Introduction

Democracy has been continuously advancing throughout the ages, from the first congregations of citizens in the polis of ancient Greece to the sophisticated governance systems we experiment with today. The fundamental hypothesis of democracy is that power is held by the people, who exercise it directly or through elected representatives.

Over the years, democracy has adopted multiple forms and has been adapted to various cultural, political, and technological contexts. However, despite these adaptations, numerous challenges remain. Power imbalances, corruption, information manipulation, and the marginalization of certain groups are all problems that can hinder the effective functioning of democracy.

With the emergence of the digital era, new opportunities have arisen to rethink and improve democracy. Cyberdemocracy, or digital democracy, is a concept that uses information and communication technologies to enhance citizen participation and make the democratic process more transparent, efficient, and inclusive.

It is in this context that the Holismo project was developed. Holismo is a decentralized democracy project that uses the Idena network and peer-to-peer technologies to create an uncensorable platform for individual expression. The goal is to create a borderless and authority-less democracy, where every citizen can propose laws and vote on those proposed by others.

Thanks to Idena’s unique approach to proving human identity on the internet, Holismo aims to generate a safe and fair online environment. Each participant of the network must authenticate their humanity by passing an online validation test. Once this test is successful, the participant obtains the “Human” status and can participate in validating transactions and in network governance.

Holismo is organized into citizen roles, with specific missions for each role. Citizens participate in all votes, no action can be taken without their validation. They vote for their representatives, the laws, the evolution of the protocol, and certify actions taken in the real world.

In short, Holismo represents a new stage in the evolution of democracy, using cutting-edge technologies to create a decentralized democracy platform that is both inclusive, transparent, and resistant to censorship. It’s an experimental vision of what democracy could be in the digital age.

Governance Structure

Governance is structured into citizen roles, with specific missions dedicated to each role.

Citizens

Citizens, members of the Idena network, are the pillars of all oracle votes in all categories, and are the decision-makers at all levels of democracy. No action can be initiated without the approval of citizens. They vote for their representatives, the laws, the evolution of the protocol, and certify the validity of actions taken in the tangible world.

Holismo ID (HID) Citizens

HID citizens, citizens who have issued an identity NFT on the network, have the same rights as citizens without HID, but they have the ability to undertake additional actions:

– Run for election to the parliament members
– Participate in the entrance tests for Operators
– Propose protocol evolutions (with the aim of integrating or not integrating the operators)
– Propose a Soft or Hard Revolution.
– Make a spontaneous law proposal

A HID and an Idena address are inseparable forever. An address can never recreate a HID, even if it is destroyed, lost, or transferred.

Parliament Members

The members of Parliament, democratically elected by an oracle vote, are responsible for proposing laws and conducting parliamentary debates. Their mission is to create, debate, and synthesize proposed laws, while respecting the pre-established convention.

There are 8 Parliament Members, with 2 new ones elected every 6 Epochs. Their mandate lasts for 24 epochs and they automatically join the “reserve” for 24 epochs (a period during which they are no longer active but can apply for the role of guardian).

To be elected, each candidate must present the following to the community:

– A presentation text including their profile, philosophy, and goals as a member.
– A list of 12 topics they would like to propose to the community (neutral, without detail)

Applications will be published and submitted to an oracle vote to determine the 2 best elements (without revealing the candidates’ HID until the end of the process).

Operators

The Operators are the technicians of Holismo democracy. They ensure the smooth operation of the protocol and are also responsible for public (non-sensitive) communication.

They have the following missions:

– Development and updating of applications
– Development and updating of smart contracts
– Communication on social networks
– Creation of entrance exams
– Graphics and web design

There is no maximum limit to the number of operators. Their number is defined according to technical needs and the evolution of the protocol. They serve for a period of 12 Epochs as a junior operator (with limited access) then a period of 36 Epochs as a senior operator (During which they can apply for the role of guardian)

Operators are appointed either by an entrance exam or by the strength of their proposal.

1. Entrance Exam

When a need requires the integration of a new operator, they prepare a practical work exam that candidates must perform in a defined time. Operators analyze and verify the candidates’ work and select the 3 best. These works will be published and submitted to an oracle vote to determine the best element (without revealing the candidates’ HID until the end of the process).

2. Proposal

Each Citizen possessing a HID can propose a technical evolution of the protocol. This proposal will be submitted to an oracle vote which, in case of acceptance by a qualified majority, will result in the integration of the citizen among the operators, as well as the implementation of the solution.

Guardians

The guardians, democratically elected by an oracle vote, are the pillars of Holismo democracy. They are responsible for treasury management, publishing updates, and sensitive communications.

They have the following missions:

– MultiSig wallet management
– Payment of technical fees
– Administration of DNS and servers
– Verification of applications and smart contracts
– Publication of voting results
– Communication with states and NGOs
– Administrators of communication tools and the Holismo GitHub.

The role of the Guardians is occupied by 3 former operators and 3 former parliament members. Their mandate lasts 24 Epochs, and 2 new Guardians (1 Operator and 1 Reservist) are appointed every 8 Epochs.

To be elected, each operator candidate must present a list of all the missions performed during their term (this list must be certified by the guardians).

To be elected, each reservist candidate must present a comprehensive communication plan and diplomatic relations.

Council Members

Council Members are former guardians who have honored their entire mandate. It is therefore a role acquired automatically and for an indefinite period.

Their missions are as follows:

Organizational Chart

Law Voting

At each epoch, citizens are invited to vote on a law pertaining to a topic proposed to them. The voting process for a law goes through several stages.

  1. Each member of Parliament chooses a law topic and passes it to the guardians (from the list they proposed at the time of their election).
  2. The guardians consult the citizens through an oracle vote (Free) to determine the topic that will be voted on in the next epoch. (Topics that receive more than 10% of the vote may be proposed again in the next consultation, while others are removed from the lists).
  3. Once the topic has been voted on, each member of Parliament must create a personal law proposal and send it to the guardians who simultaneously publish them (each law must contain a preamble and various articles to respond in the most comprehensive way to the chosen topic).
  4. A public debate opens on the public communication channels and on the secure network of Parliament members. During this phase, Parliament members synthesize the different proposed laws and the results of the parliamentary debate to draft new proposals (from 2 to 4 proposals maximum). The initial duration of this debate is set to 1 Epoch, but it can be extended up to a maximum of 3 Epochs. If the duration of the parliamentary debate exceeds 1 Epoch, all other planned operations are postponed accordingly until resolution.
  5. The guardians create the oracle vote (Paid) by adding the “Other” proposition to the oracle; this response serves as a blank vote or indecision on the part of the citizen. Each Citizen sends their secret vote.
  6. The counting period opens, and each citizen can make their vote public.

Operations after Counting

Situation 1: No response has obtained a super majority

Situation 2: One of the responses proposed by Parliament obtains a super majority (The Celebration).

Situation 3: The “Other” proposal obtains a super majority.

NFTs

The role of NFTs within the Holismo system is crucial. They serve to identify the members of the organization and keep a record of the transaction history on the network.

Holismo Identity NFTs (HID)

These NFTs provide each citizen with a unique identifier on the network. The name chosen by the address can only be used once and an address cannot obtain multiple HIDs (even if it destroys or moves its NFT).

Participation NFTs

These NFTs can be created by an address that has participated in a vote. There are two types of participation NFTs: Basic NFTs and Gold NFTs. The probability of getting a Gold NFT is calculated based on the number of Basic and Gold NFTs one has already obtained. Here is the equation used:

P(G’) = 1 — (1 — P(G)) * exp(-k * (n * X + m * Y))

where:

In summary, the more NFTs (Basic or Gold) you have, the higher your probability of getting a Gold NFT increases. However, this probability will not increase indefinitely and will eventually plateau.

Role NFTs

These NFTs are given to citizens who have obtained a role. Each identification NFT is visually unique and is created by the Guardians with the Foundation’s wallet. The address receives the NFT as soon as it accedes to the role it has obtained. To be eligible for a role, each address must have the following NFTs:

It is crucial to keep these NFTs in the wallet of the address that obtained them in order to maintain its status and receive rewards. If an address with a role were to lose or destroy one of its NFTs during its term, it would automatically be stripped of its function and could no longer operate in the organization (ever). Similarly, if an address does not fulfil its mission or is killed, its current role NFT is invalidated and added to a blacklist so as not to be able to claim another role.

State NFTs

These NFTs authenticate the address of a state participating in Holismo. These NFTs are created as states participate. No additional NFT will be created for a state, so it is up to the states to ensure the security of their wallet and their NFT. These NFTs allow the receipt of IDNA tokens based on their responses to laws that have obtained a super majority (laws entering the constitution).

Premium iNFTs

These iNFTs allow you to receive IDNA rewards at each epoch. Every address on the network can create this iNFT by burning other NFTs. This burn mechanism assigns a number of points to this iNFT as follows:

An iNFT is unique and cannot be used in duplicate. An address that would hold 2 iNFTs would not receive the tokens dedicated to these two iNFTs. To receive the tokens dedicated to the iNFT, the address that owns it must match the initial address that created the iNFT. However, it will be possible to burn an iNFT that does not match your address to recover 30% of the points to add to yours.

TREASURY & DISTRIBUTION

To support the efforts of various roles and the interests of participants, it is crucial to collect funds at each period and distribute them among the different actors. A participation contribution will therefore be established in the Holismo agreement for the “law vote” and the “minting of Participation NFTs”. All the funds will be gathered in a transitional multisig wallet managed by the guardians, then distributed via smart contracts among the various beneficiaries.

1. Law vote distribution

2. NFT mint distribution (Without super majority)

3. NFT mint distribution (Celebration / With super majority)

Distribution to States

Following each vote, the laws that have reached a super majority will be recorded in the constitution and relayed to the participating states. A 30-day period is granted to respond to this law via a confidential form on IPFS, with the possibility of earning rewards based on choices:

1. Neutral

2. Rejected

3. Approved, already applied (OracleLock)

4. Approved with commitment (OracleLock + TimeLock)

The recoverable funds are also divided among all participating states. To be part of this, a state must have an address on the Idena network and a State NFT that has been minted by the guardians.

This interaction, stimulated by the active reactions of the States, could encourage participation and a more faithful representation of the interests of citizens, thereby reinforcing the responsibility of the States in the democratic process. Moreover, this could promote transparency and accountability, allowing citizens to follow the decisions made by their respective states regarding the proposed laws.

Distributions to Roles

Citizens with a role are paid after each law vote counting (or after the Participation NFT mint, in the case of a celebration), based on the recoverable funds accumulated since the last counting. To receive payment, one must have completed their mission, maintain a Human status, and possess all the required NFTs.

Distributions to Premium iNFTs

The distribution of rewards intended for iNFTs takes place after the minting of participation NFTs (based on the same snapshot) in the following manner:

For each specific ‘a’ address on the network,

The point value N(a,i) of the iNFT ‘i’ created by the address ‘a’ is given by:

N(a,i) = n(a,i) + 5 * m(a,i)

The distribution of tokens to the address ‘a’ holding the iNFT ‘i’ is given by:

D(a,i) = N(a,i) * (T / P)

where D(a,i) is the number of tokens distributed to the address ‘a’ holding the iNFT ‘i’.

To be eligible for rewards, the address must maintain a human status.

Distribution to Non-Governmental Organizations

Continuously, non-governmental organizations have the opportunity to submit projects that require funding for their implementation on the holismo.org website. These proposals, accessible to all, are voted on every 6 epochs to determine which initiatives, according to the oracle, deserve to benefit from the accumulated funds. Each NGO has the opportunity to propose a project once per 6 epoch period.

Following the oracle’s vote, the funds are distributed (in iDNA) among the three projects that have received the most votes, according to the following proportions:

In the event of a multitude of proposals, the funds would be divided equally among several categories before being submitted to the votes.

Projects that have not been selected by the community will have the opportunity to be re-proposed in subsequent polls (non-automatic renewal).

Communication

For optimal operation, the protocol requires multiple channels of communication, both public and private. Public communication will be managed by the Operators and Guardians on the institutional website, social networks, and open instant messaging platforms. Interactions between the different roles will be semi-private, meaning they won’t be accessible to the public in real-time, but will be made public every 12 epochs.

Public Communication (Discord)

The Holismo Discord server functions as a public square dedicated to discussing the protocol, debating proposed laws, and suggesting evolutions. To safeguard the integrity of the server, access permissions are structured based on each user’s status (authenticated by Idena Auth).

The administration of the Discord server is the responsibility of the Guardians. They can, if necessary, grant moderation rights to Senior Operators. For each new topic, a new channel will be opened until the oracle vote. After the vote, the channel will be archived and only available for reading.

Public Communication (Social Networks)

All public communication channels, other than Discord, must be proposed and voted on by the community. These channels must necessarily be managed by a team to be accepted. They will be managed by the Guardians, moderated by the Operators, and must adhere to the communication rules dictated by the Holismo Convention.

Roles Communication

In order to organize and transmit information privately, citizens with a role will have at their disposal a P2P encrypted communication tool. The management of this tool falls under the responsibility of the Guardians. To illustrate, we could consider setting up discussion channels on the SimpleX Chat application.

Here are all the secure channels:

To access these channels, each role must log in with their Idena account to the Holismo website to retrieve their QR Codes. Once connected, the user must identify themselves under the same name as the one registered on their HID Citizen. All communication must be made public every 12 epochs, or at the request of the community, through an oracle vote. Before publication, any mentions of URLs, identifiers, or passwords must be obscured.

All of these channels have the same configuration:

Communication with States

The Guardians are tasked with establishing a connection with state governments through legal means. They have the possibility to use all communication channels offered by these states (forms on governmental websites, postal mail, email addresses). Once the contact is established, it is their responsibility to implement a secure communication channel with each state to ensure the protection of exchanged information. When a Guardian successfully establishes contact with a state, he automatically becomes the referent for that state. He maintains his access to the state communication channel, even when he joins the Council at the end of his term.

Note: To confirm their participation and receive their NFT, states will have to issue a public statement attesting to their commitment to the protocol.

Democratic Specificities

Convention

The convention is a document that sets the rules for the Holismo protocol. Submitted to the community vote, its goal is to establish operational standards. Here is an initial draft of this convention:

Any violation of these rules would result in a permanent sanction for the concerned address (exclusion from communication networks, removal of roles, NFT blacklisting…) following a decision by the oracle. Each member is responsible for the protocol and must work towards its protection.

Revolution

At any time, a citizen with an HID can propose a revolution through an oracle vote encompassing the entire network. The purpose of a revolution is to modify a part or the entirety of the protocol’s components.

  1. Soft Revolution

This type of revolution is a proposal aiming to modify the current convention. The citizen will propose the amendment of one or more articles of this convention via an oracle vote. It is imperative that he writes a complete convention, including both amended and unchanged articles.

Case #1: If the community rejects the proposal, no changes occur and the protocol continues to operate under the existing rules. The citizen in question won’t be able to propose a revolution for 24 epochs (if he creates another oracle vote during this period, it will simply be ignored).

Case #2: If the community approves the proposal, the protocol is suspended, and all operations are postponed until resolution (ongoing votes can finish normally). The proposal becomes acceptable but is not immediately validated. It has to undergo a competition phase to be implemented. The parliament members have 7 days to draft a counterproposal and submit it to the guardians. The guardians then create an oracle vote with the following 3 proposals:

After the counting period, the community’s choice is implemented and the protocol can resume. Only a proposal obtaining the super-majority is considered valid (if none achieves this, the revolution is canceled).

  1. Hard Revolution

This type of revolution aims to deeply modify the protocol (Convention + Whitepaper). The citizen will propose, via an oracle vote, a complete and new version of the whitepaper and convention.

Case #1: If the community rejects the proposal, no changes occur and the protocol continues to operate under the existing rules. The citizen won’t be able to propose a revolution for 48 epochs (if he creates another oracle vote during this period, it will simply be ignored).

Case #2: If the community approves the proposal, the protocol is suspended, and all operations are postponed until resolution (ongoing votes can finish normally). Council members are randomly chosen to replace the guardians throughout the entire revolution phase. The guardians lose their access to all applications and sensitive data for security reasons.

The proposal becomes acceptable but is not immediately validated. It has to undergo a competition phase to be implemented. Parliament members have 30 days to draft a counterproposal and submit it to the interim guardians. The interim guardians then create an oracle vote with the following 3 proposals:

After the counting period, the community’s choice is applied. Only a proposal obtaining the super-majority is considered valid (if none achieves this, the revolution is canceled). The whitepaper modifications can impact roles, so it’s necessary to restructure the organization if the changes demand it (and determine whether citizens with a role remain in place). No other law vote can be proposed until the new structure is established.

Caution: It is strongly advised not to modify the status and missions of the council members. Doing so would harm relations with the states and jeopardize the protocol.

Citizen HID Law Proposal / Amendment

At any time, an HID Citizen can propose a law or a constitutional amendment. To do so, they must submit a complete law text through an oracle vote, encompassing the entire network. If the vote is positive (supermajority), the proposed subject will be debated and voted on like any other topic by the parliament members. During this vote, the guardians will thus initiate an oracle vote including the Citizen’s proposal, three proposals from parliament members, and the “Other” option (“maintain the law” in the context of an amendment).

Technologies

Idena Network

Idena is an innovative blockchain project that validates identities using proof-of-personhood, fundamentally different from traditional data-driven methods. The network relies on simultaneous global verification sessions, in which participants, or “nodes,” complete puzzles that are complex enough to deter AI manipulation, thus ensuring one user cannot maintain multiple identities.

A fair distribution of mining power is maintained within the network, democratizing the whole process and creating an equitable platform. Furthermore, Idena operates as a decentralized entity, enhancing security and resilience while warding off potential interference typical of centralized systems.

Idena is not just about blockchain technology; it stands tall as a beacon for building a fair and inclusive digital community, revolutionizing the concept of digital identity.

File Sharing Networks

In order to ensure information availability and to strengthen resistance to censorship, it is recommended to use file sharing networks to host the following elements:

Given that Idena has an IPFS gateway, it is advised to host the files on this network to ensure overall protocol operation consistency. However, to avoid being entirely dependent on this network’s operation and potential issues that could arise, it is recommended to create data redundancy on another network (Solutions being tested: AEWeb, Bittorrent, Flux).

Roadmap

PHASE 0: Pre-Release

During this initial phase, three polls were presented to the Idena community to assess their interests and democratic preferences. Addresses that participated in all votes will be awarded the first Holismo NFTs (1 NFT per address). Although these NFTs will have no utility within the protocol, they will be authentic. Addresses that participated in at least one vote will be able to participate in a lottery offering 5 additional NFTs.

Phase 1: Construction (indefinite duration)

Step 1
During this phase, an initial whitepaper (v0.9) is presented to the community, explaining the mechanisms of operation and the general direction of the project. Each point in this whitepaper will be debated, questioned, and approved by the community through an oracle vote. A Version 1.0 of the whitepaper and the first Holismo convention will thus be drafted and submitted to an oracle vote.

Step 2
Once the rules are established, the project enters a phase of development and testing. Community members are invited to participate in the project implementation based on their skills and availability. Here are the profiles sought for the realization of the project:

Each project development contributor will receive a gold NFT at the end of Phase 1 and can create his HID Citizen NFT. Only HID Citizens minted during Phase 1 will be able to access the initial roles at the launch of Phase 2.

Community members can also earn NFTs (cumulative) based on their voting participation rate:

Here is the list of elements necessary for the success of phase 1:

Once all these elements are validated, an oracle vote will sanction the transition to Phase 2.

Phase 2: Experimentation

This phase begins with the accessibility of HID NFTs for all citizens, followed by the first Holismo election. Here are the initial roles available in this election:

It will be automatically proposed to citizens with a Phase 1 HID to join the operator team.

The protocol can now be tested. All laws that achieve a super majority will be included in a temporary constitution (as an example) that will be abolished at the end of Phase 2. However, all NFTs created during this phase will be authentic and therefore valid for the third and final phase of the project.

Law vote (global) distribution

In order to test the protocol as quickly as possible, all mandate durations are divided by 4 (as well as the number of subjects initially proposed by parliament candidates)

Here is the list of elements necessary for the success of Phase 2:

Once all elements are validated and the democratic organization process is working, an oracle vote is proposed by the guardians to move on to Phase 3.

Phase 3: Decentralized Autonomous Organization

All mechanisms are operational, governance is decentralized, and the Holismo project is complete. It will continue to evolve without any authority, defending human rights, without distinction or acts of violence.