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Rules Should Fit Local Circumstances

Design Note: Rules should fit local circumstances rather than being imposed from external sources. What works in one context may not work in another. Instead of applying one universal model, the system should adapt to local customs, traditions, and practical conditions such as available skills, connectivity, or community priorities.

This principle emphasizes that rules are not only technical but also cultural artifacts. Rules that fit local conditions are more likely to be seen as legitimate and fair.

Relevance to Contribution Systems:

  • Legitimacy: Contributors and communities will only engage consistently if they see the system reflecting their own values and realities.
  • Trust: Embedding cultural protocols ensures contributors feel like valued internal members, and not external contributors.
  • Adaptability: Different communities and DAOs have different priorities (technical projects, cultural preservation, land stewardship). Rules need flexibility to accommodate these differences.
  • Sustainability: Systems that ignore local conditions are brittle; they fail when values clash with imposed frameworks. A culturally grounded system endures.

Matou DAO Implementation:

Membership:

  • DAO Membership should reflect the communities it serves and skill gaps required.
  • Memberships are built upon relationships
  • Contributors must complete an orientation process that introduces both technical rules and cultural expectations.

Activity:

  • Community contributions (e.g., running a marae event, creating learning resources in local language) are recognized as equally valuable alongside technical outputs.
  • Stewards ensure proposal-to-contribution pipelines reflect both operational needs and cultural goals (e.g., treasury supports both software builds and cultural festivals).

Technical:

  • Contribution system is designed by contributors to encourage contributions and support community members

Cultural:

  • Elder council participation, consultation processes and practises are defined and adapted by council participants

Operational:

  • Rules are logged in the Proposal Registry and can be updated by vote on by COM and CTR holders.