# Libre-RISCV Member Charter Agreement

* Draft Status (v0)
* Last Edited: 22 Sep 2019

This document is based on the Titanian's "Code of Honour" and on
the Systemic Laws of Organisations, listed in "Invisible Dynamics".

# The Code of Honour

* Always do "good"
* Never do "harm"
* The Code applies 100% of the time
* Everyone knows The Code

This Code is simple and short enough to memorise. "Good" is further defined
to mean "increasing Truth, Awareness, Love or Creativity for one or more people
including yourself" and "Harm" is defined as *reducing* any of those same
four qualities for *anyone*.

However, The Code on its own, due to its minimalist nature, can be hard to
apply when the chips are down, so we further augment it with the Systemic Laws,
listed below.

Just as with The Code, the Systemic Laws are not optional.

# The Systemic Laws of Organisations.

The Systemic Laws are based primarily on respect, recognition, responsibility,
and ownership of the same; on encouragement and allowing each contributor
to grow and be part of the group.

* Everyone belongs; every contributor (users included), is recognised both
  in their own right as well as for their achievements and their contributions.
* Everyone is respected and honoured, past and present.
* Length of service is respected alongside and in balance with their level of
  expertise.
* Everyone acknowledges and accepts their role and seniority, and in turn
  acknowledge and accept the role and seniority of others.
* The responsibility to those we serve, when we take on a role of
  responsibility and power, is acknowledged and accepted.
* Everyone is rewarded equitably for their contributions.
* Everyone is responsible - and accountable - for their actions (good and bad:
  "Guilt" and "Merit" belong with whoever earned them).

The Systemic Laws are explained below.

## Everyone belongs

Every contributor and their contributions and achievements are recognised.
This further encourages people to contribute; they feel welcome, and their
efforts valued.

## Everyone is respected and honoured, past and present

When someone leaves a project, particularly under less than ideal circumstances,
it is still vitally important to value and respect both them *and* their
contributions.  

## Role, Seniority and Expertise are all respected.

This can be very challenging, particularly when someone with more expertise
meets someone whose length of service is greater.  

## We accept the responsibility of our position

If we choose a position of responsibility, we must actually acknowledge and
accept the responsibility of that role!  People will be relying on us.

## Everyone is rewarded equitably for their contributions

In a "Libre" context this is often extremely hard to do, as the normal
rules of profit-maximising business (do not provide goods or services
until payment has been received) do not apply: our "product" - the
source code - is made available at zero monetary cost.  So it is down
to us to ensure that part of our time is spent making sure that everyone
*is* actually rewarded, whether through contracts, sponsorship, donations,
crowd-funding and profit-sharing in the same, and so on.

## Everyone is responsible and accountable (for the "good" *and* the "bad")

When we do something well, it is vital that we (alone) own and hold the
credit for that achievement (nobody else takes the credit; we *accept*
the credit).  When we screw up, it is just as equally vital that we take
responsibility for cleaning up our mess, and that nobody else is blamed
*or think they own it*, or tries to take it the task away from us!

In this way, two vitally important things happen.  Firstly: we can rely
on each other, as we trust that the tasks that others chose will be
completed (even if they mess up a few times).  Secondly: in our chosen
opportunity to grow and learn, we know and trust that nobody will take
that away from us, and, further, that our achievements and the credit
will be ours.