Freedom Friends Tuath

[Michael Fisher]

Our tuath brainstorming session today went very well.? So well, in fact, that we already created and staffed the tuath.? We've worked out the purpose, structure, administration, board, and membership practices of the tuath.? ?Then we simplified it as much as possible.? It is extremely simple!? A tuath is true choice and true freedom in my opinion.

Five of us already created the tuath this evening through a verbal agreement to abide by ZAP.? ?

Nobody else has started a thread about it yet, so here's my introduction of the new tuath.?


Freedom Friends Tuath

The purpose is to gain members which sign contracts to abide by the Zero Aggression Principle.  The contract also states that conflicts between tuath members must be arbitrated within the tuath.? A secondary part of the contract is to voluntarily help other tuath members in need when possible.

Membership contract:? I agree to abide by the Zero Aggression Principle and keep my conflicts with other tuath members within the tuath.? I will also do my best to voluntarily help other tuath members in need.

All we need are contracts for new members and a filing cabinet to put them in.? ? A website would also be nice to communicate the idea to others, but it's not necessary.

That's basically it.? ?

Here are some annoying details we've worked out so far:
-The tuath as an organization does NOTHING but manage contracts and the arbitration process.
-The administrator adds/removes members and randomly selects jurists for arbitration.? That's all.
-A board of 3 people exists to add, remove, or change the administrator or each other if necessary, or to change the structure of the tuath if it gets too big.
-There are no restrictions on the powers of the board, though it is in their best interests to do nothing, as taking any action may result in the loss of tuath members.
-There are no fees except a user fee for arbitration.? Each jurist is paid in the judgement.
-Arbitration judgements can include penalties of restitution and banishment.
-Anyone in the tuath can start arbitration against another member for restitution for a violation of ZAP.
-Anyone in the tuath can start arbitration to kick out members who violate the membership contract.
-For inner-tuath arbitration, 5 tuath members are randomly selected as jurists for each trial.? Members can refuse to be a jurist.
-If someone doesn't like the tuath, they can very easily leave and start their own.? ?? If you don't like the rules, structure, administrator, or board members, let us know and we'll consider changes, or you can easily copy the idea and start your own tuath.
-The board will probably make all operation of the tuath extremely transparent to increase membership.
-Our only "logo" will be a picture of members volunteering to help each other because the organization itself is irrelevant, unless you want our members to worship a picture of a filing cabinet, the only real thing the organization does.? ?

Administrator:? AlanM
Board:? Cathleen, Don, and Ken
Members:? All of the above and myself. (5 total)

We'll create the Membership Contract very soon so more people can sign up!

[AlanM]

Good job, Mike. 
The beauty of this Tuath is its simplicity. Since most of us believe in the ZAP, this just allows us to pursue our principles, sans government. *evil hiss* Any disputes arising amongst Tuath members are resolved within the Tuath. No resorting to Gov courts. Everything is voluntary. No force involved. If you don't like where the Tuath is going, or not going, then simply resign from the Tuath and start another. This is not a one size fits all resolution to society's problems. What this does do, is make you responsible for your own actions. It also is a simple framework for interaction between Tuath members.

Thanks to Cathleen, who kept exhorting us to Make it simple! 

[Friday]

I'm sorry, but I don't get it.  ???  Is it a social club?  An alternative to the Libertarian Party?  What's the goal? And where does this word "tuath" come from?  It appears to be a Celtic word; does it have some common usage in American English that I've just never been exposed to before?

What are the membership rules? Since you're swearing to offer help to other members when needed, there must be some sort of selection criteria. Or is this a religious thing?

[Michael Fisher]

It's too bad Pat left early! ?Cathleen exhorted us to simplify. ?When Ken finally arrived, it pressured us to just get this done. ?

The reason why we called it the "Freedom Friends Tuath" (Cathleen's idea) is because we were trying to put a name to the concept that the organization is irrelevant, and we do not want organization-worship to happen. ?We joked about people worshipping a flag with a filing cabinet on it. ?Cathleen suggested this name and it immediately stuck. ?We're just friends agreeing not to hurt each other and to help each other out.

What else should we have in the membership contract? ?Probably a place for contact info incase a member is needed as a jurist? ?And maybe we should put ZAP into words. ?I think that's all we'll need.

[AlanM]

Have you read the Medieval Iceland thread? http://forum.soulawakenings.com/index.php?topic=1949.0

A Tuath is a means of a society functioning without a Government. The word comes from the Icelandic experience of over 300 years of a Stateless Society. Ireland had a similar experience which lasted for a thousand years.
Our Tuath is based on ZAP.
It is not a religion.

[Michael Fisher]

I'm sorry, but I don't get it.? ???? Is it a social club?? An alternative to the Libertarian Party?? What's the goal? And where does this word "tuath" come from?? It appears to be a Celtic word; does it have some common usage in American English that I've just never been exposed to before?

What are the membership rules? Since you're swearing to offer help to other members when needed, there must be some sort of selection criteria. Or is this a religious thing?

A tuath is the opposite of a monopoly government. ?A monopoly government forces an involuntary contract on its citizens. ?A tuath seeks members to sign voluntary contracts agreeing to certain basic rules and providing for the protection or assistance ("help") of others.

See our discussion thread on the working examples of near-anarchocapitalist societies in medieval Iceland and ancient Ireland here:
Medieval Iceland: Proof Anarchocapitalism Works

In a free land, the highest power is the individual who can choose to align herself and her property to a voluntary association (tuath) at will.

[Michael Fisher]

In Ireland the basic social unit was the tuath, meaning "people", "community", "tribe" or "small kingdom".

Our tuath is different from those in ancient Ireland in that they owed loyalty and money to the king of the tuath.  We do not owe loyalty or money to our administrator or board, only to each other according to our ZAP contract.

[Michael Fisher]

What are the membership rules? Since you're swearing to offer help to other members when needed, there must be some sort of selection criteria.

The offer of "help" is an unenforceable statement of voluntary help which can include anything.

-If someone's home burns down, you can volunteer to bring them in to your home, but you are not obligated.
-If someone's property is destroyed, you can volunteer to help fix it.
-If someone's home is being robbed, you can volunteer come to protect them.

There are many possible applications of this statement, but the statement itself is neutral toward the existing monopoly government.  Individually, we can do many things to help each other, and the government would have no purpose or means by which to destroy our tuath.

[AlanM]

A member of a Tuath can make any type of contract with another member of the Tuath (or any tuath based on ZAP) and it will be enforced by the Arbitration Jury, made up of willing jurists from within the Tuath. No need for the Governments court system. Restitution will be the focus of the Jury, not penal justice, though they may come up with a decision of shunning, or banishment from the tuath.

[KBCraig]

Sounds real nice and all, but... huh? Nothing can be binding on the members without their permission, since they're free to quit at any time.

It sounds exactly like what we already do, except without membership. The only exception would be agreeing to arbitration should tuath members come into conflict. And the arbitration isn't binding unless they agree to it, so again... huh?

If you can't trust someone in a business deal, then you can't trust them to abide by an arbiter's decision. So again... huh?

Don't mean to rain on your fun, and I do hope you have fun with it. But... huh?

Kevin

[KBCraig]

Restitution will be the focus of the Jury, not penal justice, though they may come up with a decision of shunning, or banishment from the tuath.

Okay... so let's say the tuath grows from five members to a dozen. Or, let's make it a hundred or more. Someone has a strong disagreement with someone else, and let's say Party A is completely in the wrong, yet believes he is the wronged party. Party A is already PO'd enough to not be reasonable, nor to voluntarily admit wrongdoing.

You threaten shunning, banishment, or expulsion on such a person, and their response is going to be, "Okay, WTF-ever!"

It all goes back to trusting those you do business with.

Kevin

[AlanM]

Restitution will be the focus of the Jury, not penal justice, though they may come up with a decision of shunning, or banishment from the tuath.

Okay... so let's say the tuath grows from five members to a dozen. Or, let's make it a hundred or more. Someone has a strong disagreement with someone else, and let's say Party A is completely in the wrong, yet believes he is the wronged party. Party A is already PO'd enough to not be reasonable, nor to voluntarily admit wrongdoing.

You threaten shunning, banishment, or expulsion on such a person, and their response is going to be, "Okay, WTF-ever!"

It all goes back to trusting those you do business with.

Kevin

Shunning can be a powerful incentive to abide by the decision of the arbitrators. Just ask the Amish.

[KBCraig]

Shunning can be a powerful incentive to abide by the decision of the arbitrators. Just ask the Amish.

Only in a society which has lived in isolation from the surrounding world. Like the Amish.

[AlanM]

Shunning can be a powerful incentive to abide by the decision of the arbitrators. Just ask the Amish.

Only in a society which has lived in isolation from the surrounding world. Like the Amish.

Shunning is done all the time in Society. Just look at Political Correctness. An example of shunning. Teenagers complain of peer pressure. Another example similar to shunning. If the teenager doesn't go along with the crowd, they are ostracized.

[Michael Fisher]

Joining a tuath will probably help people in several ways. ?It's like a clan or a family backing you up when you need help - any kind of help. ?Members are likely to be more trusting of other members because they share a commitment to ZAP and will pay restitution for any wrongs. ?Membership gets people to trust each other and help each other.

Sounds real nice and all, but... huh? Nothing can be binding on the members without their permission, since they're free to quit at any time.

This is the way a free society works. ?If you want the benefits of a tuath, you must be a member. ?To be a member of the tuath, you are bound to abide by ZAP. ?If you quit the tuath to avoid a trial or judgement, or if you are banished, you may lose your reputation with the other members as well as the benefits of membership.

It sounds exactly like what we already do, except without membership.

It's a formal contract rather than an unspoken practice or verbal contract. ?This is how Iceland and Ireland operated as free societies - through contracts between people binding them from aggression and for mutual protection.

The only exception would be agreeing to arbitration should tuath members come into conflict. And the arbitration isn't binding unless they agree to it, so again... huh?
If you can't trust someone in a business deal, then you can't trust them to abide by an arbiter's decision. So again... huh?

Rejecting mediation hurts your reputation. ?Rejecting arbitration hurts your reputation and may result in a judgement against you. ?Refusing to pay restitution repeatedly will result in further restitution judgements or removal from the tuath, and that will seriously hurt your reputation - for good reason.