On 3rd June 2020 weegingerdug published a wonderful article about the Indy Covenant. As you can see below, it was defined as ‘A guest post by The Digital Scottish Covenant team’. Fast forward a week, and I personally don’t even know who actually wrote the guest post. Which is perhaps a relevant point to acknowledge that those who created the indy Covenant, have passed it over, as soon as was possible to do so, to the ownership of the citizens of Scotland.
Reading through weegingerdug’s initial reader comments, it was plain to see people were asking for more information about who had worked on the indy Covenant itself. After this, there was an audio dugcast logically suggesting some public knowledge about those who had delivered the Covenant. So I delivered a quick twitter thread about that, which was very well received by fellow citizens, so this article is a summary of that thread, with some additional info. All most helpfully intended for Scotland’s YES movement.
Hopefully, this further clarity can therefore bring even more understanding, and a consensus that the underpinnings of the indy Covenant process are focussed absolutely, with totally dedicated human integrity, kindness and holistic inclusion for all, in addition to the security delivered by using blockchain signatures.
We can certainly wonder today if any of the 2,000,000+ people who signed the 1950s indy Covenant were scared to sign, as they were wondering what would happen to their data?
People in online chat elsewhere today, saying ‘Pencils and pieces of paper please!’ Well, despite some truly incredible efforts from many very determined and passionate Scotland citizens, the most collated paper signatures I am aware of this century, eg paper Covenant 5,000 or Peoples Doorstep Referendum 35,000 … So, we are all going to be in the Union for a very long time, if paper and pencil is our best plan moving ahead! Furthermore, of those signatures collated, Unionists would be able to ‘brush those aside’, as if it were the 1950s all over again.
Hence, the logic of unique, indelible, immutable and irrefutable blockchain signatures.
The 21st century digitalised @ScotCovenant twitter feed is being deliveredby Iain McGlade, who has also delivered THE CALL TO ACTION:
Appreciated. Shifting today from archaic democracy controlled by Imperialists from another country and also amongst us within our own country, to 21st century democracy controlled here in Scotland by those exclusively in favour of independence, is a significant step.
Trust and security. Thus far, the Covenant has had 3,500 submissions. Of those, only 700 have satisfied the very easily understood yet strict criteria from the process being delivered by the Signatures Verification Team. People have uploaded selfies etc, double-submitted etc. Realisation folks, this is not something that can be gamed. It’s designed as 100% flawless, and that is certainly what it is delivering.
Does anyone honestly think for a single second, that all involved in the unfolding project would have gone to such design lengths, only to see anyone being able to dismiss anything by disrupting the integrity of any process? That, is why every component is designed as it is. It is purposefully designed to deliver at 100% flawless.
So if I haven’t met you that’s me on the left! I’ve been voluntary for Scotland, on the subject of #DLT interface with democracy since 2015. 80,000+ tweets, heading 100 articles published, loads of film clips, we even had our very own TV channel when TrulyScottishTV was running. #DLT is aka Blockchain.
By circumstances alone, I became Scotland’s investigative reporter defining the accelerating #DLT democracy capabilities. Amongst many others, I’ve delivered the groundbreaking Business for Scotland Trilogy (general,academic, political) …
I also highlight this pioneering Blockchain for social good article I delivered for Bella Caledonia, as it was ranked number 1 in the world for 18 months after publishing by google, for the search term ‘Blockchain Democracy’ – Scotland’s Blockchain Democracy?
In 2018 I was approached by a group of Scotland citizens who said they believed so much in the DLT capabilities which I had been writing about, that they wanted to walk 500miles to highlight what it can potentially do for Scotland’s future. So, I joined them on that walk, and delivered investigative reporting over the 3 weeks of walking. The very lovely lady on the right in the photo above is Margaret McVicar, who (as you can see below) was the very first to join us on 2018’s 500miles walk, originating on the Isle of Skye.
I called the Royal Mile photo above with Margaret ‘The beginning and the end’, because I bumped into Margaret again, on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile at the end of the 500miles, which was the All Under One Banner march with circa 130,000 people on the march, a truly epic way to finish a walk.
Faith? Everyone we met on the 2018 500 miles walk told us they would never stop trying, if enabled with the blockchain capabilities. So that’s why we have never stopped. digitalcovenant.scot is THAT capability.
7 started, 7 crossed the finish. Dave Llewellyn (has delivered first IndyLiveStream re indy Covenant as half of Twa Auld Heids, the other being Mike Fenwick), Dean Woodhouse, Laura Marshall, Jim Stewart , Wren Chapman, Karl J Claridge, Nicholas Russell, – that was combined per se, Ground Zero for Scotland’s Blockchain Democracy potentials.
During the 500 miles walk, one of the most vocal proponents for future DLT Blockchain Democracy was of course fellow walker Laura Marshall, speaking here in Aberdeen’s Tollbooth, at the eastern end of Union St!
And in passing, seen here below taking a stand against Guardia Civil. NB Catalonia cannot even use the #DLT blockchain signature systems as now defined in Scotland’s indy Covenant, because Spain recently delivered a decree banning direct digital democracy. (England can’t do the same to Scotland, as Scotland is a country.)
So, that’s the scope of my own project input. #DLT Distributed ledger Technology meets democracy. Simply put, the best way of recording the signatures. Admittedly that sounds as boring as anything, until you realise it’s the best 21st century way in existence, to record the signatures of those in favour of independence. And that furthermore there is nothing that anyone opposed to independence can do to stop that. This is now exemplified by the initial recording of signatures, which anyone can see by visiting Ethereum, and noted today there are currently 200+ signatures now in the queue for committing to the blockchain.
A massive Congratulations all round, to every single individual who has contributed thus far to the Indy Covenant project. Collectively, everyone has already proven that the un-precedented concept works. Scotland thereby, has now proven that it is possible to deliver new democracy, by the people for the people. Nailed on Blockchain. First in the world to do so.
The Indy Covenant has already also proven that it is possible to use modern technology for UN rights to self-determination and independence.
The two coders are carefully appraising if and when they will release their OSS Open Source Software to the general public, thereby enabling other ‘global democratic organisations’ to replicate (and further improve) the same participatory processes elsewhere. That would be a truly incredible gift to the cause of global democracy. And I am here writing today, in the hope that one day in the future I will be able to publish that OSS article via the YesDayScotland WordPress site.
The centuries old Unionist approach of divide and conquer? People can be divided. But one thing that cannot be divided, is the indy chain. Nobody can divide the chain.
Just to highlight, whilst it’s been a pleasure and an honour to advise exclusively on how the #DLT interface with democracy can be achieved, I personally have zero, actually make that ZERO!!!, to do with submissions ongoing, processing etc. Any such queries please contact site admin.
Into the future, and due to personal time constraints, all I am able to do to update, will be ongoing via YesDayScotland twitter.
No individual doing anything in and around the Indy Covenant is paid anything. Unlike crowdfunded YES journalism etc, everything achieved thus far with the project is crowdfunded by the people, with the main cost being ETH, to record the signatures.
A few months ago I asked site admin and coders combined, to take a guess at how many human hours had gone into the project, and they were unwilling to even take a guess.
Financially, and I am stunned myself to be typing this, setting aside all voluntary human input, the entire project cost thus far, mainly for committing signatures to the indy Blockhain etc, is in the region of two thousand pounds.
Participants can donate to the project, to fund future signatures for fellow citizens. This is digital, in blocks of as many £5 as you wish, all info is on the site.
The 2014 referendum cost taxpayers £15.85 million, the indy #Covenant is enabling for 3 million signatures, for a tiny fraction of that amount. Cannot be totally specific, as the cost of ETH fluctuates.
Again, flawless financial records are being maintained and regularly updated by site admin, and circulated to all involved.
In terms of coding the indy Covenant to the blockchain itself, this has been physically delivered by two coders who wish to retain anonymity. If you twitter search ‘@YesDayScotland coders’ you’ll find the records detailing their ongoing challenges over months, the timelines etc. It was a very significant undertaking.
In terms of input into existing Covenant site architecture, and how it can relate into the future of Digital Assembly, and the creation of a written constitution for Scotland, this has been via constitutional scholar Dr Mark McNaught.
If YOU wish to join the extended Covenant volunteer network and chat with the many people who have been involved thus far, this is the page you need to join, over on Facebook.
Should you wish to embrace a much wider scope, you can join fellow citizens at The Digital Scottish Covenant Facebook page. The site’s header image leaves no doubt as to the intentions!
The Indy Covenant platform itself, is de-centralised, as is the new democracy. The platform does not have a boss, or any bosses!!! It is owned and run by YOU. That’s YOU, the citizens of Scotland. You need to get your heads around that!
We’ve even seen someone saying, ‘I’m not signing cos the site’s email address is from Switzerland!’ To explain (especially to those arriving at this article via USA google): ProtonMail is being used, as it’s encrypted, hence the safest to use!
Worth highlighting: Quote ‘many of you will know many of us in the Core Team, but not all of us are ready / willing to put our heads above the parapet when it comes to revealing who we are (for what really should be obvious reasons, if you fully “get” what is being built here)’ – those who deal with Site Admin have detailed this in the ‘Why we require documents’ section on the site itself.
And as for any YESSER thinking – eg ‘My gran won’t #SignTheCovenant cos she is 85 years old!’ So change Scotland. Help your gran! And vice versa old to young!
People saying, ‘the Scottish government should deliver an independence blockchain’ … To confirm, once again. First Minister, Westminster Leader, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution. They all had that capability defined starting late 2018. Catch22. Electoral law is reserved to Westminster.
Public Service Announcement:
So with that in mind, here’s another wonderful Covenant article, the very first to publish on the site itself:
So, YES! That’s basically it. Do or Do Not. There is no Try.
Your choice Scotland. The ‘system’ is now enabled, but the only way for it to deliver, is via the YES movement as one.
As I have been tracking all progress so closely (I am cc’d in on all ongoing group discussions), I’ve been able to deliver the initial media summaries. Here’s the compressed version. MEDIA RELEASE: SCOTLAND IS NOW ENABLED WITH 21ST CENTURY DEMOCRACY
Together with Easy Explainer: How to #SignTheCovenant Scotland’s indy Blockchain
Every single individual deployed in and around the Indy Covenant, or on behalf of, is 100% voluntary for Scotland, in the firm belief that Scotland should become a normal country, with all decisions for Scotland’s people being taken here in Scotland.
That will only be possible via the indy Covenant however, if it is fully embraced by the entire YES movement.
Everyone involved in creating the Covenant stands 100% by the flawless results thus far, the data systems are secured and intact, and the signatures are irrefutable. If you want your country back, go ahead and take it.
There are many differing opinions as to how this could be best achieved. My own tuppence, everyone attending a future All Under One Banner march signs it, then each gets 20 other Scotland citizens to do the same. Go Home and GO BIG! If that can be done, Scotland will become a normal independent country.
YES needs to cross a bridge it has never crossed before. Can it be done? That’s up to YES!
All best wishes,
Nicholas Russell for YesDayScotland
‘Blockchain Saltire crossing a bridge over the Aberdeen bypass’
Image via Dean Woodhouse photography.
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