Earthlings Cells

Small Team and Project Cooperation System of the Earthlings People

SECTION 01

The Role of Cells in the Earthlings Ecosystem

Cells are the basic organizational unit of the Earthlings people. Through cells, projects are implemented, practical decisions are made, products and services are created, and horizontal connections are formed between Earthlings.

Why Cells Are Needed

to translate the values and goals of Earthlings into real actions and projects;
to preserve a human scale in decision-making (small teams instead of massive structures);
to make participation accessible: any Earthling can propose a project and become part of it;
to prevent the formation of bureaucratic "superstructures" detached from actual work.

Connection to the Charter

In the Earthlings Charter, cells are considered the basic carriers of "action" in the system: it is through them that the contribution of Earthlings is realized, which is then reflected in the participation economy, in DAO decisions, and in platform development. Cells are dynamic structures of living cooperation.

SECTION 02

Two Types of Cells: Professional and Project

The Earthlings system provides for two basic types of cells that perform different functions but are closely interconnected.

Professional Cells

formed by competency profile: lawyers, engineers, programmers, analysts, investors, etc.;
exist on a permanent basis, independent of specific projects;
responsible for quality of expertise, project support, preparation of recommendations and standards;
allocate participants to project cells upon request from the platform and Earthlings AI.

Project Cells

formed for specific Earthlings initiatives (projects, research, programs);
exist for a limited time - for the duration of project implementation;
bring together Earthlings from various professional cells to implement a specific project or solve a specific task;
close after project completion, preserving results in the ecosystem's collective memory.

Professional cells are the "foundation" of Earthlings competencies. Project cells are the "construction crews" that build specific solutions on this foundation.

SECTION 03

Optimal Size: Why Maximum 6 People

Both professional and project cells of Earthlings are limited in size: no more than 6 participants per cell. This is a substantive and methodological decision.

Human Scale

Small groups allow people to hear each other, see each person's contribution, and make decisions without turning into a "mini-bureaucracy." At sizes exceeding 6 people, hidden hierarchies and passive participants inevitably emerge.

Manageable Complexity

Each new unit of interaction increases communication complexity. Limiting to 6 people keeps this complexity at a level that can be managed without losing transparency and trust.

Alternative to "Structure Inflation"

Instead of expanding one cell to 15-20 people, Earthlings create several parallel cells and build cooperation between them. This prevents the accumulation of power and dependency within a single group.

If a project requires more people, multiple cells are created rather than one "expanded" structure. This is a principled choice against bureaucracy and in favor of living, small teams.

SECTION 04

Project Lifecycle: From Idea to Completion

The Earthlings digital platform and Earthlings AI provide a unified workflow for projects and cells.

1. Idea Emergence

Any Earthling through their personal account can submit an initiative: an environmental project, educational program, research, or technological solution. The application describes the problem, goal, expected impact, approximate timeline, and required competencies.

2. Initial AI Analysis

Earthlings AI conducts an initial review: compliance with the Declaration and ethics, absence of obvious conflicts and rights violations, approximate feasibility assessment. If necessary, the initiator is offered improvements to wording and structure. The review is advisory and cannot become a final refusal: the initiator is entitled to require review by a person, and the right to bring the initiative before the community is retained in any event.

3. Distribution to Professional Cells

After initial approval, the application is automatically sent to relevant professional cells (for example, lawyers, engineers, programmers, economists). Cells review the application and, if interested, allocate participants to join the project cell.

4. Project Cell Formation

A project cell (up to 6 people) is formed from selected representatives of professional cells. The digital platform helps balance the composition by competencies, time, and areas of responsibility. The cell receives a basic plan, access to necessary tools, and if needed - internal funding.

5. Work, Support, Adaptation

The project cell conducts its work: plans, distributes tasks, interacts with Earthlings AI, and if necessary, engages consultations from other professional cells. The platform records stages, progress, key decisions, while maintaining a reasonable level of privacy.

6. Completion and Contribution Recording

After project completion, the platform records the result, updates the Earthlings map, reflects participants' contributions, and if such a model exists, distributes rewards. The project cell closes, and its experience remains in the system.

In this workflow, Earthlings AI acts not as a "boss" but as an assistant and analytical tool: it facilitates decision-making but does not replace people or take responsibility for meaning away from them.

SECTION 05

How a cell decides: consent, not unanimity

A cell is a human-scale team, and decisions in it are made neither by a majority that forces its will on the minority, nor by unanimity that freezes any action whenever a single person disagrees. A cell works on the principle of consent: a decision is adopted if no participant has raised a reasoned objection. A participant's silence after the discussion concludes counts as consent - an inactive or absent participant does not block the cell, yet is not deprived of a voice while the discussion is ongoing.

Consent does not mean that everyone likes the decision. It means that no one sees harm, a breach of principles, or coercion in it. This is a deliberately low threshold for action and a high threshold for coercion.

What counts as a reasoned objection

An objection halts or changes a decision only if it rests on at least one of the grounds and is accompanied by a reason:

Harm: the decision specifically harms the cell, the project, or a participant;
Breach of principles: it contradicts the Declaration, the red lines, or the ethics of Earthlings;
Coercion: it imposes a personal obligation on a participant without their consent;
Unworkability or serious risk: the decision is unworkable or carries an unmitigated risk.

What is not an objection

An objection based on personal preference ("I do not like it", "I would do it differently") is recorded as disagreement but does not block the decision. This is the boundary that prevents consent from turning into any participant's right to paralyze the cell.

An objection is examined, not overruled by a vote

If a reasoned objection is raised, the cell is obliged to examine it: take it into account, resolve it with an amendment, or refute it with arguments.

objections on the grounds of breach of principles or coercion are binding - a decision cannot be adopted until they are removed; this protects the person and the foundations of the people, and it cannot be overcome by a vote;
objections on the grounds of harm or unworkability trigger a resolution round; if, after a good-faith attempt, they are not removed, the matter is settled by an ordinary cell vote, and the stated risk is recorded;
a dispute not resolved within the cell is referred to the procedure described in the section on conflicts: dialogue, mediator, the Independent Council (provided for in the founding documents, formed once the people's membership has been assembled).

Action

The cell collectively does something: takes on a project, chooses a tool, accepts a contribution, publishes a result, directs the cell's shared resource toward a task.

Rule: consent by default; a reasoned objection is examined. A participant retains the right not to take part in a specific action.

Obligation

The decision personally binds a participant, changes the cell's internal rules, or affects someone's status: imposing an obligation, changing rules, admitting or removing a participant.

Rule: explicit consent is required from those whom the decision personally binds; changing the cell's rules requires the consent of all participants.

Inviolable protection of the participant

Regardless of the cell's decision, every participant retains the right not to take part in a specific action and the right to leave the cell without sanctions. No consent turns into a personal obligation without the separate consent of the participant themselves.

Freedom here means that a person cannot be coerced, not that one person can stop everyone.

SECTION 06

Cell Participation, Identity and SBT

Identity and Protection Against Abuse

each cell participant has an Earthling SBT identity (one person - one SBT);
this prevents the creation of multiple fake accounts and attempts to "capture" a cell or project;
the digital platform works with pseudonyms and SBT status, not storing biometric data;
biometrics and documents remain under the responsibility of the Earthlings verification system.

Voluntariness and Freedom

no Earthling is obligated to participate in cells - it is a right;
a participant may leave a cell while observing accepted deadlines and commitments to the team;
participation in multiple cells is possible if it does not lead to overload and quality degradation;
no cell can "claim" a person: they always remain a free agent.

SECTION 07

Cells and Participation Economy: Earthlings Coin

Earthlings Coin, described in a separate document, is the utility token of the Earthlings ecosystem. In the context of cells, it serves as a tool for rewards and funding.

What Earthlings Coin Provides to Cells

the ability for internal project funding (purchasing resources, services, access to tools);
rewarding participants for contributions to completed projects;
forming funds to support promising initiatives;
transparent recording of the economic footprint of cell activities.

What Earthlings Coin Does Not Provide

does not increase participants' voting weight in the DAO;
does not determine access to basic cell participation;
does not make a cell "rich" or "poor" in terms of political influence;
does not allow purchasing influence within the Earthlings people.

Capital as one contribution among others, not as control

Many kinds of contribution can be brought into a cell: labor, skills, time, connections, equipment, premises - and capital (money to start up or to buy resources). Capital is treated on par with the other contributions, not above them.

The Earthlings system strictly separates two independent ledgers (two "books"):

The governance ledger: who makes decisions and how. Here only the principle "one person - one vote" applies. The size of a monetary contribution grants no vote, no veto, and no special weight in the cell.
The economic ledger: who contributed what and who receives what. Here a contribution of capital is counted and rewarded.

How capital is rewarded:

capital receives a pre-agreed, fair, and capped return - for example, the return of the principal plus an agreed premium, or an agreed share of revenue up to a ceiling;
once the ceiling is reached, the capital return ends and capital exits the cell's profit distribution; it does not turn into perpetual rent;
capital never buys a vote, control over the cell, or a permanent share of power; governance remains "one person - one vote";
the terms of the return are fixed openly before work begins and are part of the cell's economic ledger.

This model naturally suits cells whose main contribution is people and their skills (software development, research, services, creative projects), and suits less well capital-intensive ventures with large physical assets. Conceptually it continues the tradition of worker cooperatives and steward-ownership: capital receives a fair, finite return, while governance remains with the people.

Contribution to the Common Good

5% of profits from all cells goes to the Earthlings Treasury.

This mechanism ensures sustainable development of the entire ecosystem: the Fund supports common infrastructure projects, educational initiatives, assistance to new cells, and implementation of strategic goals of the Earthlings people. Each cell, working for itself, simultaneously strengthens the common foundation.

Working with the External World and Fiat Settlements

Earthlings cells are not limited to the internal ecosystem - they can freely work with external clients, provide services, and sell the results of their projects for fiat currencies.

Cells may:

provide professional services to external clients (development, consulting, design, marketing, etc.);
create and sell products in external markets;
work with both cryptocurrencies and traditional fiat currencies;
independently determine pricing and terms of cooperation with clients.

Principles of Working with Fiat:

Transparent Reporting: Cells declare profits received in fiat currency for calculating the 5% contributions to the Earthlings Treasury;
Voluntary Honesty: The system is built on trust and reputation - attempts to hide income negatively affect the cell's rating;
Contribution medium: the 5% contribution may be made in EC, fiat, or stablecoin through transparent mechanisms;
Structuring Freedom: Cells decide for themselves how to organize the legal structure for working with fiat (sole proprietorship, companies, cooperatives).

Connection Between Internal and External Economy:

Earthlings Coin ensures circulation within the ecosystem but does not restrict cells from earning funds outside of it. Profits from external activities may be reinvested in cell development, distributed among participants, or directed to new Earthlings projects.

The participation economy is designed to support real actions, not to divide people by their level of access to resources. Cells gain the ability to work sustainably but do not become centers of power due to token volumes.

SECTION 08

Taxation and Legal Structuring

Tax Reality

Receiving compensation for work in a cell - in Earthlings Coin or fiat currency - creates tax obligations in most countries.

Each cell participant independently complies with the tax legislation of their country of residence.

Two Work Scenarios

Working for Earthlings Coin

Participants receive EC, which is valued for taxation at the agreed price or market rate on the platform. The 5% is transferred to the Fund in EC.

Working for Fiat

Each participant receives their share of payment in fiat currency directly from the client. The 5% is also transferred to the Fund in fiat - conversion through EC is not required. This simplifies tax accounting.

Legal Structuring

Cell participants may create a company, cooperative, or partnership for working with clients. Such structures are created by participants in their own name and at their own discretion, not on behalf of the Earthlings people.

A legal structure provides the ability to enter into contracts with corporate clients, open accounts, and simplifies tax accounting for large projects.

Earthlings Treasury and Taxes

For fiat currency operations, the Earthlings Treasury uses instrument legal entities, created as needed by DAO decision; such an entity can accept both cryptocurrency and fiat transfers.

The instrument legal entity has its own tax obligations, separate from participants' obligations. Participants pay taxes on their share of income (95%) but do not pay on the 5% transferred to the Fund.

Support Tools

Earthlings are creating a knowledge base, document templates, and structuring recommendations. The community shares experience and helps navigate tax issues.

Sound structuring and compliance with laws strengthens legitimacy and protects Earthlings.

SECTION 09

Ratings, Reputation and Recommendation Mechanisms

The Earthlings cell system allows the use of ratings and work quality indicators.

What Can Be Measured

completed projects and achieved results;
adherence to deadlines and task agreements;
willingness to take responsibility and see things through;
ability to work in a team and support others.

How This Can Be Used

for recommendations: which cells or participants are better suited for complex projects;
for training: where additional support programs, mentorship, or skills development are needed;
for transparency: to see how cells evolve and what they learn;
for resource allocation in projects - but without turning assessments into "castes."

Ratings in the Earthlings system serve as a navigation tool: which teams can more easily be entrusted with complex tasks, and which need support and development.

SECTION 10

Conflicts, Ethics and Protection Against Cell Capture

It is important to create fair and transparent mechanisms for conflict resolution.

Basic Principles

respect for the individual personhood of each participant;
preference for dialogue and mediation over forceful solutions;
transparent rules for entry, work, and exit from a cell;
impossibility of "usurping" a cell or excluding people from the cell without procedures and reasons (belonging to the people is in any case unaffected).

Conflict Resolution Mechanisms

internal dialogue within the cell with position documentation;
appeal to an independent mediator (from other cells or specially trained groups);
in case of serious violations - appeal to the Independent Council;
in extreme cases - dissolution or restructuring of the cell taking into account the interests of all participants.

Protection Against Capture and Abuse

The system provides technical and organizational barriers:

the DAO may intervene if a cell systematically violates ethics or blocks important projects;
resources and funding are distributed so that no single cell becomes a "monopolist";
sanction decisions are made not by individual people but by procedures described in the Charter and DAO documents.

SECTION 11

Cell Data and Participant Privacy

Cell operation requires storing certain data: who participated, what was done, what results were achieved. At the same time, the platform must respect every Earthling's right to privacy.

What Is Stored in the System

participant pseudonyms and their role in the cell;
project description and status;
main stages and work results (reports, conclusions, artifacts);
aggregated participation indicators (for example, number of completed projects).

What the System Does Not Store

biometric data and document scans of participants;
sensitive personal data unrelated to cell work;
hidden "blacklists" where people are marked as "undesirable" without clear grounds;
detailed logs of personal communications unrelated to the work process.

SECTION 12

Evolution and Further Development of the Cell System

The Earthlings cell system is not fixed forever in one form. It will evolve together with Earthlings, with the accumulation of experience, mistakes, successes, and feedback from participants.

new types of cells may emerge (for example, experimental or educational) if there is practical value in them;
procedures for participation, conflict resolution, and resource allocation may be refined;
technical tools may change, but basic principles - human scale, freedom of participation, equal voice, respect for the individual - will remain unchanged;
every significant rule change must be discussed and approved in the Earthlings DAO.

Earthlings cells are not an "ideal model" on paper but a working tool. It will become more precise as people try, make mistakes, correct, and try again.