The Groundwork Fellowship Documentation

Internet infrastructure design shapes the ability for communities to collectively self-determine how they gather, make decisions, and share resources, both on and offline. This is infrastructure that is often designed in ways that disadvantage communities that are under-represented in dominant discourses surrounding the development and governance of internet infrastructure. How might online governance be different if the design and governance of internet infrastructure were more inclusive and responsive to the governance practices, designs, and realities of under-represented communities?

The Groundwork Fellowship was a year-long, three-month intensive, online fellowship hosted by Metagov, that invited 4 community-based research fellows conducting research in, with, and for communities under-represented in internet governance discourses. During the fellowship, each fellow produced an artifact situated in the context their communities and their governance process, needs, and practices.

The following report documents the artifacts, seminar presentations, and post-fellowship reflections that Groundwork Fellows have made in contribution to their communities as well as the ongoing discussion of internet infrastructure design and governance.

Through the past few years, DAOs have been criticized for prioritizing capital over labor contribution, and replicating many features of plutocracy. The Dynamic Partnership Protocol is a governance and ownership model for DAOs and cooperatives that puts labor above any other form of contribution, and centers the concepts of self-management and autonomy while addressing the efficiency and scaling shortcomings of traditional decentralized and horizontal models.

Delegated Curation is a project exploring sustainability through the theme of curation, aiming to promote governance minimization, increase neutrality in curatorial decision-making, and account for the fair distribution of artistic resources. Shuffle is the first tool developed out of this project, and is designed for curators. The tool systematizes and automates the repetitive administrative processes involved with organizing a group of artists that a curator entrusts to perform at a specific event. Using SMS to communicate and schedule the artists,  Shuffle streamlines a curator's workflow, allowing them to focus more on the creative aspects of their role while ensuring seamless coordination and execution of events. This initiative is tailored for curators who recognize the common dynamics of curation and seek alternative approaches, with the objective of enabling the communal growth of the Kenyan underground music scene and its various communities

In the context of Myanmar, where challenges such as recurring internet shutdowns and the need for secure communication solutions persist, Meshtastic LoRa emerges as a powerful tool for building a decentralized, secure, and private communication system. Meshtastic's impressive range enables communication in off-grid areas, regardless of the region's topography or nature. Its user-friendly setup, with no extensive technical know-how required, makes it accessible to a wide range of users, including activists, humanitarian workers, media personnel, and researchers. The device and service prioritize security through end-to-end encryption, ensuring the confidentiality of messages. Meshtastic also offers affordability and availability, making it a cost-effective choice for diverse applications. Its portability, customizable design, durability, and support further enhance its appeal. With the ability to cater to the needs of revolutionaries, administration units, and various other users, Meshtastic LoRa stands as a versatile and indispensable solution for building a resilient communication network in Myanmar.

The following file has been utilized for presenting the decentralized, secure, and private communication system for Myanmar to various organizations and individuals actively engaged in on-the-ground initiatives within the country.

The following is a full report of Michael's research project.

Introduction: DisCO Governance Modeling is a pattern-based approach for designing peer-governance protocols that work for communities. Based around a series of modular templates, it was created to promote practical ways for small/medium groups committed to social and environmental change to balance productivity with self-care and personal sustainability. All governance systems are designed to promote certain values to the detriment of others. Those based on capitalist growth will promote the realization of exchange value and minimization of care. DisCO flips the table by putting care at the heart of value systems and devising ways to maximize it. Within DisCOs (small, federated, changemaking groups) care is extended towards members of the group and, also, towards their productive activity, or mission. DisCO Governance can be broken down into four main components.

The four components reinforce each other in creating a clear picture of each individual's contributions to shared projects based on the values espoused above and provide clear information on how to distribute income and balance decision making.