and when Saddam said he would pull his troops out of Kuwait himself, the U.S. ignored him, Bush saying to his diplomats simply: *"We have to have a war."*
> ***VII. FIGHT: Becoming the "Hero" of the Killer Motherland and being sacrificed for Her while killing the Bad Self "enemy"***
>
> With the switches into the war trance of the first six phases complete, the nation goes off to their sacrificial war ritual to kill and be killed. The nations involved now are controlled by their hyperactive "alarm centres". Both trust and empathy are gone. The warriors on both sides are fully switched into their violent right hemisphere alters -- their time bombs from early childhood -- and are convinced that they are fully fused with their Killer Motherland and have Her power so they can kill and die as Her Heroes.
— https://psychohistory.com/books/the-origins-of-war-in-child-abuse/chapter-5-the-seven-phases-of-going-to-war/
### A more local and hopeful world
### Social media
// peaceful passport
at core
reaching as many people as possible
getting their attention
showing them a more local and hopeful world
#### Reaching as Many People as Possible
// getting ambassadors to do this
targeted strategically
India (huge skilled youth market) -- can't promote porn cessation directly, so do volunteering and less lonely societies
in muslim places, you might work with self improvement influencers, and get volunteers to reach out
##### People Who Have Large Online Followings
// referring to influencers
have volunteers share and promote to people who have large online followings
since there are too many to possibly count
send proof to get badge in peaceful passport
not paying influencers though since money is better spent elsewhere and asking influencers to volunteer their time instead
within 'influencers' best interest
stay relevant
- campaigns remix memes and cultural moments
- being early to trends builds their reputation
mutual growth
- decentralised campaigns spread quickly
- early adopters benefit from spotting the trend first
positive association
- linked with health, dignity, and local community
- gives moral high ground without being preachy
authentic
- not selling a product, but part of a community movement
- shows credibility and strengthens audience trust
low risk, high upside
- light, fun, sharable
- avoids ideology or controversy
- safe to post, still high engagement
creative freedom
- raw material can be adapted to their style
- cooking videos, meme edits, fitness reels, campus humour
- no scripts, just prompts with viral potential
also sidestep algorithms
algorithm change trivial to hinder campaign
- whatsapp broadcast
- telegram
- group chat
- (irl actions)
#### Get Their Attention
get volunteers to make the content
culturally aware
tailored towards their country
- silent advertisement
gets your attention on television
- gong bowl
- chalk crushing
reading things
- that describe the world today
gureilla marketing handbook for ambassadors
get experts
I reckon purpose.com
more formal as time goes on and local community take root
could leverage: Tribe Global (network of marketing firms)
#### Show Them a More Hopeful and Local World, Together
- people applying lessons
- fun, light, local
make content that is
widespread -- broadly accessible (addiction, food)
intrigue -- say less than needed, harmless
inspiring -- lived examples, not polished campaigns
each project has it's own focus and promotion strategy
highlight: people running and doing things locally
- while others march, here’s what you can do in your community today
- Two bucks of potatoes will feed you all day
- no nut november -> no numb november
- You can’t change what you can’t see.
Students, volunteers, and local ambassadors each become “mini figureheads” in their own circles. This makes the movement feel bigger than one person
hackauthor2
(mystery) if people know there is someone behind it, but the focus is on the message, the ethos feels stronger.
founder optics:
Show yourself enough that people know there’s a real human anchoring it.
Keep your presence casual and light -- “I think quitting porn helps calm communities” rather than big speeches.
Avoid building cult-of-personality optics. Instead, frame yourself as “just the one who noticed something obvious and started it.”
Introduce the core truths in your own voice (short, human, almost offhand), then let volunteers remix and carry them.
Let the most viral energy come from other people sharing and claiming it.
hiding face using environment and wide shots
australian
then translate using LLM into the same accent
#### Off social media
additionally, you also want to get them off social media
##### peaceful.network (toilet.network)
you start off with toilet.network on the quiteasily posters,
The name 'toilet.network' makes it seem that the project is going down the drain, but this is only initially in order to get attention, but moves to peaceful.network, adding features such as drawing boards and a 'chatroulette' voice only chat, but with a reputation system anchored in a 'costly proof' within the peaceful passport.
Happening
see a feed of the most recent posters globally. Simple proof that others are acting.
a short snippet from another person - “someone in Brazil cooked a $2 potato recipe” / “someone in Poland quit porn.”
Stall
Short, anonymous messages for the current hexagons.world location.
A way to recreate “stall writing” in a safe and pleasant way, and they depreciate over time.
Note in a bottle
You write a tiny message (or pick an emoji), and it “floats” live via WebRTC to one random peer currently connected. They can grab it, pop it on, or reply with one emoji.
animation shows kiln making bottle
all the steps
then popping in river
(subtle anticonsumption)
Flush Button
Two random peers share a giant button. Whoever presses it first “flushes” and resets the game. The other just sees it vanish.
similar to 'the button' on reddit
Local Happenings (future feature)
things happening in your local community (the current hexagons.world hexword)
anonymous
also actions: put up a poster, cook a meal, host a walk. Small, doable, and sharable
### Development
we expect development to be very rapid.
serverless where possible
use 'large file storage' only when we must (prefer SVG, PDF, text first)
mirrors + redundancy so no single outage kills momentum
#### Developer experience
the message is clear: [developers are key to success](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fcSviC7cRM).
we want to make their experience as pleasant as possible
clear specifications
easy to contribute
purpose
networking developers who do tasks together, for community
have them collaborate on mainly frontends to a minimal and lovely backend
backend:
minimal
standardised
decending versioning
by this it is meant that the version number is at a high number and then goes lower as the software becomes more stable to a fixed version and is optimised.
for instance, the data store
this is ideal for the backend projects since people need a stable base
also makes us mindful including well-rounded and useful features too
frontend:
Use Astro
static site generator
able to use multiple frontend frameworks, even at the same time
more accessible to developers
and multiple frontend frameworks that much like our ethos, let the best ideas win
tools
version control
use git
but also jj (Jujutsu)
is a version control system that continues using standard Git repositories, but adds a simpler, safer, more “undo-able” workflow on top. Work is organised as a stack of “changes” that are easy to move, amend, and reorder, making commit histories and code review stacks much easier.
gitlab -- repositories
'prettier' code standarisation library
https://prettier.io/
CONTRIBUTING with devcontainer/nix
ADR folder for decision log; short, human summaries
README “one minute start” at top
integration
link projects to passport IDs
badge awards
light metrics
can display this where they would like
onboard contributors onto huly.io
resilience
fallback channels if platforms block us
poster + print and press kits, PDFs on gitlab mirrored on github
peer-to-peer sharing failsafe (session, tox, matrix)
not dependent on peaceful foundation offical channels to succeed once idea spreads
keep all raw data exportable and low-dependency
plain text, CSV, static HTML
if a platform fails, community can spin up a fork in hours
### Projects
//////////// notes on narrative and framing
(internal only: see tactics.md)
#### COULD PUT the PROJECTS HERE and COULD BE ELEGANT
quiteasily.org
learnstuff.today
reasonable.diet
calm.college
hexagons.world
peaceful passport
scalablecampaigns.org
### Mass media
The aim is to reach journalists and media outlets widely, quickly and genuinely. Our outreach to journalists focuses on credible broadcasters, grassroots/student media, investigative collectives, wires, and experimental platforms. The guiding principle is to make stories easy to cover (press kits, fact sheets, open data), frame them as a social experiment not a product, and avoid sensationalism or tabloids.
#### A better experience for journalists
##### Press releases
journalists are often under extreme time pressure
often press releases are just inefficient pdf documents
make it efficient to report upon instead
use reactive web elements to make things easier for reporters
clearly define: who, what, when, where, why
run our own little creative commons media centre of good stories
allow journalists to subscribe to email list, or if don't want to disclose email, rss feed also
make it significantly easier to report upon
show respect to reporters and make their jobs easier
give an audio explainer that is refreshingly human
###### Press Kits
press packs split by geography
separate and in a clean zip
logos, project one-liners, and founder quotes in a clean zip
a bank of short quotes from volunteers, students, community members
live contact with someone “always on” for comment (even if rota-based volunteers)
high-res images and b-roll video (posters in the wild, students cooking, etc.)
fact sheets with key info
CC-licensed so journalists don’t have to ask permission
###### Data and Access
open dashboards (hexagons, campus stats, posters map)
reporters and journalists can create their own localised angles
early access calls or memos under embargo
high trust media is cause of trustful democracies
can get launches of projects out far faster
media live chat with someone is “always on” for comment (even if rota-based volunteers)
journalists appreciate actual people and speedy replies
#### Live comments from volunteer spokespeople
live and instant comments
#### Outreaching to media and journalists
public broadcasters
- ABC, BBC, PBS, NHK, Deutsche Welle
- civic-minded, non-commercial
- frame Peaceful Foundation as social experiment, not a product
student & community media
- campus press, community radio, small journals
- authentic and grassroots
- ties into Calm.College
independent media collectives
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)
- Global reach, strong reputation for cross-border stories
- local statistics + censorship resilience angles (hexagons, posters map) would fit their “systems of power” lens
Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)
- 240+ member orgs, training + story exchange
- Natural hub for amplifying student/community data stories, especially local → global angles
- Journalists actively looking for ready-made datasets + human-centred stories
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
- Press freedom NGO with wide readership among working journalists
- Would resonate with censorship-resilience tools (GreatFire-like work, mesh comms, anonymised proof-of-life)
- Coverage by CPJ often ricochets into mainstream outlets
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
- High visibility, strong advocacy reputation
- Their *Collateral Freedom* project overlaps ethos (mirroring, decentralisation)
- Would likely highlight your projects as examples of civic tech resisting repression
Global Voices
- Volunteer-driven, multilingual network amplifying overlooked local voices
- Direct match for “local world” ethos — students, recipes, addiction recovery framed as dignity + resilience
- Trusted by journalists as a discovery platform
AMARC (World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters)
- 4,000+ community radio members in 130 countries
- Grassroots distribution channel for posters, potato recipes, campus calm stories
- Fits “local action, global echo” perfectly
Associated Press (AP), Reuters, Agence France-Presse (AFP), Press Association (UK), Canadian Press, Australian Associated Press (AAP)
- regional wires with wide reach
- every newsroom monitors them
- syndication = instant global pickup
JournoLists, journa.host (Mastodon)
- where journalists trade story leads
- journa.host is matsodon which is federated and cool
Pacifica Radio Network (US) and AMARC (global community radio)
- local vibe that we want
- hundreds of affiliates
##### Complementary Considerations
podcasts
- independent, long-form conversations
- useful tone and context
- deepen understanding
international tie-ins
- occasional features in Al Jazeera English, The Guardian global development
- highlight dignity, addiction cessation, and local community improvement
- broaden global reach without losing ethos
no commercial tabloids
- avoid distortion and sensationalism
- staying out reinforces “trustable” positioning
- strengthens credibility with students, NGOs, and community groups
experimental platforms
- long-term: appear on unusual or niche outlets (European public TV, art collectives)
- not to sell, but to expose spectacle and redirect focus to community
### Partnerships
partnerships are simple and lightweight
- two main modes:
1) skilled people coordinate directly with Peaceful Foundation
- programmers, designers, organisers, academics
- collaborate on tools, campaigns, or research
2) groups relay instructions to their members
- churches, student clubs, NGOs, collectives
- distribute posters, resources, or event ideas
- no heavy onboarding
- respect people as people, not institutions
- provide clear actions that slot into existing rhythms
- ethos over structure
- the foundation gives tools and guidance
- groups and individuals adapt them locally
#### Groups
universities
- clubs
- societies
- student groups
- academics (including academic unions)
avoid guild (National Union of Students) dystopic bureaucracy
collectives
- art, music, culture, grassroots spaces
- programmers and hobbyist groups
- protest groups possible, but always people as people
infrastructure
- poster boards, Discords, mailing lists, community spaces
community groups
- religious networks with strong local presence
- mens sheds
- local volunteer fire brigades, sports clubs, choirs
existing trust and cohesion
NGOs and health bodies
InterAction (US coalition of 180+ NGOs)
Bond (UK network of 400+ NGOs)
ICVA (International Council of Voluntary Agencies)
NetHope (tech consortium of 65+ humanitarian NGOs)
Student NGO networks: AIESEC, Enactus, IAESTE
also:
mental health
addiction
food
local rehab charities
align on dignity and prevention
tech / startup ecosystem
- coding groups, accelerators, aligned founders
- https://codersforcauses.org
activist hacker groups
https://en.greatfire.org/
Open Technology Fund (OTF)
Access Now // ask them to evaluate peaceful foundation approach
contribute skills and or amplify campaigns
worth noting that each of these have regional spaces that trusted volunteers can be assigned to reach out to
when reaching out, include passport and have the email server assign an email signature that has an explainer and a clarifying disclaimer
### Measurement
attention (introductory paragraph)
attention can be a signal but not the goal
it shows whether the story cuts through noise
measure briefly
reach of a post
views of a clip
these are surface indicators, useful for testing resonance
but they are not the goal at all
#### Statistics and real impact
impact measured by change in statistics
any effective campaign → reduction of suffering, visible over time
// hexagons
##### real traces within campaigns
// within campaigns
measure what’s left behind in the real world
posters placed
recipes cooked
meetups held
these are simple, uncensorable signals of participation
the strongest metric is reliability
someone takes a second task
comes back again
or invites a friend
depth of commitment matters more than breadth of reach
trust > clicks
##### Stories and continuity
the story retold is the real metric
did people explain it to others in their own words?
anecdotes, memes, word of mouth
if the narrative spreads, the movement is alive
look for actions that sustain over weeks and months, not just spikes of attention
participation that persists without prompting is the strongest indicator
avoid vanity metrics
likes, followers, views
measure only what helps us learn, improve, and stay true to purpose
### Longevity
// you could even do everything manually
#### Simplicity
built on static tools and volunteer energy
no single point of capture
low or no baseline cost
expenses small enough for micro-donations or pooled hosting
#### Resilience
systems and community
static sites with few dependencies
open protocols and offline-friendly formats
knowledge stored publicly
rituals and habits that persist (posters, small events)
redundancy through archives, mirrors, and forks
people
volunteer base self-renewing
roles easy to pick up
no central figure required for continuity
#### Ethos
grounded in authentic action and community
“always free essentials” builds long-term trust
not tied to passing trends
volunteers motivated by values rather than incentives
ethical durability across cultures
#### Adaptability
clear principles, flexible expression
modular projects that can be forked or translated
practices normalised so behaviours carry on even if tools vanish
no brand worship → anyone can carry the flag
local rituals anchor global ethos
#### Continuity and Growth
start small and cheap
scale by decentralising
community measurement provides feedback loops
each project useful on its own
can scale extremely quickly, and persists even under slow growth
### Timeline
discussed in the time section
broadly speaking
quiteasily
learnstuff.today
reasonable.diet
before leading into
calm.college
then
hexagons.world
maps
what if
hexagons private
hexagons enterprise
after a while
winding or lowering down peaceful foundation
low-power mode
you have succeeded